KC Headlines I'd like to see: Columbus Park Plan Emphasizes Coherent Infill

[FangKC]

15.  Hallmark to Build Landmark Skyscraper

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"Nothing Like It Has Been Seen in Kansas City"



Hallmark Cards, one of Kansas City's largest and oldest employers, has announced they will build a landmark new tower at E. 27th Street and McGee.

The tower will be unlike anything ever built in Kansas City. The 30-story geometric tower will be among the largest buildings in the city when completed.  It will equal in square footage a city block containing a 100-story building. Portions of the building will be constructed over the present garage on E. 27th Street, and another garage to the north at E. 26th and McGee.



Employees will be moved into the new building in phases, and the portions of the present headquarters building will be converted into retail space--expanding Crown Center.

Sears has already committed to opening a Sears brand department store, and a K-Mart discount store in the complex.  Crate & Barrel, a home decor store, has already signed a letter of intent.

Hallmark also announced the expansion of residential condo tower and townhouse construction at Crown Center. More than 2000 additional units will be built over the next 10 years. The units will be located along Gillham Road and the south side of 27th Street from Cherry to Main. A retail district will front E. 27th and portions of Gillham and Grand at streetlevel. Parking will be below grade, and behind the buildings next to Union Cemetery.  One garage will span McGee Trafficway south of E. 27th Street.  The top of the garage deck will be a landscaped courtyard surrounded by condo towers.

Portions of the new multi-colored building will be in the shape of an "H" to signify Hallmark's first letter as a architectural statement.  The building is set to open in 2009.

The company issued a statement indicating that they wanted their building to represent the artistic endeavor of their business. Company officials felt the present headquarters building doesn't make that bold statement.

Walton Construction is primary contractor.

Hallmark and Crown Center Inc. have  plans to build several new residential condo towers and townhomes.

[FangKC]

A stunning glass condo tower will occupy E. 27th and Grand.



27th Street will be lushly landscaped.

[FangKC]

16.  Quality Hill Will Be Finished Says Mayor

DST Will Build Headquarters at 12th/Broadway Site

Downtown Will Add Third Drugstore

Mayor Mark Funkhouser surprised almost everyone this week by announcing that developers on Quality Hill would finally undertake the final redevelopment phase and add several new buildings. Some using tax-increment financing.

It will be the first major building spree since the New Quality Hill redevelopment, which started in the 1980s. It is credited with jump-starting rebirth of the western edge of downtown as well as adding the first new residential housing in decades.  New Quality Hill had several phases of redevelopment planned, and this cycle adds to the original vision for the neighborhood.  The neighborhood has been a successful development with 96 percent of residential and retaiul units filled regularly.

DST announced it would build a 38-story headquarters building at 12th and Broadway, the site of a parking lot for many years.  Street-level space will be occupied by a third downtown drugstore--Rite Aid.   The others being CVS at 10th and Main, and Walgreens at 12th and Charlotte. 

DST will be consolidating many of its' employees from scattered sites into a single building. The building will feature interior retail alleys between the building and the Kansas City Southern headquarters building, and another alley running east and west from Broadway to the north-south alley. These spaces will house smaller retail shops.

DST Real Estate officials state that the current demand for downtown commercial rental space is so high that the other DST-owned buildings will easily find new tenants.  Some have already have letters of intent signed.

DST Real Estate has been a major developer on Quality Hill for many years. They have constructed seven new office buildings there over the past 20 years, and renovated many others.

The new corporate headquarters for DST, Lockton, and an apartment tower will be constructed on Quality Hill.  The Skygarden Tower will be constructed on the SW corner of 13th and Broadway, and bring housing for seniors to the Grace Episcopal Church complex.



Lockton Will Build Downtown High-rise

Lockton, a private mutual fund currently housed on the Country Club Plaza, announced it would move downtown, and build a 25-story building on the SW corner of 12th and Washington on a parking lot there east of the former Cordova Hotel.

Four Signature Towers for Jefferson Site

Slated for new construction are the 10th and Jefferson site, which will have four new high-rise condo towers there and nearby, all built by DST Real Estate.  Another large garage will be constructed under the buildings to serve residents and neighbors, and visitors to Case Park. 

One tower will be placed on the SE corner of 10th and Jefferson, which is now the site of the DST community garden.  The other three will be placed west of Jefferson on the former site of the Carriage House and Carlton apartment buildings, and to the east on the SW corner of 10th and Pennsylvania on the site of the former Kersey Coates mansion.  The first tower, at 10th and Summit, will be called One Park Summit, a high-rise with 35-38 stories overlooking the Missouri River and West Bottoms. The Park Summit condos will range in price from $250,000 to $2 million.

DST announced a massive parking garage would be constructed at 12th and Pennsylvania, and residential condo apartments would be constructed around and on top of the garage structure. The land has been cleared for several years. The garage would serve the residents, Lockton, and DST. The apartments will be a mix of rental and condos, which will be priced from $150,000 to $350,000.

Another garage with street-level retail space and offices on top will be constructed on the north side of 12th Street between Summit and Pennsylvania next to the HTNB office building, and that company's employees will occupy all of the expanded office space. HTNB will design that project. DST has already rented the retail spaces, but will not discuss tenants.

Funkhouser says the city hopes to extend the retail district along 12th Street west to the Summit, and eventually into the West Bottoms.  "We have to widen and fix the 12th Street Viaduct and make it a pedestrian link first," said the mayor. "Adding retail along 12th Street will help Quality Hill, and provide for amenities and attractions for the convention district.  The west side of Broadway has remained dead around our important convention center, and needs to be revived.

The mayor would not discuss rumors of a large building  with multiple access on two levels of the bridge being constructed along the south edge of the 12th Street Viaduct.  The rumor indicates a massive parking garage at ground level to the first deck of the bridge and above, with more retail, commercial, and residential space built on top.   Local real estate companies report the rumor mill includes talk of a Designers Trade Mart and wholesale mall.  Rumors of IKEA have been denied repeatedly.

Coates House Will Get New Wing

DST and JTL Properties have partnered to rebuild a new south wing on the former Coates House Hotel. The former south wing was destroyed in a devastating fire in the 1970s that required demolition of that portion of the building. The new wing will have 65 new affordable rental apartments and retail space along Broadway. Two levels of parking will be below grade, and another four levels of parking will be added to Ten Central Parking Garage at 10th and Central.

An additional smaller, apartment building will be constructed on the NE corner of 11th and Pennsylania with parking below grade and on street-level.

Mayor Funkhouser said the Coates House addition would receive tax-increment financing and HUD assistance for creating affordable apartments.   More TIF would be used to create apartments on the west bluff along Jefferson and Pennsylvania since it meets the goal of creating more downtown residential population--one of the city's stated goals.  More than 1500 units of housing will be created under the plan.  Some MODESA funding would be used to construct the DST and Lockton headquarters towers since both companies plan expansion and additional jobs.

An new addition for the former Coates House Hotel is planned. The building will look similar to this building



Transportation planners have confirmed that an additional light rail link may run over the West Loop freeway and have a major station built near the Case Park overlook pavilions.  The light rail stop would link to a new funicular rail tram running from Case Park to Union Avenue in the West Bottoms. Transportation officials will not confirm that the West Loop Freeway will be rerouted west through the West Bottoms over the railyards along the base of the bluff.  Rumors have persisted that Senator Claire McCaskill has been lobbying for the move so that the West Bluff of downtown can be redeveloped and more housing created that will help link downtown to the West Bottoms. McCaskill is also working to obtain funding for capping the North and South Loop freeways, and possibly parts of the East Loop Freeway.

A spokesman for McCaskill confirmed that talks are ongoing. "It's no secret that officials in Kansas City want to minimize the effect of the freeway loop on the cohesiveness of downtown neighborhoods. Their wish is to reunite portions of the city to the pedestrian," she said.  However, she would not confirm the rumor of the West Loop freeway being rerouted, and a possible new connection constructed to the Broadway Bridge over the Kansas City Southern rail lines near 3rd Street and Woodswether Road.

Helzberg Jumps In

Shirley Bush Helzberg, who restored the Blossom Mansion and other buildings at 11th and Pennsylvania, is getting into the act as well. She is building new townhouses on the NE corner of 11th and Jefferson--along with a small parking garage to serve the complex.

A new building planned for the SW corner of 12th and Pennsylvania



Apartment complex on the SW corner of 12th and Jefferson





High-rise condo building planned for 13th and Pennsylvania



Upscale high-rise condo tower planned for the SE corner of 10th and Jefferson



Tower planned for the SW corner of 10th and Jefferson



A new public square will be part of the new apartment community on the NE corner at 11th and Summit. The site sits north across from the HTNB architectural firm.  Another courtyard will face 11th and Jefferson.





