Kansas City Council

Kansas City Life Insurance Company demolished nearly two dozen buildings at the north end of the Valentine neighborhood last year, and has more planned. In July, the Valentine Neighborhood Association applied for a portion of the neighborhood to be designated a historic district, and the Kansas City Council could vote as early as this week on the proposal.

"Free buses" is one of the big ideas that helped Zohran Mamdani win the Democratic mayoral primary in New York City. But in Kansas City, the bus system is going the opposite direction after years of free fares — mostly because of a lack of transit funding.

The Kansas City Council moved forward with a plan to build a modular jail with about 100 beds. Officials say the temporary facility is necessary, as plans to build a permanent municipal jail will take years.

Kansas has been trying to sway the region’s NFL and MLB teams to cross the border. Lawmakers in both Kansas and Missouri have lobbed tax incentives and construction fund packages at the teams.

Kansas City's outdoor dining program has awarded $300,000 in grants to more than 30 local restaurants, coffee shops and pubs since last year, in a push to create more vibrant public spaces ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Missouri's new congressional map carves up Kansas City into three separate districts, fulfilling the wishes of President Donald Trump. The ACLU filed a lawsuit Friday, and Kansas City Council recently passed a resolution authorizing legal action of its own.

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority CEO Frank White III believes that funding for the agency is "more complicated than it ought to be." His vision for the KCATA is to "try to go regional" with its funding structure, in order to better serve the entire metro.

Two men were killed and another two people were shot over the weekend in a lot near the Power & Light District owned by Copaken Brooks, a commercial real estate firm. Mayor Quinton Lucas said Monday that private lot owners should be required to have $1 million insurance policies, security and surveillance cameras.

The audit into the city’s communications department investigated issues with transparency. The department was consolidated and controlled by former City Manager Brian Platt, who was fired in March.

For years, the Sun Fresh Market at the Linwood Shopping Center provided fresh produce and grocery products to a historically underserved part of Kansas City. Its closure follows months of calls for the city to take action against crime in the area and keep the store afloat.

The Sun Fresh at 31st Street and Prospect Avenue is one of the only grocery stores for miles, and has been struggling to fill shelves recently despite 10 years of taxpayer money to renovate it and keep it in business.

Kansas City and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority haven’t been able to agree on a contract since May. Unless they agree on one soon, the city’s bus service could be at risk.