Event will showcase Kansas City’s downtown health

Kansas City’s downtown residential renaissance will be celebrated Jan. 8 at the annual luncheon of the Downtown Council in the Grand Ballroom of the Kansas City Convention Center.

A highlight will include presentation of the J. Philip Kirk Jr. Award, the council’s highest honor, to Henry Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block and civic philanthropist.

About 1,000 people are expected to attend the event, which begins at 11 a.m. with a “Spotlight on Downtown Expo.” The luncheon and program are scheduled for noon to 1:30 p.m. Remarks are planned by Kansas City Mayor Sly James and keynote speaker Jason Tolliver, who will provide a statistical overview of Kansas City’s urban growth potential, and there will be a panel discussion.

Five individuals will receive the council’s annual Urban Hero awards: Dean Johnson and Tysie McDowell-Ray with Crossroads Academy; Leonard Graham with Taliaferro & Browne; Harry Murphy with Harry’s Country Club, and Jay Tomlinson with Helix Architecture + Design.

The event also will feature 10 tech entrepreneurs who won $50,000 grants in 2015 through the LaunchKC competition.

The council is a private, nonprofit organization whose members represent Kansas City businesses, property owners, entrepreneurs and arts, cultural and nonprofit organizations that are interested in downtown management and development.

Diane Stafford, stafford@kcstar.com

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Event will showcase Kansas City’s downtown health."