11.27.2023

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Today’s Forecast

40º | Rain/snow mix | 98% chance of rain |
Sunrise: 7:37 a.m. | Sunset: 5:12 p.m.

🏙️ Vacant offices become downtown housing

Be the broker: Which vacant office spaces would you like to see become affordable housing?

A skyline full of opportunity. | Photo by @jrw_shoots

Have you noticed some of the empty office space around town? Office vacancies are currently at 21% locally as of 2023, up from 20.3% last year. Compare those numbers to the national office vacancy rate, which was 17.8% as of September 2023. One possible use for vacant offices? Affordable housing.

Recently, the White House released a new plan to convert commercial buildings into residential housing — affordable housing in particular. Resources will be made available from 20+ programs across multiple agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

We’re talking below-market loans, grants, and tax credits... all available to help take advantage of preexisting buildings to make more affordable housing.

Projects currently underway

Kansas City leads with cities like San Francisco and Washington, DC in converting older buildings into apartments, resulting in 5,305 new residential units created as of 2020.

Currently, the Cordish Cos. (aka the owners of Power & Light) are converting the downtown Midland office building at 1221 Baltimore Ave. into 135 units of workforce housing. The project is on track for completion in May.

Which vacant spaces would you like to see converted?

Have you passed an empty office building that would be a sweet apartment? How about some empty warehouses near public transportation that would make for a quick commute?

Tell us which spaces you’d like to see remade into housing, and we may feature your picks in an upcoming newsletter.

Events

Monday, Nov. 27

Holiday Choirs | Monday, Nov. 27-Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 10 a.m.-7 p.m. | Crown Center, Kansas City, MO | Free | Beautiful music fills the halls of the Crown Center Shops as nearly 100 area school, church, and community choirs perform.
R.A.W. Adult Storytelling | Monday, Nov. 27 | 6-8 p.m. | The Black Box, 1060 Union Ave., Kansas City, MO | Free | Sign up to tell your story in seven minutes, or listen and connect with others through storytelling.

Tuesday, Nov. 28

Electric Glow | Tuesday, Nov. 28-Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 4:30-8 p.m. | Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, 8909 W. 179th St., Overland Park | $10 | Enjoy a low-key version of the Luminary Walk on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when only the electric lights are on.
Holiday Wreath Making Workshop | Tuesday, Nov. 28 | 6-9 p.m. | Strang Reserve, 8020 Marty St., Overland Park | $75 | Create a one-of-a-kind holiday wreath to display all season long.

Wednesday, Nov. 29

Fintech: Film Screening + Live Standup | Wednesday, Nov. 29 | 7-10 p.m. | The Ship, 1221 Union Ave., Kansas City, MO | $25 | Catch an exclusive screening of the indie comedy short film, along with standup by Mekki Leeper and Holmes.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Wellness

Get 25% off Halle Berry’s favorite probiotic

Pendulum-Metabolic-Daily-Halle-Berry-National-11.27.23.gif

Celebrate Cyber Monday from the inside out with 25% off Halle Berry’s favorite probiotic. | Photo by Metabolic Daily

Get ahead of the bloat and exhaustion this holiday season.

Instead, kick start your metabolism from the inside out with 25% off Halle Berry’s favorite probiotic: Metabolic Daily.

This multi-strain probiotic helps metabolize sugars and carbs and converts food into energy more efficiently¹, plus it sustains energy levels — perfect for this busy season.

Use code 6AMCITY25 for 25% off your first month of any membership now until November 30.

Use code 6AMCITY25 for 25% off

¹Based on in vitro studies

News Notes

State

Kansas drivers will be getting a new standard license plate in March. Reviews for the distinctive black and gold color scheme are in: M-I-Z... (Kansas City Star)

Development

Completion of CityPlace, a mixed-use developlment on College Boulevard and US Highway 69, has been delayed to 2031. Parts of the project, including apartments and office space, will start construction in 2025 or later. (Blue Valley Post)

Shop

Next Friday, Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 3, shop art by KC Art Institute students at the End of the Semester Exhibition + Sale. Visit the KCAI campus, gallery, H&R Block Artspace, and other exhibitions to find one-of-a-kind gifts.

Feel Good

Officially Chopped Barbershop barber Fred Dantzler set out to feed 150 families for this year’s Feed KC campaign. With the help of friends, family, and staff, 217 families received a Thanksgiving dinner.

Number

5,384. That’s how many tons of glass Ripple has helped recycle since it began its commercial collection program in 2018. Now, its big purple bins serve 400+ businesses and communities across the metro.

Today Is

Cyber Monday. Missed a great Black Friday deal you can’t stop thinking about? No worries — tons of local shops are hosting online deals now until midnight. The best part? You get to skip the lines. Check out deals like up to 20% online orders at Messenger Coffee and BOGO 50% off at Untamed Supply.

Beauty

Skip the pajamas and get your loved one what they really want this year: a gift card to Georgous Aesthetic Bar. Score exclusive gift card deals during their Black Friday gift card sale happening now through Monday, Nov. 27 (hint: this only happens once a year). Happy holiday shopping, Kansas City.*

Featured Deal

Gift sharp, sophisticated menswear... for 50% off. Black Friday through Cyber Monday, score 50% off everything online at Harlestons — the Golf Digest/Golfweek/Golf Channel-featured premium men’s apparel brand — with our exclusive code: BF50. (We especially love their performance polos.) Bonus: Free shipping on $125+ and easy returns, always.*

Shop

Give the gift of grooming this holiday season (and save big). Take 25% off sitewide during MANSCAPED’s Cyber Monday sale and shop best-sellers like The Lawn Mower® 5.0 Ultra body hair trimmer, The Performance Package 5.0 Ultra full-body grooming kit, and the stocking stuffer-worthy Body Buffer silicone scrubber.*

The Buy

The Buy 11.27.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Something leather, something botanical, or something indulgent from Six & Main’s Treat Yourself Collection — because it’s all 30% off for Cyber Monday.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Dayten

From the editor

... Z-O-U. That’s what I would say if I went to Mizzou — but I’m a Truman alum (go Bulldogs). I’m forever thankful to Columbia for being about an hour away, though. A weekend sushi-and-boba run was never too far from home.

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