The Downtown Council, the Downtown CID and Art in the Loop produce 3 different art, music and performance series to activate Downtown KC parks and open spaces throughout the summer! Garment District Grooves returns. Art in the Loop is back with its 2024 theme – Convivencia and new this year is Summer in the City in Oppenstein Park.
The Downtown Community Improvement District is pleased to announce a new performance and event series for Downtown Kansas City, “Summer in the City”. Join us twice a month from May through September in Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park for music, dance, poetry, food trucks, games and other activities at Oppenstein Park, a pocket park located at 12th and Walnut Streets in Downtown Kansas City.
After 8-years of community engagement, planning and design work, the redevelopment of Barney Allis Plaza and the Auditorium Parking Garage in Downtown Kansas City is underway! Last week, the City Council approved funding to move forward with the demolition of the facility located in the heart of the KC Convention District at 12th & Wyandotte. The park sits on top of a garage which has recently been unusable due to dangerous conditions. Continued investment in repairs is unsustainable and the structure is beyond its useful life. The garage will close starting on Monday, April 15, 2024.
We are not fooling you…the Downtown Council’s Annual Luncheon is less than two weeks away and the deadline to get tickets is fast approaching. Table sponsorships are due by April 2nd while the deadline for individual tickets is April 5th. Registration information can be found at downtownkc.org/annual-luncheon.
In 2022, a two year strategic planning process for Downtown Kansas City, the Imagine Downtown KC Strategic Plan, culminated with the release of the plan and a vision for creating a vibrant, inclusive and equitable Downtown KC. We are now working to implement the plan with a focus on its transformative strategies and catalytic projects. With the announcement of the Yes On 1 for Jackson County Campaign last month, one of these catalytic projects is moving closer to fruition, a new Downtown Ballpark.
The Art in the Loop Foundation is pleased to announce the theme for our annual summer art exhibition and performance series in Downtown Kansas City. Each year we partner with the KC Streetcar and many other organizations and corporations to exhibit artwork on one streetcar vehicle and at various streetcar stops as well as with a performance series that will kick off in June. For 2024, we will ask artists to respond to the word “convivencia” and what it means to them and their artwork. Convivencia is a shared life with others that is a constant practice, effort, negotiation, and joint achievement while recognizing friction or opposing energy. We recognize that artists and creatives are very familiar with navigating space, energy, and time amongst one another and within their communities.
Crews with the Buck O’Neil Bridge project will shift northbound U.S. 169 traffic from the existing bridge to one of the newly constructed river bridges by approximately the end of January. Updated information will be shared once an approximate date and time is available. During the traffic shift, motorists on NB U.S. 169 may notice a one-lane closure/flagging operations. This traffic shift will allow for crews to begin work on demolishing the existing bridge and finishing work on the second river bridge structure.
The Downtown Council is now accepting nominations for its 2023 annual awards. The prized awards will be a featured element of the DTC’s popular Annual Luncheon on Friday, April 12, 2024, and a special reception on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Both events will be held in the Kay Barnes Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center.
Welcome to the Downtown Council of Kansas City’s rebranded weekly email update, “Downtown KC Connects.” The title reflects what we do at the Downtown Council. After all, it’s our mission to connect, facilitate, advocate, and bring Kansas City’s businesses, property owners, nonprofit organizations, and anyone invested in Downtown’s success, together to make Downtown KC a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community.
The Downtown Council is now accepting nominations for its 2023 annual awards. The prized awards will be a featured element of the DTC’s popular Annual Luncheon on Friday, April 12, 2024, and a special reception on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Both events will be held in the Kay Barnes Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center.
In early October, six Downtown Council staffers visited the Windy City for a 3-day immersion into “Community, Culture & Commerce”, the 69th Annual International Downtown Association Conference, co-hosted by the Chicago Loop Alliance! Over 1,400 inspired leaders shaping cities around the globe convened to discuss emerging trends in place management. Topics ranged from implementing and nurturing public-private partnerships to recognizing a city’s unique customs, traditions, and heritage while acknowledging how commerce is the main driver for districts globally. Chicago provided the perfect backdrop for this year’s conference with its rich public art, entertainment, dining, shopping, cultural attractions, nature, business, and residents in a harmonious multi-use setting.
The Downtown Council of Kansas City Board of Directors elected new officers at its Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 2. Dr. Kimberly Beatty, Chancellor of Metropolitan Community Colleges, will chair the organization. Dr. Beatty has been Vice Chair for three years and is also the Vice Chair of Vision Advancement for the Imagine Downtown KC Committee which is charged with the implementation of Downtown’s 2030 Strategic Plan.