KC Crew Fall Leagues Open Now!

Let’s be honest: the standard adult routine of work, commute, dinner, and scrolling on the couch gets old fast. And trying to coordinate schedules with your current friends to do something active? Almost impossible.

KC Crew believes your weeknights deserve better. It isn't just about playing sports; it’s about breaking out of your routine and finding your people. It’s about the high-fives after a great play, the laughs over post-game drinks, and the relief of just having fun without the stress of forced networking.

If you don't have a full team, don't let that stop you. Our entire community is built on solo players who took a leap. Sign up as a Free Agent, and we will place you on a team of awesome KC locals looking for the exact same mid-week relief. Nobody is checking your stats.

Fall is our final outdoor season of the year, and registration officially closes this Saturday, August 8th EOD.

Take the leap. Your new crew is waiting.

This Week in KC

💧 KANSAS CITY VOTERS APPROVE $1.7 BILLION IN BONDS FOR WATER, SEWER, AND HOUSING​
Kansas City voters passed all five citywide ballot questions in the Aug 4 primary, authorizing $1.7 billion in bonds. The package includes $750 million for waterworks, $750 million for sanitary sewers, $100 million for affordable housing, and $100 million for convention and municipal building repairs, plus renewal of the 1/8-cent Central City Economic Development sales tax. Each question passed with about two-thirds or more of the vote, and the water and sewer bonds drew the strongest support. City leaders said none of the measures create a new tax or raise an existing rate.

🏟️ GARDNER LANDS PROPOSED 335-ACRE VELOCITY DISTRICT WITH A 15,000-SEAT ARENA​
Velocity Arts unveiled plans for a 335-acre entertainment, arts, and education district in Gardner, Kansas, at the northwest corner of 175th Street and Interstate 35. The proposal centers on a 15,000-seat indoor concert pavilion, plus a performing arts center, an esports arena, a media college, hotels, retail, and housing. Kansas City-based Populous is master architect, with McCownGordon as construction manager and Kimley-Horn as civil engineer. The Gardner Planning Commission reviews the plan Aug 24, with a City Council vote set for Sept 21.

🏡 HOPE VILLAGE BREAKS GROUND ON KC'S EAST SIDE WITH 21 HOMES FOR WORKING FAMILIES​
The Hope Center KC and Sankofa EDG broke ground July 13 on Hope Village, a 21-home development near 3216 Chestnut Ave. on the East Side. The plan calls for nine single-family homes and six duplexes for families earning 80% to 120% of area median income. Eligible buyers could close with an estimated $50,000 in equity. The project caps nearly nine years of land acquisition and runs on a public-private partnership including Murrell Homes, Bell Bank, CHES Inc., Pathway Financial, and the Central City Economic Development Sales Tax program.

🏗️ HELIX ARCHITECTURE MERGES WITH INDIANAPOLIS-BASED RATIO TO FORM RATIO | HELIX​
Kansas City's Helix Architecture + Design, now in its 35th year, is merging with Indianapolis-based RATIO Design, the firms announced Aug 6. The combined practice will operate as RATIO | Helix in Kansas City, keeping all Helix partners and senior leaders, who become shareholders in the larger firm. RATIO, founded in 1982, runs seven studios and has completed work in more than 41 states and 15 countries. Helix President Erika Moody joins RATIO's executive team as a vice president.

🏃 CHIEFS OPEN REGISTRATION FOR THE RED THURSDAY RUN BENEFITING RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE​
The Chiefs opened registration Aug 6 for the 2026 Red Thursday Run presented by GEHA, a virtual 5K held Sept 10 through 13 where runners set their own route and pace. Proceeds benefit Ronald McDonald House Kansas City, part of a Red Thursday tradition that has raised more than $8 million over 14 years. Early bird pricing is $45, or $40 for Season Ticket Members, through Sept 6, rising to $50 ($45 for members) Sept 7 through 13. Register at chiefs.com/redthursday/run.

🎒 MISSOURI'S BACK-TO-SCHOOL TAX-FREE WEEKEND RUNS AUG 7 TO 9, KANSAS SITS IT OUT​
Missouri's back-to-school sales tax holiday runs Friday Aug 7 at 12:01 a.m. through Sunday Aug 9 at midnight, dropping state and local sales tax to zero on qualifying items. Exemptions cover clothing $100 or less per item, school supplies up to $50 per purchase, personal computers up to $1,500, software $350 or less, and graphing calculators up to $150. Kansas has no 2026 sales tax holiday.

What you might have missed last week

• Jason Sudeikis is returning to host the 10th annual THUNDERGONG! on November 14 at the Uptown Theater, featuring live music, comedy, and a great cause.
• ​Ted Lasso is back, and Kansas City is at the heart of it. Season 4 premiered August 5 on Apple TV+, and this time Ted trades the AFC Richmond men's side for a brand new women's team.
• The Kansas City Renaissance Festival is turning 50. The milestone season opens Saturday, September 5 in Bonner Springs and runs seven weekends through October 18, with themed weekends running from Viking Invasion to Barktoberfest.

🏢 DEVELOPMENT SCENE

KANSAS CITY'S PLAN COMMISSION SAYS YES TO A $3B BALLPARK DISTRICT AND NO TO A DOWNTOWN DATA TOWER, IN ONE MORNING

The City Plan Commission handed down two decisions on Aug. 5 that say a lot about where Kansas City wants to grow.