Shirley Bush Helzberg will build new townhouses, and a small garage, on the NE corner of 11th and Jefferson as part of her Blossom House complex.





Site plan for the One Park Tower at W. 10th and Summit.  A courtyard will open to the overlook Pavilions on the bluff



The One Park Tower at 10th and Summit



The tower at 10th and Pennsylvania will occupy the site of the Kersey Coates mansion



New retail spaces will line 12th Street between Summit and Pennsylvania





New townhouses will be constructed south of the former Cordova Hotel building on the east side of Pennsylvania between 12th and 13th streets







A new building will be constructed on the NE corner of 11th and Pennsylvania on a former parking lot





More apartments will be built along Pennsylvania near W. 9th Street on a vacant, hilltop site. A residential tower is planned east of these buildings on the SW corner of W. 9th and Washington--the site of the former Washington Street Station restaurant





Another new apartment building is planned for the SE corner of W. 7th and Washington. The building will be built above a below-grade parking garage, and residents will also use parking in the State Street building across Washington



New retail, including a Rite-Aid drugstore, will line Broadway and 12th Street as part of the new DST headquarters building



A new retail building on the NW corner of 13th and Broadway will look similar to this structure



New stairs will be added to Case Park to take visitors and residents down the bluff to a pedestrian bridge crossing the West Loop Freeway, and continuing into the West Bottoms.  Parks and Recreation hope the new stair and bridge will encourage more recreational exercise in the neighborhood

[FangKC]

17. Sprint Abandons OP Campus for Downtown Tower

Will Build Missouri's Tallest Building -- 60 Floors

Sprint-Nextel has announced that it will return its administrative headquarters to the Kansas City area from Virginia, and sell its' campus in Overland Park.

The telecommunications giant has pledged to build a new 60-story headquarters building downtown with additional auxilliary campus buildings near 16th and Holmes.

"It is a prominent and highly-visible location in the center of the city," said  Gary Forsee, CEO. "We realize that much talent exists outside of Overland Park, and the commute is easier at this location than southern Overland Park.  It's in the center of the metro area, and that's where we should be. Downtown Kansas City is becoming more dynamic by the day. We have also found that recruiting new staff means they are looking for the option of an urban lifestyle that downtown Kansas City will soon provide. The creative class is not looking for a suburban campus on the edge of the city."

The signature tower will feature a unique "S" feature on the front of the building to indicate the namesake.  The "S" will be lighted at night.



Above: A new Sprint Tower will rise at the intersection of 71 Highway and I-70 in downtown Kansas City

"We have decided to return to the Sprint name exclusively," Foresee says. "The location of our headquarters near the Sprint Center will also reinforce our brand."

The 60-story tower will be the tallest building in Kansas City, and Missouri and Kansas, as well as several surrounding Midwestern states.

The skyscraper will be surrounded by several other smaller campus buildings built on top of below-grade parking and garages built over I-670, and between Troost and Bruce Watkins Freeway.

"We have worked with the Missouri Department of Transportation to plan a pedestrian bridge or tunnel that will allow our employees to move from our buildings to our parking facilities," Foresee says. "The freeway won't be a problem. We are even considering a passenger tram, or shuttle."

"Being on the edge of the Power & Light District, and near the Sprint Center, has many benefits for us," Foresee said. "We can hold employee conventions in Kansas City, and use the Sprint Center for employee events."



Above: One of the auxilliary buildings to be part of the downtown Sprint campus

The new Sprint campus will be completed by 2010.  No cost estimates are available at this time, but Sprint indicates it will not ask for tax-increment financing from the City.  However, the Missouri Legislature is planning to approve MODESA funds for the project with a share of the funding going to build the large, public garages.

City leaders say the long-term goal is to build a baseball stadium in the area that can share the parking facilities.

"This may be 20 years off," said Mayor Mark Funkhouser. "We are just laying the groundwork."

Sites being suggested are the SE corner of Truman Road and Troost, 18th and Charlotte, and 20th and Locust, or the so called "Children's Mercy Hospital parking lot."

Foresee says individual buildings on the Sprint Campus in Overland Park can be packaged and sold to other companies, or the entire campus can be sold to a university looking to expand.

"We have even talked to KU and Johnson County Community College recently about acquiring the campus," Foresee says.

[FangKC]

18. Renaissance Convention Hotel Slated for 12th, Grand

Hotel will have 1,000 rooms and rise 54-stories

A new 1,000-room convention hotel will be built in downtown Kansas City at East 12th Street and Grand Boulevard of the Howler Monkey Diety.

The announcement came this morning from Mayor Mark Funkhouser and officials with the Renaissance Hotel chain, who gathered at the site. The hotel will be called the Grand Renaissance, which is appropriate since the Power & Light District could be said to be bringing an rebirth to the downtown loop.



Construction will begin in November, 2007, and the hotel will open in December, 2008--just a few months after the official opening of the Power & Light District.

A site at 14th and Baltimore had been touted as an alternate site, but city leaders felt a tall building there would block views of the iconic Power & Light Building--the namesake of the entertainment district.

"Residents didn't want the Power & Light tower blocked from the skyline," says Funkhouser. "We are complying with what folks want."

"People are paying for views of the downtown skyline," says Jon Copaken, site developer, "and that view includes an unobstructed view of the Power & Light beacon tower. It's a symbol of our city and we must respect that."

The new hotel will rise to 54 stories. The block will also be partially covered by a 4-story parking garage. Two levels will be underground. Another 8-story garage will be constructed south of the Board of Education Building on the portion of the block it shares with an older parking structure. Two levels will be below-grade.

The hotel will feature at least two signature restaurants, a cocktail lounge, and nightclub. Four small ballrooms will be constructed, a business center, and 36,000 sq. feet of meeting space.  The facility will have an in-house exercise facility with a swimming pool and spa.

The City will not be asked for any tax increment financing for the project.  The Gigi Wig store building will remain and become part of the parking garage. The wig store will relocate.

"We are keeping the terra cotta facade and will use it as the entrance to the nightclub," says Copaken, who will own the building. "I had second thoughts after realizing the owners kept their building up when others downtown didn't, and because it's one of the last early 20th century retail buildings left downtown south of 12th Street."

Another building on the SW corner of 12th and McGee will remain and be used as a restaurant and office space.

Three other buildings will be demolished. One mid-block on McGee, which presently houses a law firm, and two on mid-block on Grand north of the Gigi Wig store.  One building is a former optician store and the other a former jeweler.

[FangKC]

19.  Hospital Hill Gets Staff Housing

2000 New Apts Planned

Hospital Hill will get 2,000 units of new housing. The plan was announced by officials in a consortium of Truman Medical Center, Children's Mercy Hospital, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City medical and dental schools.

The housing plan will create four new apartment high-rises initially, with more to follow as demand dictates.   Crown Center and Hallmark will be developers.

The building sizes aren't finalized yet, but officials state they will be in the 20-35-story range. The buildings will be of the same style, but will be lighted differently at night in a variety of colors from blue, green, purple, yellow, white, and red.  The color schemes will alternate.



The new apartment towers will be constructed along E. 22nd Street to the north on the bluff over the Kansas City Terminal Railroad easements.  They will have expansive views of the downtown skyline, midtown, Crown Center, and the Crossroads.  They will not be part of the Beacon Hill development plan however.

The consortium says that more housing is needed for ever-expanding personnel at all member facilities.   The hospital and medical college also need housing for residents and nurses working second and third shifts, and need to be living close-by.  Some faculty members have expressed interest in living closer to work. 



The new housing is part of the long-term plan for the Hospital Hill campus, and future plans to add bioscience and medical research facilities.

Land clearance has been completed. Construction will begin in January, 2008, and all four buildings will be completed by Summer, 2010. In the first phase, 800 apartments will be constructed. Three buildings will be rental, and one a condo tower. Non-hospital employees will be allowed to rent in the complex.

The estimated cost is $350 million.  The apartments will have a swimming pool and exercise facility and a parking garage under the buildings. The garage will house 600 cars.

Future development will occur on the hilltop near 24th, 25th, Campbell, and Harrison.

[FangKC]

20. KCI to Downtown in 10 Minutes?
Magnetic "Zip" Train Can Do It

A new proposed high-speed train will carry passengers from the airport to Union Station in 10 minutes.

The high-tech train, called "the Zip," will run on a magnetic rail line for portions of the route, and can reach speeds up to 200 mph. The line will follow existing train easements for most of the route, but will require building of a spur line from the airport to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks along the Missouri River. The train will be adaptable to traditional rail tracks. That planned route will run along N. Childress Avenue from the airport south to the Burlington tracks near Parkville. 



