News & Issues
Stories from around the Kansas City Metro area on a variety of topics.
Historic New England Building Apartment Redevelopment 40 Percent Leased, Opening Slated For Sept. 1
By Kevin Collison The historic New England building, one of downtown Kansas City’s oldest office structures, has leased 40 percent of its 32 apartments, most of which feature ornate cast-iron fireplaces from the days before central heating. The redevelopment of the 1887 structure at 112 W. Ninth St. is part of a $10 million investment…
Kansas Teens Can Face Bumpy Road As They ‘Age Out’ Of Foster Care System
Aubri Thompson has already had her share of challenges by age 21: She left the foster care system without a designated caregiver, lived without a steady home for more than a year and became a single parent before finishing college. Thompson lived in the Kansas foster care system from age 14, when she was reported…
Union Station Kicks Off New Outdoor Entertainment Venue Backed by Great Downtown Kansas City View
By Kevin Collison Union Station kicked off its new Haverty Family Yards outdoor entertainment venue last weekend with a soulful performance by Anderson East and his band backed by rolling freight trains and a dramatic view of downtown Kansas City. The inaugural show Saturday night attracted about 350 people to the grassy field next to…
Two Major Hotel Projects in Downtown Kansas City Continue Moving Forward in Addition to New Convention Hotel
By Kevin Collison Two major hotel projects continue to move forward in downtown Kansas City, which combined with the planned convention hotel, will add more than 1,200 rooms by early 2020. Last week, New York-based Loews announced it has become a substantial investor in the planned 800-room convention hotel at Wyandotte and 17th Street, and…
Nature’s Own Opens In River Market; Owners Want to be Full-Service Grocer for Growing Downtown Neighborhood
By Kevin Collison It didn’t take long for Jeff Henkle to know he found the right spot to reincarnate Nature’s Own. Residents in the River Market were so eager to shop at his new full-service grocery store at 310 E. Fifth St. he opened several days earlier than anticipated on June 18. “So many people…