First came the yes. Commissioners voted unanimously to rezone roughly 90 acres at Crown Center, the land under Hallmark's headquarters, for the Royals' proposed ballpark district. The plan runs from East Pershing Road to East 27th Street and from Main Street to Gillham Road.

The project is big: a 34,000-seat downtown stadium plus hotels, shops, and housing, built across 10 sub-districts. The Royals are targeting a 2031 opening for the ballpark, with full buildout by 2040. The commission attached conditions on traffic flow and fan and resident access, and required that a light-and-noise study be shared publicly. No further public comment is needed unless the master plan changes materially.

The money remains the fight. The roughly $3 billion project is pitched as about two-thirds private and one-third public, with the Royals covering close to $800 million and the city planning to take out around $600 million in bonds. Backers, including Mayor Quinton Lucas, say the plan moves KC forward without a new tax. Critics counter that bonds and other tools still commit public dollars without a public vote, a sore point after Jackson County voters rejected a stadium sales tax 58 percent to 42 percent in April 2024. The rezoning still needs City Council approval.

Hours later came the no. The same commission denied a Miami developer's plan for a 20-story, 384-foot data center at 10th and Central in Quality Hill. The project would have demolished the 1900 Western Newspaper Union building, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007.

More than 50 residents testified against it, and two 4th District council members opposed it, arguing the tower would erase a historic landmark while adding few jobs and no housing downtown. The applicant can still ask the City Council to override the recommendation, though Mayor Lucas called a reversal unlikely.

Business Scene

• 🥗 FLOWER CHILD BRINGS ITS HEALTH-FOCUSED MENU TO PRAIRIE VILLAGE, OPENING AUG. 11​
  The Arizona-based fast-casual chain opens its first-ever Kansas location Monday, Aug. 11 at Corinth Square, 3915 W. 83rd St. in Prairie Village. Owned by Fox Restaurant Concepts, the menu runs to customizable salads, grain bowls, and wraps with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
• 🌍 WORLD FRESH MARKET OPENS ITS NORTHLAND STORE, WITH EVERY AISLE BUILT AROUND A WORLD REGION​
  The international grocer is now open at 4357 N. Chouteau Trafficway, in the former Sun Fresh building, its second Kansas City-area store. Aisles are organized by global region, spanning Asian, Middle Eastern, European, Hispanic, and American products, plus a bakery and fresh produce. The company hired more than 100 people from the surrounding community, many of them multilingual, after research showed the Northland was underserved for international groceries.
• 🧴 TWO KC SOLOPRENEURS TEAM UP ON SCENTMAKERS, A CUSTOM FRAGRANCE STUDIO​
  Dazja Taylor and David Roberson merged their businesses to launch ScentMakers, a custom fragrance venture offering public classes and private scent-making events across the metro, including Kansas City, Liberty, Lee's Summit, and Overland Park. Taylor got the idea after trying a perfume-making class in Dallas, and the pair now want to close what they see as a scent-making education gap in KC.

🏐 SPORTS SCENE

ARROWHEAD IS ARROWHEAD AGAIN: CHIEFS RETIRE THE "GEHA FIELD" NAME AFTER FIVE SEASONS

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Aug. 5 that their home will once again be known simply as Arrowhead Stadium. The move retires the "GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium" branding that had been in place since 2021.

The original naming-rights deal was struck with GEHA in March 2021. GEHA (the Government Employees Health Association) is a nonprofit that provides health, dental, and vision plans to federal workers, retirees, and military families. The agreement ran roughly a decade, tied to the Chiefs' lease at the Truman Sports Complex through January 2031, and the financial terms were never publicly disclosed.

Both sides framed the reversal as a mutual decision. GEHA growth-and-strategy EVP Raj Vavilala said the goal was to "return the stadium to its iconic Arrowhead identity." Chiefs president Mark Donovan called it "a shared commitment to honoring the rich history of Arrowhead Stadium."

GEHA isn't walking away, though. It remains a team partner, a relationship that dates to 2019, and will keep backing the Chiefs' community, military, and veteran programs.

In practice, the official mouthful never really caught on. Fans, players, and coaches mostly kept calling it Arrowhead all along.

The restored name debuts at the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 15 at Arrowhead, 3 p.m. CT.

Source: Chiefs.com / NFL.com​

REAL ESTATE SCENE

​SPONSORED BY MOVING TO KC​

At Loans in KC, we understand that every financial situation is unique. That’s why we offer personalized loan solutions designed to meet your specific needs. Our experienced team is dedicated to providing you with fast and reliable service.
​
Mortgage rates change constantly, much like the weather, and they vary depending on your unique circumstances. Just like finding the right tool for a job, getting the right mortgage rate is crucial. Let us help you discover the perfect match with a FREE customized quote today! You’re not just another number to us; you’re part of the family.

Weekend Events

Summer is Almost Over!

We put together a 21-page Kansas City Ultimate Summer Guide covering everything you need for summer 2026.
​
From World Cup match days and Pride to the best BBQ patios, hidden gems, day trips, free outdoor movies, pet-friendly markets, and a full neighborhood Saturday itinerary.
​
Whether you've lived here 20 years or just moved in, there's something in here you haven't tried yet.