Portions of the route will be enclosed in tunnels to maximize speed.  The tunnels will be round concrete shells which will allow the train to travel at higher speeds than normally since the train will be encompassed by supporting walls which will allow the train to tilt at more extreme angles to speed through turns.  There will be little to no noise from the Zip Train.







The high-speed route will require cooperation agreements from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Kansas City Southern, Union Pacific, and Kansas City Terminal railroads. Some portions of the route will need to be constructed where they deviate from existing lines, like at Truman Sports Complex.

The Zip will connect with light rail, regular commuter rail, and bus lines at Parkville, Union Station and Briarcliff, and at Truman Sports Complex, Independence, Swope Park, Raytown, Grandview, Lee's Summit, Kansas City, KS, Merriam, Lenexa, Overland Park, and Olathe.

The Parkville stop will link with commuter rail running near Leavenworth.

The Kansas City, KS, line will be a regular commuter rail train and will near The Legends in Western Wyandotte County.

The train can carry up to 150 passengers each trip, and can be operated from both ends of the train so no round-a-bout or turnaround track in necessary.  A secondary "local" train can use the same tracks and make more local neighborhood stops on an auxilliary side-by-side line. This will offer flexibility in some neighborhoods along the route since passengers can disembark at major stops and travel on to a stop in their neighborhood where the high-speed train makes no stop.



The trains will be comfortable, sleek, and air conditioned with bathrooms. Passengers will be able to use cellphones and laptop computers on the train, and take advantage of the WI-FI network set up by Union Station.

The fare will be $2.00 from KCI to Union Station and Swope Park, and $3.00 to Johnson and Wyandotte counties. Major stops will be near Parkville, Briarcliff, Union Station, Merriam, Lenexa, Olathe, Independence, and Lee's Summit. Addition fares will take travelers further along the route, or regular riders can by monthly passes at reduced fare.  Disabled, students, and seniors will be given reduced fares as well. Children under 10 will ride free with adults.

The trains were developed for use in Europe and Japan, but the cars and engines are going to be manufactured at the GM Fairfax plant in Wyandotte County.

City leaders predict booms in real estate development near major ZIP line stations. 

Mayor Mark Funkhouser says that TIF policy in the future will include development of high-density residential and business cores adjacent to ZIP stations and other light rail lines.  The cost of the line is estimated at $2 billion for the first construction of the main route from the airport to Swope Park and Grandview.

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ZIP Train Route Map

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v727/ ... ipMap2.jpg

[FangKC]

21.  Bank of America Will Build Regional Headquarters

40-story Building To Be Added to Skyline

Bank of America will build a new 40-story regional headquarters building downtown.

The building will be the first major building Bank of America has ever constructed in Kansas City exclusively for its' use. It will be constructed on surface parking lot on 6th Street between Wyandotte and Baltimore.

A large parking garage will be erected over the North Loop Freeway.



Construction will begin in Spring, 2008, and be completed in Winter, 2009. More than 4,000 workers will be employed in the building, and many of them will come from outside Kansas City through transfers from other cities. The building is a consolidation of several other regional offices.

A Bank of America spokesman stated that Kansas City was chosen because of its' central location and low cost of living.

"We like Kansas City a great deal because it's a good value for our employees. It has a high quality of life and low cost of living. It's regularly selected as one of the best places to live in America, and we have taken note."

DST Real Estate is the developer, and J.E. Dunn and Straub Construction are major contractors.

The project will receive state and city economic incentives from sources like MODESA and TIF.



The building will be unlike any downtown. The striking tower will feature two circular ringed tower masts on the roof that the architects say pay tribute to Kansas City's art deco heritage. They say the masts also are a friendly wink at the art deco masts atop Bartle Hall.

(Editor's Note: Aren't architects precious?)

A rendering of the building a night.

[schugg]

your crazy.                       

[FangKC]

22.  Trump Picks River Market for Casino/Hotel

Billionaire Donald Trump will enter the Kansas City market by building a destination casino and resort hotel in the River Market.

The site chosen is north of the KCPL power plant on First Street, and west of the Grand Boulevard Viaduct.


The complex will have a casino, hotel, residential condos,
some commercial and retail space, and a parking garage.

Trump is muscling in on the casino business despite opposition from area casinos. Devastating floods, and levee failures, have hampered casino business in Riverside, North Kansas City, and at the Ameristar facility in Clay County.

Trump River Market will also add high-end condos, commercial space, and retail to the riverfront. The planned 40-story building will have 20 floors of apartments, 20 floors of hotel space, 8 floors of commercial space, and 2 floors devoted to the casino and retail space.  The plan also includes a exercise and recreation facility and Olympic-sized swimming pool, ballroom space, nightclub, restaurants, and a small amphitheater. It will be called the Trump Ace Casino and Resort Hotel.

"I'm big on this site because it offers views of the riverfront and downtown, Trump says. "It also sits in the center of the city near the future light rail line and area freeway crossings. It will be different because it has the Trump name on it."

The project will require approval by the Missouri and Jackson County legislatures, and the governor.

If approved, the project will begin construction in 2009 and be completed in 2010. No opening date has been set.

"Kansas City is a gem of a city, and I'm going to make full use of its' charms," Trump says.

[FangKC]

23.  Aquarium Will Go At Riverfront

Kansas City is getting a public aquarium, and it's going to be located at the river's edge in Berkley Riverfront Park.

Forest City Development is building the facility and adding an amenity that not only will help sell new housing, retail, and office space in the neighborhood, but bring tourists and visitors to the River Market.

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Below: The riverfront will undergo a massive transformation under the Forest City plan.

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Hundreds of new houses and condos are set to come online in the new five years. Construction on the Aquarium will begin in Spring 2008, and be completed by Fall, 2009.   No name has been selected for the aquarium.

The facility will be run by the Kansas City Museum, and funded by several large donations from the Hall, Stowers, and Kemper foundations.  Garmin, Sprint, and Cerner will also kick in funds. City funds will be used to prepare the site and infastructure.

The aquatic facility will be among the largest in the country when completed. It will be developed in three phases over time, and be placed east of the Grand Boulevard Viaduct along Riverfront Road. Local officials expect that it will become the focal point of the neighborhood, and the retail strip along First Street to the south.

The facility will feature a glassed in, fortified tunnel that runs under one of the water tanks so visitors can get close-up views of species housed there.  The facility will also include a fish hatchery and releases will be made of native species into the Missouri and Kansas rivers, as well as local lakes.

[FangKC]

24.  West Side Infill Plan Seeks to Increase Urban Density

Heralded As Innovative, Urban Development That Will Transform Area

City leaders and a neighborhood developer, Artemis Fang, have announced a redevelopment infill plan to transform the West Side of Kansas City into a denser, more urban landscape.

The neighborhood affected is west of I-35, and bounded by Beardsley Road and Southwest Boulevard on the west, 16th Street on the north, 31st Street on the south, and Southwest Trafficway on the east.

The plan calls for vacant parcels to be developed with apartment buildings and single family houses fitting with the neighborhood, but applying new urbanist principles.  Older homes will be purchased as they come up for sale, and renovated with attention paid to improving the aesthetics of the entire area.

"This will be the next Union Hill," says Artemis Fang, the developer and visionary of the plan.

One of the first sites to be developed will be 2018 Summit, a corner lot with a deep, challenging drop-off in grade located between the sidewalk and alley.

"Because of the grade of the site, a  parking garage could be placed under the building with several floors on top," says Fang.  "One might be able to get away with four or five floors of residential because of the scale of the neighboring school, West Junior High School."

Fang has submitted several examples of possible design to City and neighborhood leaders.























Fang says that a variety of styles would work there. 

"Because of the grade of the site, a lot of innovative things can be done here. You can hide the parking below street level without a lot of excavation. A garage can be entered from the alley.  You don't have a lot of neighbors to disturb on adjacent lots.  The apartments would have great views of trees along West Pennway. Apartments on upper floors (above tree level) would have great views of downtown and the Crossroads.  There is a public library next door, and a community center across the street to the west."



















One method Fang has used to deal with difficult neighborhood leaders is simply to offer to buy their houses and remove them from the neighborhood.  In addition, a group of progressive-minded individuals in league with Fang started buying up houses in the neighborhood as soon as they were listed for sale. The goal was to build a majority of similar-minded residents in the neighborhood to counter the anti-development establishment crowd.  The strategy has been effective.

"You don't need to buy every house in the neighborhood, just enough to counter the opposition. The other thing is to fill those houses with very proactive, politically-organized, new leaders who believe in new urbanism, density, and infill projects that build up the neighborhood," says Fang.

"Many of these residents really just want to be bought out."

