Jim Leedy, the renowned artist who pioneered the Crossroads Arts District in 1985, knows what he wants when someone decides to name a hotel bar after him.

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“If I have a bar named after me, I should get free drinks,” Leedy quipped at the festive grand opening last week of the Hotel Indigo at 2020 Grand.

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He also approved of how things have evolved since he fled a “gentrifying” Westport 30-plus years ago to find a cheap haven in what was then a forlorn backwater of downtown.

Redeveloper Matt Abbott discusses his latest project — reviving two blighted buildings in the 1600 block of Grand Boulevard — and the continued role incentives will play in revitalizing the Crossroads.

A prolific Kansas City redeveloper got an endorsement Thursday from a tax-incentive granting agency to convert two buildings on Grand Boulevard, potentially adding more event, office and retail space to the Crossroads.

Developer Matt Abbott plans to spend $6.8 million converting a one-story building in the 1600 block of Grand Boulevard into a high-end event space with a rooftop deck. Next door, Abbott plans to put a “signature” local retailer in the first floor of a three-story building with offices on top. He said he’s in talks with a potential retail tenant.

Abbott Properties has converted a former construction company warehouse into a 15,000-square-foot event space in the East Crossroads. Called The Abbott, it is one of few venues in the downtown area capable of hosting events that require seating for as many as 500 guests.

Abbott told the Kansas City Star last January that he purchased the building with the specific intent of partnering on a music venue with JR Facility Management — a company that made a name for itself operating Marathon Music Works and the historic Exit/In in Nashville, Tennessee. JR’s owners, Chris Cobb and Josh Billue, renovated both venues and turned them into resounding successes in the absurdly crowded Nashville music scene.

Cobb said the Kansas City venue was a good fit for the company’s first expansion foray outside of Nashville because the city and the Crossroads neighborhood are so vibrant. And Cobb said it didn’t hurt that KC has been well-regarded nationally as a heavy ticket-selling market.

This week, he sold out the Truman, which is owned by Chris Cobb and Josh Billue, who run JR Facility Management in Nashville. The building is part of the East Crossroads Urban Redevelopment Plan started by Kansas City developer Matt Abbott in 2015.

The 18,000-square-foot venue features five bars and a balcony/VIP area for patrons 21 and older. Thursday morning, workers were still busy prepping the room for Saturday’s show.

“We’ve got a lot of little details to cover,” said Matt Phillips, the venue’s general manager. “We painted the stage last night. Today, we’re filling up the bars and setting up the box office.

Two Kansas City residents are turning their passion for dance into a new business: Dance Fit Flow.

The dance studio designed for adults is slated to open Sept. 25 in the Crossroads Arts District at 470 E. 17th St. The owners, Lauren Boyd and Kerri Pomerenke, aim to create an inviting and approachable environment that welcomes all skill levels, even those who have never taken a dance class.

This month, the Crossroads won “favorite neighborhood” in an INK magazine poll between 32 Kansas City neighborhoods, beating the River Market in the last round with 63 percent of the popular vote.

Art galleries and studios, boutiques, breweries and distilleries, and noteworthy restaurants are the draw in this area — south of downtown Kansas City, north of the historic Union Station, east of Interstate 35 and west of Troost Avenue. And new additions are giving people even more reasons to visit.

Abbott Properties provides assistance to help make Solanoir a possibility. This amazing event will take place during the Solar Eclipse in the Crossroads of Kansas City.

Abbott promised in January that he would complete and publish a book that tells the inspiring story of his late son, Carter, by July 30 — the seventh anniversary of Carter’s birth.

Abbott achieved that goal, of course, and now he is encouraging everyone to buy a copy of “Who is Carter? An Unexpected Journey of Tragedy and Miracles,” which will be available as a Kindle e-book for 99 cents through Thursday.

The 75 percent cap on property tax abatements and diversions adopted via a Kansas City incentive-reform ordinance in October finally has been applied despite a developer’s request for a larger break.

Matt Abbott, the leading developer in the East Crossroads, had asked for a 10-year, 100 percent abatement to support a six-building, $9.6 million redevelopment blitz.

Matt Abbott, the leading developer in the East Crossroads, hopes to complete a six-building redevelopment blitz with a little help from his friends at the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority.

Abbott Properties is scheduled to request a 10-year, 100 percent property tax abatement for the $9.62 million redevelopment project during the LCRA’s monthly meeting Wednesday.

The Truman announced its first concert line-up on Monday, and tickets for the general public go on sale this Friday, June 23, at 10 AM. The Truman will be open to the public on Sept. 9 as part of the Crossroads Music Festival. The Tech N9ne show the following week is described as its grand opening. Cobb credits Matt Abbott of Abbott Properties for helping him find the new space. "Matt played a big role in seeing the project to where it is today," said Cobb.

