The Missouri Department of Transportation District (MoDOT) Buck O’Neil Bridge Project Team, Massman Clarkson Joint Venture in partnership with Art in the Loop Foundation (AILF), announces the selection of Kansas City artist Phil “Sike Style” Shafer to create a mural on the new Buck O’Neil Bridge in downtown Kansas City, MO. The mural will be located on a retaining wall at the south end of the bridge at the intersection of Broadway Ave. and 3rd St.

Downtown Kansas City is a thriving and diverse community, with 32,000+ residents, 122,000+ workers and 6.1 million annual visitors actively living their lives in the center of our city! Within this larger Downtown area, there are 25 parks, offering acres of open space for recreation and the positive environmental impacts of trees and green space.  This Greater Downtown area includes grand spaces like Penn Valley Park, home to the National WWI Museum at the Liberty Memorial, and the more recently activated acre Berkley Riverfront Park which graces the banks of the Missouri River on the northern edge of Downtown.

A reimagined Barney Allis Plaza is taking shape in the heart of downtown Kansas City! Following a summer 2024 groundbreaking with Mayor Quinton Lucas and city officials, demolition and construction are well underway, with major changes already visible. The Barney Allis Plaza Redevelopment Project is led by the City of Kansas City in collaboration with McCownGordon Construction, LM2 Construction, HOK Architecture, and other vital contractors.

Last month, my husband and I had the opportunity to take a 3-week, mini-sabbatical to walk the walk 150 miles along the Camino Portuguese from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am very grateful to my Downtown Council and Art in the Loop colleagues, family, and friends for “holding down the fort” while we were gone. The Camino Portuguese is one of many pilgrimage routes established over 1,000 years ago leading to Santiago. As we walked each day, we found time to observe the world around us, reflect, and converse with our fellow travelers from around the world.

The Downtown Council, through its affiliated organizations Downtown Community Improvement District and Art in the Loop, is presenting a unique and interesting set of performances to Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park and Garment District in September. These performances highlight talented local musicians and provide a refreshing break for Downtown employees, residents and visitors alike – bring a chair and your own refreshments or take advantage of the participating food trucks.  All performances are free and open to the public.