The developer hopes the strategy will lead to more dense, high-rise towers being constructed on strategic sites. Mostly hill-tops that can take advantage of the many views from the neighborhood.

"We can demand a premium for living spaces with views," he says. "This will also build up the population on the West Side and will benefit downtown and the Crossroads." 

Fang says that higher densities benefit everyone in the long run. "The more people you have living in Kansas City and Jackson County that can help pay for running the city, the less taxes everyone else pays."

About the site at 2018 Summit. Fang says, "I've always wanted to develop that site."

Fang  plans to also redevelop the West Junior High complex. The plan calls for turning the former school complex into senior housing with an on-site cafeteria and exercise facility using the former gymnasium.

A vacant lot west of the school complex, and north of the Ruiz public library, will get a new building with below-grade parking. This building will be developed as an assisted living facility with individual apartments.

"It's a triangular site next to West Pennway," says Fang. "This will be an innovative assisted-living facility because residents will remain in their own apartments, and nursing staff will come and go as needed. The building will have a nursing station staffed at all times."

"I also wanted that site where the new house was built ( on the NE corner of 20th and Summit).  I was going to put a small high-rise there, or dense San Francisco-style townhouses with rooftop decks.  Something like you might find on Union Hill. 

Fang refers to the Urban Couer Group who developed several parcels on Union Hill.

"It's too late now, but I think that I think Urban Couer would have done a great job with that intersection," he says.









Fang  proposes that narrow infill lots could be redeveloped with more low-density single family cottage houses, or townhouses.







Construction will begin immediately, and be done in phases as lots become available.  The City will provide some tax-increment financing to redevelop the West Junior High complex, and the assisted-living facility.  Most of the other development will be privately-financed.  Some tax-abatements might be required in multi-tenant projects.

"We still need that incentive to get some people to consider urban sites," says Fang. "But as the neighborhood developes, stabilizes, and becomes more popular," he says, "less of that will be required."

[FangKC]

25.  West Loop To Be Reconfigured
and Moved West to Bottom

Charming Hill-side Village Will Emerge
on Former Freeway

An innovative and controversial plan will move the West Loop Freeway from its' present location west over what is now Beardsley Road, Bluff St., and some portions of the railyards.

A new freeway would be constructed further down the bluff freeing up the former pavement footprint for a redevelopment that would tie Quality Hill together with the West Bottoms in a more seamless  pesdestrian experience, say officials.   

Financing would come from the City parks department, US Department of Transportation, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Missouri Department of Transportation, Jackson County, MODESA, and tax-increment-financing.  Several developers would also participate.  No cost estimates were available to relocate the freeway, but the village plan is estimated at $250 million in the first phase.

A surprising move from Mayor Mark Funkhouser who endorses the plan.

"This seeks to tie downtown to the West Bottoms and create a tourist hub for the downtown tourist economy.  It takes several assets and ties them together: the 8th Street streetcar tunnel, Case Park, historic Quality Hill, and the West Bottoms," Funkhouser says.

"I see this as meeting the criteria for TIF use," he says, "and the City is getting a lot of outside investment to reduce our risk.  The plan will create new housing and retail opportunities for artists and small business owners.

The plan calls for the hillside village to house arts and crafts shops, art galleries, art studios, antique stores, home decor and curio shops, and other trade-oriented shops. The City hopes to lure specialty and import stores selling rugs, native American artifacts, Western shops, specialty meat purveyors and fish markets, small boutiques, and rare and used book stores.

Many of the shops will have housing constructed on upper levels, and much of it will be affordable.

"We want artists and shopkeepers living above their work spaces," Funkhouser says. "We want to really reintroduce city living in this project.  It will also be a wonderful draw for tourists and visitors as well as local residents.  The West Bottoms warehouses are going to be repostitioned as a trade mart community of artisans, home decor, and import/export businesses."

A special world trade zone will be created in parts of the development zone to hasten commerce.

The project is being designed as an "old world" environment and seeks to create an experience for visitors and residents.

"We are putting back some of the historic ambiance and street experiences from Kansas City's past," says Funkhouser.  "We want to recreate elements and street activity from the era when Kansas City was a bustling wholesale and retail district."

Funkhouser made references to the old Garment District near 8th and Broadway.

Everything Old Is New Again

The buildings will be constructed in old styles on the old freeway decks and parking garages will be placed underneath.   Portion of the new freeway will be place in tunnels under fill dirt so that gradual grades can be created for streets leading from the village to the West Bottoms.  Some railroad tracks will also be covered with decks.

A  narrow street will run through the village, which will be mostly pedestrian-oriented.  The street will revert to its' former name: Kersey Coates Drive.

Some of the primary features in the hill-side project will be stepped apartment buildings, stairs descending the hillside, landscaped gardens and plazas, brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets, historic street lighting and furniture, and a fountain and waterfall that will descend  the rocky hillside.

About 200 apartments will be created, and 50 retail and commercial spaces.  The parking garages will provide 500 spaces.

The entrances to the hill-side village will be on W. 12th Street and at W. 5th Street near Beardsley Road.  In time, the village will be extended from 12th Street west of West Terrace Park south to Cesar Chavez Avenue.

The new freeway routing will include a new connection deck to the Broadway Bridge over a portion of the rail cut near Woodswether Road.

A City Planning Department spokesperson says that developers and designers see the bluff as a challenge and hope to use the terrain to create a special place in Kansas City. The spokesman cited many European hill cities as an example.

Hill-side Village At-A-Glance

Diagram showing how old freeway decks, and footprints, would be redeveloped as hill-side village.





Stairs would provide alternative paths to the village from Quality Hill and the West Bottoms.  They would also provide recreational exercise to neighborhood residents.





Stairs descending the hillside would be landscaped.









There will be a formal entry into the hill-side village.



















One of the primary features would be a fountain and waterfall descending the hillside to the village below.


Street approach heading east from the West Bottoms to Kersey Coates Drive and the hill town.





The dramatic slope of the hillside would be used to create interesting apartments configured in a step design down the hillside.



An attention to details will be a signature of the hillside village.  Developers refer to it as having "lots of eye candy."













The transition between downtown, Quality Hill, and the West Bottoms would be seamless with a series of stairs, terraces, and roadways. At the bottom of the hill would be the new West Bottoms business and residential district utilizing the old warehouses as trademarts; building a new garden city behind fortified levees, and with a marina and some canals.

[FangKC]

The West Loop Village Plan

Use scroll bar if needed.

[GRID]

17. Sprint Abandons OP Campus for Downtown Tower

Will Build Missouri's Tallest Building -- 60 Floors

Sprint-Nextel has announced that it will return its administrative headquarters to the Kansas City area from Virginia, and sell its' campus in Overland Park.

The telecommunications giant has pledged to build a new 60-story headquarters building downtown with additional auxilliary campus buildings near 16th and Holmes.

"It is a prominent and highly-visible location in the center of the city," said  Gary Forsee, CEO. "We realize that much talent exists outside of Overland Park, and the commute is easier at this location than southern Overland Park.  It's in the center of the metro area, and that's where we should be. Downtown Kansas City is becoming more dynamic by the day. We have also found that recruiting new staff means they are looking for the option of an urban lifestyle that downtown Kansas City will soon provide. The creative class is not looking for a suburban campus on the edge of the city."

The signature tower will feature a unique "S" feature on the front of the building to indicate the namesake.  The "S" will be lighted at night.



Above: A new Sprint Tower will rise at the intersection of 71 Highway and I-70 in downtown Kansas City

"We have decided to return to the Sprint name exclusively," Foresee says. "The location of our headquarters near the Sprint Center will also reinforce our brand."

The 60-story tower will be the tallest building in Kansas City, and Missouri and Kansas, as well as several surrounding Midwestern states.

The skyscraper will be surrounded by several other smaller campus buildings built on top of below-grade parking and garages built over I-670, and between Troost and Bruce Watkins Freeway.

"We have worked with the Missouri Department of Transportation to plan a pedestrian bridge or tunnel that will allow our employees to move from our buildings to our parking facilities," Foresee says. "The freeway won't be a problem. We are even considering a passenger tram, or shuttle."

"Being on the edge of the Power & Light District, and near the Sprint Center, has many benefits for us," Foresee said. "We can hold employee conventions in Kansas City, and use the Sprint Center for employee events."



Above: One of the auxilliary buildings to be part of the downtown Sprint campus

The new Sprint campus will be completed by 2010.  No cost estimates are available at this time, but Sprint indicates it will not ask for tax-increment financing from the City.  However, the Missouri Legislature is planning to approve MODESA funds for the project with a share of the funding going to build the large, public garages.

City leaders say the long-term goal is to build a baseball stadium in the area that can share the parking facilities.

