Civic Affairs
Kansas City Architects Toast New Boulevard Brewery Visitor Center at Award Ceremony
By Kevin Collison Nothing like a great place to sample beer and buy Boulevard swag to win a popularity contest with local architects. The new Boulevard Beer Hall, formally known as the Boulevard Tours & Recreation Center, received the Professional’s Choice honor at the recent 2017 Design Excellence Awards Program held by the Kansas City…
If Historic Tax Credits Go Away, Local and National Redevelopment Will Come to a Crumbling Halt
GUEST COMMENTARY By Elizabeth Rosin Have you noticed how Kansas City has changed over the past decade, how vibrant our urban core has become? It was a gradual process that happened one property at a time. Most of these buildings were transformed using the historic tax credit (HTC), a tool that helps developers leverage private…
Mayor James Slams GOP Tax Proposals as ‘Crippling’ to City Redevelopment Including Downtown
Mayor James came out swinging today against Republican tax reform proposals being considered in Washington, saying they would “cripple” vital city redevelopment and infrastructure efforts including the planned new terminal at KCI. “We need an agenda to revitalize and restore the infrastructure of our cities, not cripple future investment in our urban centers,” James said…
Crossroads Sculptor Offers Healing Idea for Former Confederate Memorial Site
By Kevin Collison Sculptor Spencer Schubert has his works prominently displayed across the region from Manhattan to Jefferson City, and now wants to do something closer to home as a healing gesture for his community. He’s proposing a soaring sculpture of two hands grasping a knotted rope as a sign of unity to replace a…
Downtown Council Names 2017 Urban Heroes, Elects New Chairman
The Downtown Council of Kansas City has elected attorney Nate Orr, a partner at the Spencer Fane law firm, to be its new chairman for the upcoming year. Orr also is co-chair along with outgoing chairwoman Cathy Smith, vice president of corporate planning at Faultless Starch/Bon Ami, of the organization’s upcoming annual luncheon . The…