Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri, and is located where the Missouri and Kansas Rivers meet. The city has an estimated population of about 450,000 and a metropolitan area population of nearly 2 million. Over the past 5 years it has built many new construction projects. A new project of urban revitalization is pivoted on the Sprint Center, which includes a large sports arena that is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007. This is a leading element in over $3 billion of construction projects going on in downtown Kansas City with the Sprint Center costing $276 million and being owned by Kansas City. The arena is located by 13th St. and Grand Boulevard and will seat 18,000 spectators for various sports and other events. Kansas City is currently active in seeking a new basketball or hockey franchise. The Sprint Center also will have condominiums, restaurants, theme-bars and other facilities. This will certainly be a welcomed addition to Kansas City real estate. The Crossroads Art District is an interesting area both from the standpoint of Kansas City real estate and for those visiting the city. Former industrial buildings have been turned into artist's lofts, galleries and restaurants. The Crossroad Music festival in late August is an opportunity for outdoor galleries to display their wares in the 18th Street and Locust area. One of the galleries in the area, Arts Incubator Gallery, at 115 W 18th St serves to introduce new artists to the general public. The Crown Center district is a city within a city built by the Hallmark greeting card company and its real estate subsidiary. The Center consists of seven interconnected office buildings built in 1971, plus two hotels and other buildings, built at the site later. The Westin Crown Center is an AAA Convention site, with 44,000 square feet of exhibition space, while the 40-story Hyatt Grand Regency Hotel has become a landmark with its revolving restaurant on its top. The Crown Center also includes 235 condominium units. Kansas City is known as the city of fountains, and several fountains are on display at Crown Center, including the Crown Center Square Fountain. The area is connected to Union Station by covered walkways. You can still catch your Amtrak train at this fully restored, 1914 landmark. It also houses a rail exhibit, an interactive science center, restaurants and meeting rooms. Other landmarks of downtown Kansas City are the new headquarters building of H&R Block, the accounting firm, and the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Kansas City is also the headquarters of the cell phone company, Sprint and of AMC Theatres. Hallmark Cards would be considered a Fortune 500 company in terms of revenue, but it is still a privately owned, closely held corporation. Kansas City is also a center for agricultural companies involved in trading red winter wheat, which is used for baking bread. Kansas City got its start as a railroad center, and it still has more rail road traffic going through it than any other U.S. city. The area airport is Kansas City International. Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport is the site of the Airline History Museum and this airport is still used for general aviation.
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