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Kansas City News Today Kansas City Front Page is a weekly news publication, with daily updates, spotlighting attractions, events, business and hospitality in Kansas City. |
KANSAS CITY NEWS TODAY - Sunday, October 14, 2007 Great Plains Energy Moves Forward with Aquila Transaction KANSAS CITY, MO (SLFP.com), October 14, 2007 - Great Plains Energy Incorporated, the parent company of Kansas City Power & Light, has announced that it has received approval from its shareholders to issue common stock in connection with its acquisition of Aquila. The company made the announcement following a meeting of shareholders October 10. On February 7, 2007, Great Plains Energy announced that it had entered into definitive agreements to acquire all the outstanding shares of Aquila for $1.80 in cash plus $0.0856 of a share of Great Plains Energy common stock for each share of Aquila common stock. Immediately prior to the acquisition, Black Hills Corporation will acquire from Aquila its electric utility in Colorado and its gas utilities in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa along with the associated liabilities. Each transaction is conditioned on the closing of the other transaction. The Great Plains Energy-Aquila combination will result in a strong regional utility well-positioned to meet the growing energy needs of the greater Kansas City area. "Achieving this milestone is a significant step toward the completion of the acquisition and realizing the benefits we see for customers, shareholders, the community and our employees," Michael Chesser, Chairman and CEO, Great Plains Energy, said in an annoucement. The acquisition is still subject to the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the state public service commissions of Missouri and Kansas. The Aquila-Black Hills transaction is still subject to the approval of FERC and the state public service commissions of Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas. The transactions are currently expected to close in the first quarter of 2008. Southbound U.S. 69 to Close for Bridge Construction KANSAS CITY, MO (SLFP.com), October 14, 2007 - Next week, the northbound lanes of U.S. 69 will close at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, reopening at 5 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17, weather permitting, as crews erect part of the 103rd Street bridge. If needed, the closure of northbound U.S. 69 will be repeated from 10 p.m. Oct. 17, to 5 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 18. The bridge construction is part of the I-435 and Antioch interchange project, which includes partial reconstruction of the 103rd Street/US 69 interchange. Detours will be provided. For northbound U.S. 69 traffic, the detour will be I-435 west to I-35 north. Southbound I-35 traffic wanting to continue south on U.S. 69 will be detoured from I-35 to I-435 east and then to U.S. 69 south. Drivers should expect major delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes when possible. This closure is part of the I-435 and Antioch interchange project. Clarkson Construction is the primary contractor on the I-435 and Antioch interchange, a four year, $127 million project. The roadway work is expected to be finished in the fall of 2008, with restoration complete by spring of 2009. According to the current schedule, by the end of next year, the inside shoulder of southbound U.S. 69 will be widened, the flyover ramp from southbound U.S. 69 to eastboundI-435 will be complete; and noise walls will be installed along the east side of U.S. 69 from 103rd to 95th streets. For more information, visit the city's Web site, www.opkansas.org Two Tenants Will Open Soon in the Kansas City Power & Light District KANSAS CITY, MO (SLFP.com), October 14, 2007 - Several events celebrating the grand openings have been planned for the Kansas City Power & Light District, including a blowout block party to be held inside the Kansas City Live! block on November 21 to welcome the two concepts to the neighborhood and a Missouri football pep rally to be held on November 23. Opening on November 9, McFadden's Sports Saloon will feature a cozy, sports fueled pub environment boasting classic American fare served with the pride of the Irish. McFadden's has been an institution in Manhattan for over 20 years, and the restaurant and bar is now a dominant player in true major league markets including Boston, Philadelphia,Washington DC, Nashville and Chicago. It will occupy a 6,900 sq ft space on the ground level of the Kansas City Live! block facing Grand Street between 13th and 14th Streets directly across the street from the new Sprint Center. "We are thrilled to bring our restaurant entertainment experience to the Kansas City Power & Light District," said John Sullivan, owner of the company. "We have had great success becoming a part of cities around the country and have complete confidence in The Cordish Company and their ability to establish vibrant and exciting districts. We look forward to making McFadden's a part of the community for years and years to come." Vinino, an Italian bistro where old world charm meets new world cuisine in a relaxed and artistic atmosphere, will open November 16. The warm, charming bistro will feature lively happy hours, an extensive wine list, and late-night, gourmet flatbread pizzas. Vinino will be located next door to McFadden's in a 6,000 sq ft space at 13th and Grand Blvd on the ground floor of the Live! Block. It will also be accessible from Grand Street. "We couldn't be happier that these two quality tenants have made the decision to capitalize on the momentum of downtown revitalization and their great location directly across from the soon to be open Sprint Center and have their grand openings this fall," said Blake Cordish , vice president of The Cordish Company. "This has been our strategy all along to slowly open tenants throughout the fall and into the winter, culminating in our 'grand opening' celebration in Spring 2008."   The Kansas City Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Kansas City area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 2007 Moore Design Group. |
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