"This may be 20 years off," said Mayor Mark Funkhouser. "We are just laying the groundwork."

Sites being suggested are the SE corner of Truman Road and Troost, 18th and Charlotte, and 20th and Locust, or the so called "Children's Mercy Hospital parking lot."

Foresee says individual buildings on the Sprint Campus in Overland Park can be packaged and sold to other companies, or the entire campus can be sold to a university looking to expand.

"We have even talked to KU and Johnson County Community College recently about acquiring the campus," Foresee says.

Sprint could build something like that downtown and still have a need to keep the campus.  At most a tower like that would be 1.5 million sq ft.  The campus is 4 million sq ft.

They could do an "HQ" with Embarq and fill the rest with the whatever part of sprint and then lease the rest.

Finally, we would have a corporate tower built by a local company dominating our skyline like nearly every other city has.

Too bad it's a dream.

[FangKC]

26. Berkley Riverfront Development Begins
Neighborhood Will Be Called Berkley Palisades

The long-discussed and planned riverfront development near Berkley Riverfront Park has begun.

The mixed-used community will house retail, commercial, residential, and some light industrial buildings.

The developer is Forest City, Inc., and they plan to add 2,000 residential units in a mix of townhouses, low-rise apartment buildings, and high-rise condo towers.  The setting will be urban and pedestrian with some units above retail stores, and mixed in buildings with commercial space.





The anchor tenant in the neighborhood will be IKEA, the popular home decor and furniture store.  No specific site has been announced and four different ones are being considered. IKEA has signed a letter of intent.



Seventeen restaurants have signed contracts for locations in the district, to be called Berkley Palisades taking its' name from the park named after former mayor Richard Berkley.  From a restaurant operated by New York City's Bea Smith to a Teriaki Boy.

Site preparation took a long time since industrial lots had to be cleaned up and made environmentally stable.   Grades were also raised with fill-dirt over time. The City will pay for infastructure rebuilding and street placement.

The housing mix will be about 20 percent affordable, 40 percent middle income, and 40 percent luxury units. Construction will begin in January, 2008.  The development will expand east and west in the future as demand increases.



The design of the neighborhood is eclectic and will mix traditional river city designs with modern buildings.

[FangKC]

27. 10 New Condo Towers For Indy Blvd

Village Will Be Called Chouteau Heights

Ten new high-rise condo and rental apartment residential towers will be constructed on Independence Boulevard near The Paseo over the next decade. The plan is part of a larger biosciences campus.

The area known as Jazz  Hill will become home to an expanded Kansas City University as well as bioscience and medical research facilities and private industries.  The housing portion of the "bio-village" will be called Chouteau Heights after city founder Francois Chouteau.

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The residential portion will consist of ten new high-rise towers: three will be 20 stories; two fifteen story buildings; and five ten-story buildings. All buildings will be constructed along Independence Boulevard between Forest and Highland streets. Some will face Paseo Boulevard. Five additional low-rise rental apartment buildings will be built adjacent to the towers. In total, about 1500 new apartments will be constructed.

Five parking garages will be constructed to serve the residential buildings. Some will be under buildings and some will be a combination of below-grade and above ground garages.

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Hunt Midwest is the developer.  Financing will come from Bank of America and some contribution from the federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The project will include a mix of housing types and income levels.

The State of Missouri and Kansas City will offer financial incentives packages using TIF and MODESA funding mechanisms to help construct portions of the bioscience campus to the north of the Chouteau Heights residences.

In the next 20 years, Kansas City University will also expand and add a dozen new campus buildings, and quadruple enrollment. The Stowers Foundation will provide some funding for the expansion.

A private biomedical research campus will be developed north of Independence Avenue at Lydia.

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The present low-income housing community of Chouteau Court will be converted into student housing for the university.  A low-income housing complex north of the University along Paseo will also switch to student housing.

The State of Missouri will contribute some funds to Kansas City University for the construction of three stand-alone campus parking garages.

About 20 percent of low-income residents at Chouteau Court will move into the affordable housing component of the plan. The remaining residents will be relocated to scattered sites around the Metro area.

[FangKC]

A diagram showing placement of new residential buildings along Independence Boulevard.

Use scroll bar if needed.

[FangKC]

28.  350th Historic Landmark Added Downtown

Real Estate Values Soar

Downtown Kansas City reached a historical milestone recently with the placement of its' 350th building on the National Register of Historic Places.

The buildings all exist within the downtown boundaries set by the Downtown Council, a local group of business and community leaders. The area includes the area of downtown between Troost Avenue and Genessee, the riverfront and 31st Street.

The 350 buildings do not include other historic landmarks outside the downtown boundaries. Many individual buildings still are not listed, or exist only in historic districts where individual building may not be recognized individually.

Since the City Landmarks Commission has made adding numerous historic buildings to the federal register, tourism has markedly increased as publicity has been widespread as Kansas City reached each milestone figure, and kept adding additional properties.

Historic designation makes buildings eligible for federal and state historic tax credits for renovations or repairs that adhere to guidelines set by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  Property owners can be reimbursed up to 45 percent of renovation costs.

Mayor Mark Funkhouser heralded the achievement and pointed out how Kansas City benefits.

"Every building that is placed on the National Register becomes eligible for federal and state funds for repair and improvement.  Many buildings can be restored and reused using these dollars. This means fewer projects where Kansas City must grant tax incentives or Jackson County must give tax abatements to make these project financially-viable," he says. "I encourage all property owners of historic properties to consider landmarking their buildings. Having a large inventory of historic buildings helps Kansas City in many ways. In improves neighborhoods, stimulates redevelopment, and draws tourist dollars to the City."

The City Landmark's Commission became proactive about getting more buildings on the local and national registers when it became evident that no antebellum buildings have survived in the area designated as downtown -- one of the City's most historic districts.

"The City has lost all of its' pre-Civil War riverfront buildings," says Funkhouser. "And that is a tragedy. We have to do better and make sure we don't continue to lose our historic fabric with our remaining buildings that still have use and purpose. They are assets, not blight."

The City has several downtown historic districts which protect exterior streetscapes and building facades, but lacks the power to protect interiors. Some of which are more significant than the building facade.  Some of the historic districts include Quality Hill, the Old Town neighborhood, the hotel and convention area, and the 18th and Vine.

Historic districts and individual building placements improve the landscape of the city and preserve heritage and architecture. Improved buildings increase the value of buildings, property, and tourism.

Even if current property owners don't take advantage of tax credits to renovate their properties, there is increased value on the building because of its' eligibility for historic tax credits in the future.

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At-A-Glance:

Listing of Downtown Buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places

1. City Hall, 12th and Locust
2. Jackson County Courthouse, 12th and Locust
3. Old Federal Courthouse, 9th and Grand
4. Old Federal Reserve Bank, 10th and Grand
5. Police Headquarters, NE corner, 12th and Locust
6. Old Municipal Courts, SE corner, 12th and Locust
7. Blackstone Hotel, 817 Cherry
8. Scarritt Building, 9th and Grand. 189 Walnut (arcade)
9. Gumbel Building 8th and Walnut
10. Pacific House, Delaware and 4th
11. Water Department Building, 201 Walnut
12. Volker Dry Goods/Furniture Warehouse Building
13. Riverbend Lofts Building, River Market
14. Townley Metal & Hardware Warehouse Building, 200--210 Walnut St.
15. Republic Paper Building, 2nd and Main
16. Delaware Lofts Building, Delaware near 3rd St.
17. Coates Theater Building, 310 Delaware
18. First Board of Trade and Exchange Building
19. City Market, 5th and Walnut
20. Planters Building, near 5th and Walnut
21. Oldham Hotel, 5th and Walnut
22. Cromwell Building, Walnut & Missouri
23. Fifth St. Hotel, 5th and Broadway
24. Folly Theater, Century-Standard, 300 W. 12th St.,
25. Midland Theater, 1232--1234 Main St. and 1221--1233 Baltimore Ave

26. Lyric Opera Theater, Victoria-Capri
27. Mainstreet Theater, Empire, Missouri, Cinerama, 1400 Main
28. Grand Opera House
29. Lyceum Theater/Dime Museum Building (Stillwell Bldg.) 104 W. 9th
30. Bunker Hotel, 820 Baltimore
31. New York Life Insurance Building, 20 West Ninth Street
32. New England Building, 112 W. 9th St.,
33. Cosby Hotel, 9th and Baltimore
34. Kansas City School of Law on Baltimore near W. 9th
35. Union Carbide Building on Baltimore
36. University Club/ (now KC Club) building on Baltimore
37. Old Kansas City Club/Clubhouse Lofts, 1228 Baltimore Ave
38. First National Bank Building, W. 10th and Baltimore
39. New England Bank Building/ 21Ten Lofts, 21 W. 10th
40. Land Bank/Hanover Building, 15 W. 10th St
41. Muehlebach Hotel, 12th and Baltimore
42. Philips Hotel, 106 W. 12th St.
43. Bray Hotel, Baltimore near W. 12th
44. Aladdin Hotel, Wyandotte near W. 12th
45. Chambers Building, 25 E. 12th
46. Boley Building, 1130 Walnut
47. Palace Clothing Co., 1126-1128 Grand Ave
48. Argyle Building, 12th and McGee
49. Louis Curtiss Studio Building, 1118 McGee

