Tag: Gary Sage

$2M in federal funds secured for Disney’s forgotten ‘cradle of Hollywood animation’ in KC

By Tommy Felts / February 28, 2023

A decades-long effort to redevelop Walt Disney’s original Laugh-O-gram animation studios at 31st and Forest, along the Troost corridor, will receive $2 million in federal funding, as officially announced last week by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II. The influx of funding should generate “momentum” to raise the remaining money needed to complete the project, said Gary…

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Laugh-O-Gram building near 31st and Troost early Saturday morning; Photo courtesy of Butch Rigby; CityScene KC

Driver crashes renovation progress at Walt Disney’s former KC studio; effort to save historic building draws on

By Tommy Felts / August 4, 2021

Editor’s note: The following story originally published by CityScene KC, an online news source focused on Greater Downtown Kansas City. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the weekly CityScene KC email review. The driver of a black Dodge Charger crashed the renovation party underway at the historic Laugh-O-gram…

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Plexpod in Laugh-O-gram interior rendering, gouldevansPlexpod in Laugh-O-gram interior rendering, gouldevans

Book the office where Walt met Mickey? Plexpod helping make Disney dream a reality

By Tommy Felts / December 19, 2020

Kansas City is getting its first glimpse inside the reimagined space where Walt Disney first encountered the inspiration for Mickey Mouse. Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. — in partnership with DigiSTORY KC and Plexpod — unveiled GouldEvans-designed renderings of its 10,000-square-foot Laugh-O-gram Studios rehab project Thursday night. “We will begin working on some facade improvements hopefully…

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Butch Rigby, Thank you Walt Disney

First house of mouse: Reanimating Walt Disney’s KC film studio closer to reality than ever before

By Tommy Felts / May 2, 2020

A decades-long project to honor Walt Disney and empower imaginative thinking along Kansas City’s east side could finally be on track for completion, said Butch Rigby.  “The idea for that building is the kid from over on 31st and Troost looks up and understands the Walt Disneys of the world came from that very corner,”…

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OHUB finalists: Christopher Jones, Matchrite Care; Shelley Cooper, Diversity Telehealth; Philip Vanderstraeten, Erkios Systems; Philip Hickman, PlaBook; Leonard Frye, FilmDove; and Clarence Tan, Boddle Learning

OHUB is sending five startups to SXSW, each infused with $50K; Meet the seven KC finalists

By Tommy Felts / December 27, 2019

Iron sharpens iron, said Rodney Sampson, announcing 12 finalists — seven from Kansas City — for $250,000 in investments and a coveted demo day stage at SXSW in March. Each startup is rich with founders who have invested the time and energy to earn a payout from the ecosystem, said Sampson, founder of the Opportunity…

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