Developer Matt Abbott’s latest project at 18th and Oak in Kansas City, MO has landed two food and beverage concepts, Mission Taco Joint and International Tap House. Abbott Properties is extremely excited to be adding Mission Taco Joint and ITap to their list of tenants in Crossroads East neighborhood. 

Matt Abbott is the hottest developer in the hottest part of the Kansas City metro area. Abbott Properties now owns 30 buildings, parking lots and vacant lots in the East Crossroads. This year, he intends to complete a live music venue and a Hotel Indigo.

The building is part of the East Crossroads Urban Redevelopment Plan initiated by developer Matt Abbott in 2015.

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"Once I saw what they were up to in Nashville, I knew immediately that the Kansas City East Crossroads was absolutely perfect for their next location"

Abbott Properties Headquarters was anticipated to be a light remodel but turned out to be a much more invasive remodel. Abbott Properties is located at 1837 Grand Blvd in Kansas City, MO.

Owners of Nashville's Marathon Music Works choose an Abbott Properties, East Crossroads revitalization project for their next music venue. The venue is being created in the former Sterling Bearing building and will have the capacity for 1,000-1,500 people. The owners plan to host about 80 concerts a year and hope to host an eclectic blend of musicians. 

Abbott Properties elite team has accumulated nearly 30 buildings, parking lots and vacant lots in the East Crossroads and is busy with several new projects that will be completed this year.

Abbott Properties, a development company based out of the East Crossroads, began their year with exciting new projects that will bring businesses such as Hotel Indigo and a music venue run by the Nashville based entrepreneurs who own Marathon Music Works, to Kansas City, MO. The East Crossroads music venue will include about 20,000 square feet of event space and will be located at 601 E. Truman Road. The 81-room Hotel Indigo will be located at 2020 Grand, the former Kansas City Costume Co. Find out more about the historic inspirations for the hotel.

Matt Abbott is out to change the face of Kansas City's East Crossroads. Learn more about Matt's history, how he got his work ethic, his mission and vision for the East Crossroads of Kansas City.

Crossroads district redeveloper Matt Abbott proposes redevelopment of the Kansas City Costume Co. building at 2020 Grand Blvd. into a Hotel Indigo. Hotel Indigo is a boutique hotel chain, part of the InterContinental Hotel reservation system. Find out more about Abbott Properties, the vision for the building, and Matt Abbott.

With nearly 400 acres, the Crossroads remains far less densely developed than Downtown Kansas City. The Crossroads is mostly a mix of low-rise drinking, dining and cultural establishments and has been attracting creative businesses. The Carter Glass complex is one of more than 15 East Crossroads properties that developer Matt Abbott has bought for renovation within the past year.

Mission Taco Joint and iTap will open their first Kansas City locations in the East Crossroads. The two groups will be located on the first floor of 1801 Oak, the building that partially collapsed after a woman crashed a stolen SUV into it during a high-speed chase with the police. Matt Abbott, a Kansas City- based developer who owns much of the property in the East Crossroads area purchased the building from the original owner after the car crash. Read more about Mission Taco Joint, iTap and their vision for the East Crossroads location.

Matt Abbott, who owns 15 different properties in the East Crossroads, is becoming a one-man redevelopment force for the up-and-coming Kansas City area. Reporter Rob Roberts details some of Abbott's unbelievable journey and shares his vision for the East Crossroads. 

Abbott Properties now owns 15 vacant properties and low-rise buildings in the east crossroads area. Matthew Abbott considers the investment in the revitalization of the East Crossroads his way of being an artist. Find out more about about Abbott Properties' plans, motivations and inspirations for the East Crossroads in Kansas City, MO.

Redeveloper Matt Abbott, who has specialized in acquiring distressed properties in downtown Kansas City, has turned his attention to the southeast, specifically to the area known as the East Crossroads. As perhaps the largest property owner in the area, he could get a boost - along with other redevelopers who are revitalizing the area - from a proposed East Crossroads Urban Renewal Plan.

Real estate developer purchases proposed Holiday Inn Express location, the Interstate Building, from Matt Abbott.

Matt Abbott's latest purchase is a demonstration of his commitment to and faith in Kansas City, MO. The five-story structure at 4010 Washington St. contains 25,000 square feet and is 78 years old. Abbott estimates the project will cost $6 million, including tax credits.

Matt Abbott purchased a mostly vacant office building, the Interstate Building, across from Kansas City's City Hall, at the corner of 13th and Locust Street.