50. Professional Building, 1101--1107 Grand Ave
51. Gate City National Bank Building, 1111 Grand
52. Kansas City Power & Light Building, 1330 Baltimore Ave
53. Borel Building, 11th and Grand
54. Bryant Building, 11th and Grand
55. Western Union Building, 100-114 E. 7th St
56. Buick Building, 216 Admiral
57. Robert A. Long Building/UMB, 928 Grand Blvd
58. Commerce Bank, 922-924 Walnut St
59. Insurance Building, 10th and Oak
60. Stine & McClure Undertaking Building, 924--926 Oak St.,
61. Pickwick Hotel and Union Bus Terminal, 901-937 McGee St
62. St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1307 Holmes St.,
63. Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, W. 11th and Washington
64. St. Patrick's Church, 8th and Cherry
66. Grand Avenue Methodist Temple, 205 E. 9th St.
67. Grand Avenue Temple Building, 903 Grand Ave.
68. Dierks Building, 1006 Grand
69. Bonfils Building, 1200 Grand
70. Jenkins Music Co., 1217--1223 Walnut St.
71. President Hotel, 1327-1335 Baltimore Ave
72. Fidelity Bank & Trust Co. (909 Walnut)
73. Kansas City Business College, Kansas City Title & Trust Building, 927 Walnut St.,
74. Waltower Building, 823 Walnut St,
75. Harzfelds Building, Main and 11th St.

76. Peck's Department Store/MO Bank & Trust, 1044 Main St.,
77. Burnap Building, W. 10th near Baltimore
78. Kansas City Board of Trade (third), Wyandotte & W. 10th
79. Graphic Arts Building, Wyandotte and W. 10th
80. Baker-Vawter Building (Sosland Envelope)
81. Burnham, Hanna, Munger Dry Goods Building, Poindexter Building, SE corner, 8th & Broadway
82. Lucas Place, SE corner, 8th and May
83. Phoenix Hotel, Central and W. 8th
84. Exchange Hotel, 8th and Central
85. Coates House Hotel, 1005 Broadway
86. Fitzpatrick Tavern (Majestic Steakhouse)
87. Progess Club (YMCA)
88. Virginia Hotel, W. 11th and Washington
89. Blossom House, W. 11th and Pennsylvannia
90. Major William Warner mansion, 1021 Pennsylvania
91. Kansas City Southern Building, 114 W. 11th St.,
92. Hereford Association Building (first) (Fiduciary Trust Corp), 11th and Central
93. Central Fire Department Headquarters, 1020 Central
94. Western Newspaper Assoc. Building (Adler Bldg.), W. 10th near Broadway
95. Normandy Hotel, SW corner, 11th and Washington
96. Webster School, 16th and Wyandotte,
97. Grace Cathedral, 14th and Broadway
98. Cordova Hotel, W. 12th and Pennsylvania
99. Mutual-Interstate Building, 13th and Oak

100. Southwestern Bell Telephone Building (Oak Tower), 11th and Oak
101. The Clines Apartments, SE corner, 11th and Pennsylvania
102. Quality Hill Towers, Jefferson between 8th and 10th
103. 1070 Washington residence
104. Harvey-Dutton Dry Goods Company, Carnival Building
105. Coffee Lofts, 7th and May
106. Bond Shoe Co. Building, 6th and Central)
107. Savoy Hotel, W. 9th and central, 219 W. 9th St.
108. Ebenezer Building, Delaware
109. Chase Paper Building, 201 Wyandotte
110. Hannibal Bridge
111. ASB Bridge
112. Elsmore Hotel, W. 11th Street between Broadway and Washington
113. Masonic Temple, 9th and Harrison
114. Convenant Baptist Church, 9th and Harrison
115. Unity Hall, 913 Tracy
116. Union Station, Pershing Rd. and Main St.,
117. Old BMA Building/Pershing Building/Sweeney Auto & Tractor College
118. Old Armed Forces Building/Liberty Lofts
119. Old Pershing US Post Office, 315 W. Pershing Rd.
120. Union Station Powerhouse
121. Western Auto Building, 2101--2111 Grand akak Coca Cola Building
122. Firestone/Abdiana Building
123. Thomas Corrigan Building, 1818 Walnut
124. TWA Headquarters Building, 1735-1741 Baltimore Ave
125. BMA Tower/One Park Place

126. Terminal Freighthouse Building
127. H.D. Lee Building / Piper Lofts
128. National Biscuit Company/Stuart Hall Building
129. Monroe Hotel, 1906 Main
130. Pendergast Headquarters Building, 1908 Main
131. Lemp Brewery Building
132. Kansas City Star Building
133. Emery, Bird, Thayer Warehouse
134. Campbell Paint Building
135. Old Kansas City Public Library, 500 E. 9th and Locust
136. Faxon, Horton, Gallagher Drug Company, 720 Broadway (Fountains of Broadway)
137. Los Corrals Building, W. 9th near Broadway
138. Liberty Memorial
139. Skelly Office Building, Madison
140. Municipal Auditorium, 13th and Central
141. Centennial Building, 10th and Central
142. Ullman Building, 10th and Central
143. American Hereford Association Building, 715 W. Eleventh
144. 312 W. 8th Street, SoHo West Apartments, Bond Shoe Co. Building
145. Deramus Building, 11th and Central
146. 3028 Grand
147. 3029 Grand
148. 3030 Grand
150. Children's Mercy Hospital Administration Building (original hospital)

151. Richards-Conover Hardware Building, 200 W. 5th St.
152. Stowe Hardware Warehouse
153. John Deere Warehouse
154. Kansas City Livestock Exchange, 1600 Genessee St
155. Abernathy Furniture Building
156. Hobbs Building
157. Faultless Starch Building, 1025 W. 8th St
158. Sutera's Restaurant, Genessee St
159. Connie's Genessee Inn, Genessee St
160. Opera Lofts, 10th and Broadway
161. Lorraine Hotel, 1014 Broadway
162. Missouri Engravers Building, Kirkwood Building, 1737-41 McGee St.,
163. Hesse Carriage Building
164. Taylor Building at 16th and Walnut
165. Midwest Hotel, 1925 Main St. 
167. Hanna Rubber Co. Building, Baltimore and Truman
168. Berlau Paper Co. Building, Truman and Walnut
169. Chapman Studio Building, 16th and Wyandotte
170. Continental Hotel/Mark Twain Building, 106 W. 11th St
171. Dwight Building, 10th and Baltimore
172. Finance Building, 10th and Baltimore
173. Landmark Lofts, Myers Brothers Drug Co., 425 Washington
174. McCormack Farm Implements Building
175. Allis-Chalmers Warehouse

176. Kansas City Nut & Bolt Co. Building
177. River Club
178. Tootle, Hanna & Leach Dry Goods Building, 412 Delaware
179. H.H. Morgan & Co. Building, 308 Delaware
180. West Bottoms wholesale warehouses, 1300 & 1400 blocks of W. 12th St. (1879-1900)
181. Thayer Building, 818-20 Broadway
182. David Slater Mansion, 1020 Pennsylvania
183. 1029 Pennsylvania
184. Carrie Reed Mansion, 1308 Pennsylvania
185. Rialto/Ozark Building/UMB
186. Builders and Traders Exchange, W. 7th & Central
187. Five houses on the 2800 Block of Holmes
188. Commercial Building, Main and Missouri
189. Bungham-Munger Building, 616 Central
190. Kansas City Paper House, 509 Delaware
191. Barton Brothers Building, 609 Central, aka Atrium Lofts
192. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 26th and Madison
193. Estill Apartments, 1018 Broadway
194. M. Nigro commercial building, 520-22 Campbell
195. Swofford Brothers Dry Goods Co. Building, 715 Broadway aka Folgers Co.
196. Union Hall, 10th and Central
197. Maxwell-McClure Notions Bldg. 706 Broadway
198. Safeway Stores Building, 2029-43 Wyandotte
199. Marietta Chair Building

