Urban Heros 2023

Downtown Council accepting nominations for coveted annual awards

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.

Downtown Office Summit showcases strength, viability for employees & residents

Downtown Kansas City’s reign as the region’s employment and residential leader was both palpable and measurable at the recent Downtown Office Summit. “What an incredible moment in time it is for Kansas City to talk about development……
IDA 2023

Downtown KC Goes to Downtown Chicago – 2023 International Downtown Association Conference

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.

LaunchKC Announces the 2024 Grants Program Cohort

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LaunchKC, co-founded by the Downtown Council (DTC) and the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, (EDCKC) are pleased to announce the 2024 grants program cohort. This cornerstone program aims to create a stronger entrepreneurial…

Downtown Council Announces 2023-24 Officers

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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.

Royals ballpark would build off $10B investments in KC’s urban core

A $1 billion-plus Kansas City Royals baseball stadium would look far different in coming years than when the Downtown Council of Kansas City started championing the project almost two decades ago. For one, many of the Downtown Loop's biggest projects, such as the Kansas City Power & Light District and then-Sprint Center, had yet to break ground. The numbers of people living and working in the urban core were fractions of what they are today, and key transit offerings such as the streetcar were not up and running. And, at the time, venues like a Royals ballpark were contemplated as standalone projects, without accompanying mixed-use villages of new housing, offices, hotels and retail, and with less emphasis on community benefits agreements meant to ensure neighbors, as well as the team, prosper.

2023 Art in the Loop Closing Reception, Wed., Nov. 8, 5:30.pm

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2023 ART IN THE LOOP CLOSING RECEPTION Wednesday, November 8, 2023, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Kansas City Public Library Central Library 14  West 10th Street Kansas City, Missouri Join with friends and colleagues as we celebrate the…
South Loop Project

South Loop Project Community Impact Goals

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The Downtown Council, in partnership with the City of Kansas City and Port KC, is working to implement one of the catalytic projects highlighted in the Imagine Downtown KC 2030 Strategic Plan: The South Loop Project, a four-block park covering the Interstate 670 (I-670) trench that creates a division between the Central Business District (CBD) and the Crossroads Arts District in the heart of Downtown Kansas City.   Why is this a catalytic project? Because it provides the opportunity for the residents, employees and visitors of Greater Downtown, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Kansas City, a place to gather, connect, exercise and recreate. Over the past several years, there have been many public meetings and dozens of presentations to neighborhood and business organizations in an effort to get input and support from the community. There are two basic questions we hear from the community. The first question, “What is the South Loop Project?” is pretty straightforward. The second question, “This requires major investment, why are we doing this? What beneficial impacts will it have?” is a little more complicated.

Downtown KC Office Summit to examine Next Gen employees

Downtown KC Office Summit set for next week - tickets going fast The Downtown Council will focus its annual Downtown Office Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 18, on the next generation of employees - taking aim on the environment and amenities…

Downtown Office Summit panelists to examine the Next Gen workforce

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This year the Downtown Kansas City Office Summit will focus on the next generation of employees – discussing the environment and amenities that appeal to them, both inside and outside of the workplace. This knowledge will help us chart our future course of creating a modern, mixed-use, yet evolving Downtown that continues to attract both businesses and the future workforce.
Greenline Route

Greenline KC Update: An Urban Trail Looping Around Downtown Kansas City

The vision of the Greenline KC is to create an urban trail that loops around greater Downtown Kansas City connecting neighborhoods, showcasing art, and encouraging discovery. That vision is quietly becoming closer to reality thanks to some recent activity happening along the route. When fully built-out, the Greenline will be a 10-mile urban trail loop that will connect the abundant amenities and attractions enjoyed by residents and visitors throughout greater Downtown.  

Downtown Ballpark District delivers for KC neighborhoods, citizens and economy

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It’s been said that baseball stadiums are never only about baseball. Truer words have never been spoken in relation to the conversation our community is having around the future home of the Kansas City Royals. At this moment, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a world-class baseball stadium in Jackson County and Kansas City while raising the economic and community benefits for our surrounding neighborhoods as well as the entire region.  In the Royals’ open letter to the community last November, they stated three criteria that would guide the search for their new home: real and measurable community impact, economic growth, and an enhanced quality of life for the citizens of our region, with an emphasis on historically under-represented members of our community. If these criteria remain the top priorities for the Royals, then Downtown Kansas City is the clear and best choice for our community.