Civic Affairs
Commission Backs Landmark Protection for Buildings at 31st and Main
By Kevin Collison A unanimous recommendation last week that several endangered buildings at 31st and Main be declared local landmarks has City Councilwoman Katheryn Shields encouraged about preventing their demolition. The Historic Preservation Commission voted 6-0 to support the properties, including the prominent Jeserich Building (1888) at 3041-45 Main, be spared demolition by developer Doug…
Cathedral Revises Capital Campaign, Seeks New Site for Homeless Ministry
By Kevin Collison The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has revamped its $14 million capital campaign, dropping plans for a new space for its homeless breakfast ministry and instead seeking another downtown location for the program. The cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, had planned to renovate its existing rectory…
Mark Twain Tower, Major Preservation Project, Opens to Residents in August
By Kevin Collison The 23-story Mark Twain Tower, one of downtown’s biggest historic preservation projects, is scheduled to begin accepting residents in August following a $60 million renovation that was slowed by the Covid pandemic. The building at 11th and Baltimore has been converted to 222 market-rate apartments by The Bernstein Cos. of Washington D.C….
North Loop Among ‘Freeways without Futures’ in New National Report
(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in CityScene KC June 2, 2021) By Kevin Collison The downtown North Loop is among 15 freeways throughout the country that should be removed and their tracks revitalized according to a new report by a national non-profit organization that champions “walkable urbanism.” The “Freeways Without Futures 2021” report by the…
Cocina47 Plaza Proposal Gets Thumbs Down from Plan Commission
By Kevin Collison The City Plan Commission rejected the Cocina47 project Tuesday, saying the height of the nine-story proposal was an insult to the years of planning and community meetings that created policies to guide development at the Country Club Plaza. “One of the most valuable tools that the city and our commission has is…