200. J.I. Case Building/Windows Lofts/Display Building
201. City National Bank, 1801 Grand
202. Rieger Hotel, 1922 Main St
203. Missouri Carriage Co. Building, 19th and Broadway
204. Alana Apartment Hotel, 2700-2706 Troost Ave. and 1015 E. 27th St.
205. Lane Printing Building, Baltimore & W. 9th
206. Judge Charles Moss residence, 1742 Jefferson
207. 1617 Summit residence
208. Film Row Buildings, W. 18th Street
209. Montgomery Ward/Tension Paper Warehouse
210. City Bank, Broadway and SW Blvd.
211. 1800 Wyandotte commercial building
212. Estill Apartments, 1018 Broadway
213. Frankel & Frank Building, 1000 Broadway  aka Tanners
214. William Volker commercial warehouse, 6 W. 3rd St
215. Helping Hands Institute, 523 Walnut
216. Kansas City Cold Storage Building, 500 E. 3rd
217. Gillis Opera House
218. Barton Brothers Building, 609 Central
219. International Harvester Building
220. West Bottoms Post office, W. 12th
221. West Bottoms Fire House
222. Southwest Boulevard Fire House
223. Davidson Building / MainMark Bldg.
224. Kansas City Costume Company, Grand Avenue
225. Kansas City Star Annex Building

226. Port Arthur News Company Building, 210 Wyandotte
227. Commerce Bank Park, 10th & Main
228. Seiden's Fur Store, 10th & Broadway
229. Commercial Building, NE corner of 5th and Walnut
230. AT&T Longlines Building
231. Brookfield Building
232. 1524 Grand Building
233. Acme Brass and Machine Works Building, 609-611 E 17th St.,
234. Columbia Building, 2006-12 Wyandotte
235. Greenlease Cadillac Building, 2900 Gillham Rd.
236. Triangle Battery and Service Company Building, 3001 Gillham Rd.
237. Union Hill Commercial Building, NE corner, 31st and Main
238. Guadalupe Center, 1015 Avenida de Cesar Chavez
239. Our Lady of Guadalupe Church building, Avenida de Cesar Chavez
240. Summit Theater, 17th and Summit
241. Bluebird Bistro Building, 17th and Summit
242. Frank Lowe residence, 1707 Jefferson St.
243. Jensen-Salsbery Laboratories, 520 W. 21st St., Kansas City
244. Kansas City Terminal Railway Company Roundhouse, Jct. of 27th St. and Southwest Blvd.,
245. Kelley-Reppert Motor Company Building, 422 Admiral Blvd., 
246. 1801 McGee Auto Dealership Building
247. 1801 Oak Auto Dealership Building
248. Liquid Carbonic Company Building, 2000 Baltimore St.,
249. Grand Slam Liquors Building, E. 6th St at Grand

250. Muehlebach Brewery Warehouse, E. Missouri and Oak
251. Peppard, Joseph Grear, House, 1704 Jefferson
255. Sewall Paint and Glass Company Building, 1009-1013 W. 8th St.,
256. Temple Block Building aka Produce Exchange Building, 531 Walnut,
257. Vaccaro, Joe, Soda Water Manufacturing Company Building, 918-922 E. 5th St.,
258. Lane Printing Co. Building near 15th and Main, 1520 Main
259. A.B.C. Storage and Van Company Building, 1015 E. 8th St.,
260. Auto Coach Building, 1730-34 Oak St., Kansas City (4/18/07)
261. Globe Storage and Transfer Co. Building, 1712 Main St.,
262. Holy Rosary Church, 5th and Campbell,
263. Stenzel, R.O. & Company, Warehouse, 1811 Walnut, Kansas City
264. Studna Garage Building, 415 Oak St., Kansas City
265. Holtman Building, 700 E. 18th
266. 620 E. 18th Street commercial building
267. Michael's Menswear Bldg, 1828 Main
268. 1822 Main, commercial bank building
269. 1900 Main, commercial building
270. 1901 Main, commercial building
271. 1809 Grand, commercial building
272. 1817 Grand
273. 1824 Grand, Kosher Meat & Sausage Co.
274. 1826 Grand

275. 1916 Grand, Xpedx paper & graphics
276. 2000 Grand
277. 2004 Grand
278. 2007 Grand
279. 2015 Grand
280. 2029 Grand
281. Fleming Place, 2030 Grand
282. 2100 Grand
283. L.H. Brickman Co. Bldg, 2110 Grand
284. E. 29th & Main row houses
285. 3013 Main
286. 3015 Main
287. 3017 Main
288. Moser Decorator, 3021 Main
289. Ambrosi Brothers, 2023 Main
290. Ward Building, 3037 Main
291. Union Hill Commons, 3039 Main
292. Kansas City Stationery Co. 3041 Main
293. SOLO Building, 1600 Grand
294. Kansas City Cafe, 1532 Grand
295. Colonial National Bank, 1531 Grand
296. Rosemann Architects, 1522-26 Grand
297. Padgett Building, 1512-16 Grand
298. Thai Paradise, 1513 Grand,
299. 1508 Grand

300. Cigar Box, 1519 Grand
301. Imagepoint Building, 1515 Grand
302. 1529 Grand
303. Contract Studio Building, 1525 Grand
304. Suzy's Deli Building, 1535 Grand
305. Total Copy Systems, 1624 Grand
306. Graphic Services Building, 1612 Grand
307. Schmidt & Klaus Building, 1620 Grand
308. 1715 Main
309. 1712 Main
310. 1617 Main, NARA Restaurant
311. 1610 Main, Danny's Restaurant
312. 2506 Holmes
313. 2510 Holmes
314. 2512 Holmes
315. 2520 Holmes
316. 2521-49 Holmes
317. Rockne Apartments, 2514-16 Holmes
318. Residence, 2549 Holmes
319. Residence, 2547 Holmes
320. Residence, 2545 Holmes
321. Residence, 2546 Holmes
322. Residence, 2538 Holmes
323. Residence, 2544 Holmes
324. Residence, 2755 Cherry

325. Residence, 2757 Cherry
326. Residence, 2747 Cherry
327. Residence, 2521 Cherry
328. Residence, 2519 Cherry
329. Residence, 2517 Cherry
330. Apartments, 2525-27 Cherry
331. Apartments, 2529-31 Cherry
332. Apartments, 2533-35 Cherry
333. Apartments, 2537-39 Cherry
334. Apartments, 2541-43 Cherry
335. Apartments, 2545-47 Cherry
336. Apartments, 611 E. 25th Colonade Building
337. Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 25th & Gillham Boulevard
338. Adams Transfer Building, E. 4th Street near Wyandotte
339. Cherry Street Fire House and Museum, 11th and Cherry
340. Wiltshire Apartments, 10th and Holmes
341. 700 E. 31st Street
342. Fire Station No. 17, 3033 Holmes
343. Kansas City School District Repair & Shop Building, 21st and Charlotte
344. Victorian Apartment Building, 500 block of Charlotte
345. Garrison Community Center, 3rd and Forest
346. 2763 Cherry Building
347. Longfellow School Building
348. 3012 Cherry
349. 2500-2504 Holmes
350. 3029 Cherry

[FangKC]

Editor's Note:

The following buildings in the numbered list below are actually landmarked.  As you can see, there are only 93 buildings in greater downtown designated as historic, and not the 350 figure included in the fictional news article. 

That may sound like a lot, but it's not.  There are more than 200 blocks just in the downtown loop alone--not counting the hundreds of other included in the River Market, West Bottoms, Columbus Park, West Side, and Crossroads.  Many average downtown blocks had 15 buildings, so that meant there were more than 2,500 buildings just within the downtown loop.  Some parcels have had three or four different buildings constructed on them.  We have an average of 0.5 buildings per block downtown that are designated as historic, and that are eligible for state and federal historic tax assistance programs.

If you could get up to 45 percent of renovation costs back to rebuild your city, wouldn't you make historic preservation more of a priority?

Within the greater downtown boundaries between the riverfront and 31st Street, there are been thousands of buildings contructed over time.  Only about 93  presently have historic designations.

