Civic Affairs
City Manager Brian Platt Q & A: ‘Good Progress’ on Decking South Loop
By Kevin Collison City Manager Brian Platt has been on the job 16 months since coming here from Jersey City in December 2020. He recently sat down with CityScene KC at the Rochester Brewing and Coffee in the West Crossroads to talk about greater downtown and other topics including the Kansas City Police Department and…
Westport High School Apartment Redevelopment Underway
By Kevin Collison Work has begun on the $52.2 million renovation of the historic Westport High School building into a 138-unit residential project called The Apartments at Westport Commons. The renovation of the 112 year-old former high school into apartments was first proposed in October 2020 by the same development team behind the restoration of…
New Atlanta Ballpark Considered Model for Royals Coming Downtown
By Kevin Collison If you’re curious about the game plan for a potential Royals downtown ballpark, the new home of the Atlanta Braves may offer some inside baseball. Truist Field and its adjoining “The Battery Atlanta” mixed-use development were cited several times by experts discussing the “Future of Sports Facilities” at an event last week…
Jackson County Moving Up to Quality Hill
By Kevin Collison Jackson County is moving to Quality Hill, that is 200 of its administrative employees now working at the historic, downtown Courthouse building. The Jackson County Legislature approved the purchase of the former Argus building at 1300 Washington for $9 million this week. The move is intended to provide non-court employees with better…
Major Renovation Project Part of Kansas City PBS ‘Picture This’ Initiative
By Kevin Collison Kansas City PBS has begun the public phase of its “Picture This” campaign, a $16.5 million initiative that will renovate its office and news production facility near 31st and Main, and strengthen its multi-platform journalism work. The bulk of the funds, $12.5 million, will be used to renovate and re-envision the complex…