Latest Stories

Brookside couple envisions upscale neighborhood escape in former Michael Forbes spot

A couple who first met as servers at a restaurant on the Country Club Plaza are setting the table for a new venture in Brookside: an “elevated” neighborhood bistro and bottle shop that’s expected to open in early 2025. After a light remodeling, Hannah Koenig and Avery Bailey plan to open CRU in late January…

KC Pioneers scored Kansas City a spot on the ‘gaming wave’; why this pro esports teams views its hometown as a championship asset

In the globe-spanning esports market, most of the top competitive gaming teams keep their hometown — if they have one — ambiguous to the public. With the industry expected to touch 1 billion people worldwide by 2029 and players untethered to physical locations, it’s simply an unimportant biographical detail to many. And potentially limiting for others….

How a $527M development is poised to transform KC’s last ‘Wild West’ neighborhood

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. A New York developer plans to renovate several historic West Bottoms buildings into apartments and office space, in addition to new…

Imitators beware: KC’s viral, must-have hat flips the script on hometown pride that can’t be duped

It’s the favorite hat of influencers and athletes alike; Meet the KC native under the brim One of the most in-demand hats in Kansas City — spotted on KC athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. and an array of popular influencers — is driven by a hometown pride that transcends location, said Taylor…

Report: Nearly 10 percent of KC’s economy is tech; How AI is reshaping the way world sees Kansas City

Kansas City now has one of the densest tech workforces in the Midwest, said Kara Lowe, emphasizing that the City of Fountains has surpassed larger cities like Chicago, Houston, and Nashville, with a greater economic impact on the local population than in any of those metros. More than 77,000 skilled professionals, representing 9 percent of…

Just funded: Digital Sandbox KC drops the hook for three more emerging tech startups

From optimizing trucking logistics to revolutionizing peer-to-peer recommendations and streamlining compliance with AI, the latest startups funded by Digital Sandbox KC are poised to make a significant impact in their industries, said Jill Meyer.  “We’ve been truly impressed by the expertise and passion these founders bring to the table,” said Meyer, senior director of Technology…

Tech champion tapped to lead Patterson Family Foundation; How Maria Flynn plans to ‘make opportunity happen’ for rural communities

A startup leader, exited executive, and tech advocate who emerged from Cerner to become one of the most prominent voices for investing in Kansas City will now champion the region in a new way: as president and CEO of an influential nonprofit that bears her former boss’ name. Maria Flynn was announced Tuesday as the…

Lei Away staycation: Festival celebrates shared language of Aloha, tiki culture and creativity in KC

What began as a celebration of tiki vibes and tropical aesthetics has danced into an all-out luau that showcases authentic Polynesian traditions, culture and makers alongside local businesses and island enthusiasts, said Johnny Dawbarn. The three-day Lei Away 2024 festival returned this weekend to the Crossroads with events ranging from a talk on the history…

If you build it, they will come: KC leaders pitch downtown baseball to expats eying a return to home plate

Downtown baseball remains a winning prospect for Kansas City — and the Royals — civic and business leaders told a crowd of former residents who are considering a move back to KC, encouraging them to imagine a homecoming of big league proportions. “I think everyone agrees that Major League Baseball is a downtown sport,” Jon Stephens,…

Historic Troost space getting restocked; long-vacant Safeway next on Screenland’s grocery list

A one-story, long-empty, red brick building on Troost is now on the National Register of Historic Places — and set for new uses that reflect the modern-first vision behind its original construction. Redevelopers from Screenland Real Estate Services said the space at 3740 Troost Ave. was one of the first — if not the first…