Compare this to the City of New Orleans, a smaller city, which has an estimated 35,000 structures under landmark designation on the National Register of Historic Places.  The city’s largest historic district, Uptown, has almost 11,000 buildings, 82 percent of which were built before 1935.

http://www.inetours.com/New_Orleans/Fre ... story.html

http://www.neworleanscvb.com/static/ind ... ectionID/0

Charleston, South Carolina, another much smaller city, has over 12,000 properties on the National Register.  Three thousand are found in one historic district alone.

http://www.heritagefederation.com/

Boston has 7,000 properties on the National Register individually or within historic districts.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/environment/landmarks.asp

Notable historic buildings in downtown Kansas City that do not have individual National Register landmark status include:

Muehlebach Hotel, City Hall, Jackson County Courthouse, Police Headquarters, Municipal Courts Building, Robert Long Building/UMB, Chambers Building, Ozark/Rialto Building, old US Courthouse, Ebenezer Building, Planters Garden & Tool, Delaware Lofts, Riverbend Lofts, Gillis Opera House, Grand Opera House, Municipal Auditorium, Argyle Building, Oak Tower, Dwight Building, third Board of Trade Building on Wyandotte, Lyric Opera Theater, Kansas City Star Building, Pershing Building (across from Union Station), New England Bank Building (21Ten Condos), Harzfeld's Building, Union Carbide Building, First National Bank Building (Central Public Library), Virginia Hotel, Cordova Hotel, Lorraine Hotel, Estill Apartments, 1070 Washington residence, Opera Lofts, Thayer Building, Carnival Building, Fountains on Broadway, Graphic Arts Building, Poindexter Building, Phoenix Hotel and Bar, and City Market.

Most of the historic homes on the West Side along Summit, Jefferson, and Madison are not listed. One exception is the Frank Lowe residences on Jefferson.

Some sit in greater historic districts, which might include the facades, but not the interiors.  The Aladdin, Bray, and Muehlebach hotels, Delaware and Riverbend lofts are examples.  Others include Graphic Arts Building, and the Campbell Paint and Emery, Bird & Thayer warehouse on Walnut.

Some buildings that aren't on the National Register have protection under the Kansas City landmark building designation.  The Judge Charles Moss residence on Jefferson is an example.  But the Kansas City landmarked list is very small.

The oldest building remaining downtown is the Coates Theater on Delaware, which is among "contributing buildings" in a greater historic district overlay, but is not individually listed.

I know I harp about the importance of historic preservation, but we are talking about real money here. We pay our tax dollars to Washington and Jefferson City. Having a proactive preservation policy brings some of those tax dollars back into our city.  It means that Kansas City may not have to do TIF to enact redevelopment of some buildings and neighborhoods. That means more money is available in the budget for streets and public works projects.

It improves the perception of your city by outsiders.  Property values and tax revenues are increased. Having higher valuations on these historic buildings means there is less need to raise property taxes on your house in the future.

That is how historic preservation benefits you.

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Downtown Buildings Actually on the National Register of Historic Places *NHR, and
Downtown Buildings Actually on both *NRH and Kansas City Historic Register- #KCHR

  1.  1524 Grand Building, *NHR

  2.  A.B.C. Storage and Van Company Building, 1015 E. 8th St., * NHR
  3.  Acme Brass and Machine Works Building, 609-611 E 17th St., *NHR
  4.  Auto Coach Building, 1730-34 Oak St.,  * NHR

  5.  Baker-Vawter Building (Sosland Envelope), *NHR
  6.  Barton Brothers Building, 609 Central, aka Atrium Lofts, *NHR
  7.  Blackstone Hotel, 817 Cherry *NHR
  8.  BMA Tower/One Park Place, 700 Karnes Blvd. **NHR
  9.  Board of Trade and Exchange Building, 5th and Delaware *NHR
10.  Boley Building, 1130 Walnut *NHR
11.  Bonfils Building, 1200 Grand, *NHR
12.  Bryant Building, 1102 Grand, *NHR - #KCHR
13.  Buick Building, 216 Admiral, *NHR
14.  Bunker Hotel, 820 Baltimore, *NHR

15.  Central Fire Department Headquarters, 1020 Central, *NHR
16.  Chambers Building, 25 E. 12th, *NHR
17.  City National Bank, 1801 Grand, *NHR
18.  Coates House Hotel, 1005 Broadway * NHR
19.  Columbia Building, 2006-12 Wyandotte *NHR
20.  Commerce Bank, 922-924 Walnut St, *NHR
21.  Continental Hotel/Mark Twain Building, 106 W. 11th St * NHR
22.  Corrigan, Thomas, Building, 1818 Walnut, *NHR
23.  Covenant Baptist Church, 9th and Harrison *NHR
24.  Curtiss, Louis, Studio Building, 1118 McGee, *NHR - #KCHR

25.  Faultless Starch Building, 1025 W. 8th St *NHR
26.  Fidelity Bank & Trust Co. (909 Walnut), * NHR
27.  Firestone/Abdiana Building, 2001 Grand Ave, *NHR
28.  Folly Theater, Century-Standard, 300 W. 12th St., *NHR - #KCHR

29.  Gate City National Bank Building, 1111 Grand *NHR
30.  Globe Storage and Transfer Co. Building, 1712 Main St.,* NHR
31.  Grand Avenue Methodist Temple, 205 E. 9th St., * NHR
32.  Grand Avenue Temple Building, 903 Grand Ave., *NHR
33.  Greenlease Cadillac Building, 2900 Gillham Rd. NHR*
34.  Guadalupe Center, 1015 Avenida de Cesar Chavez *NHR
35.  Gumbel Building 8th and Walnut *NHR

36.  Helping Hand Institute, 523 Walnut, *NHR
37.  Holy Rosary Church, 5th and Campbell, * NHR

38. Jenkins Music Co., 1217--1223 Walnut St. *NHR
39. Jensen-Salsbery Laboratories, 520 W. 21st St., *NHR

40. Kansas City Business College, Kansas City Title & Trust Building, 927 Walnut St.,*NHR
41. Kansas City Club/Clubhouse Lofts, 1228 Baltimore Ave *NHR
42. Kansas City Cold Storage Building, 500 E. 3rd, *NHR
43. Kansas City Livestock Exchange, 1600 Genessee St., *NHR
44. Kansas City Masonic Temple, 9th and Harrison, *NHR - #KCHR
45. Kansas City Power & Light Building, 1330 Baltimore Ave *NHR
46. Kansas City Public Library, 500 E. 9th and Locust, *NHR - #KCHR
47. Kansas City Southern Building, 114 W. 11th St., *NHR
48. Kansas City Water Department Building, 201 Walnut *NHR
49. Kelley-Reppert Motor Company Building, 422 Admiral Blvd.,  *NHR
50. Kirkwood Building, 1737-41 McGee St., aka Missouri Engravers, *NHR

51. Land Bank/Hanover Building, 15 W. 10th St *NHR - #KCHR
52. Lane Printing Co. Building, 1520 Main *NHR
53. Lyceum Theater/Dime Museum Building (Stillwell Bldg.) 104 W. 9th *NHR
54. Liberty Memorial, NHL**  (special national historic landmark)
55. Liquid Carbonic Company Building, 2000 Baltimore St., *NHR
56. Lowe, Frank, residence, 1707 Jefferson St., *NHR

57. Mainstreet Theater, Empire, Missouri, Cinerama, 1400 Main *NHR
58. Midland Theater, 1232--1234 Main St. and 1221--1233 Baltimore Ave *NHR
59. Midwest Hotel, 1925 Main St. *NHR
60. Monroe Hotel, 1906 Main, *NHR

61. New England Building, 112 W. 9th St., *NHR
62. New York Life Insurance Building, 20 West Ninth Street *NHR

63. Pacific House, Delaware and 4th *NHR
64. Palace Clothing Co., 1126-1128 Grand Ave *NHR
65. Peck's Department Store/MO Bank & Trust, 1044 Main St., *NHR
66. Peppard, Joseph Grear, House, 1704 Jefferson *NHR
67. Pershing US Post Office, 315 W. Pershing Rd. *NHR
68. Phillips Hotel, 106 W. 12th St. *NHR - #KCHR
69. Pickwick Hotel and Union Bus Terminal, 901-937 McGee St, *NHR
70. President Hotel, 1327-1335 Baltimore Ave *NHR
71. Professional Building, 1101--1107 Grand Ave *NHR

72. Richards-Conover Hardware Building, 200 W. 5th St.,*NHR
73. Rieger Hotel, 1922 Main St *NHR

74. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 26th and Madison *NHR
75. Safeway Stores Building, 2029-43 Wyandotte *NHR

76. St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1307 Holmes St., *NHR  - #KCHR
77. Savoy Hotel, W. 9th and Central, 219 W. 9th St. *NHR - #KCHR
78. Scarritt Building, 9th and Grand. 189 Walnut (arcade) *NHR - #KCHR
79. Sewall Paint and Glass Company Building, 1009-1013 W. 8th St., *NHR
80. Stenzel, R.O. & Company, Warehouse, 1811 Walnut, * NHR
81. Stine & McClure Undertaking Building, 924--926 Oak St., *NHR
82. Studna Garage Building, 415 Oak St., * NHR

83. Temple Block Building aka Produce Exchange Building, 531 Walnut, *NHR
84. Townley Metal & Hardware Warehouse Building, 200--210 Walnut St. *NHR
85. Triangle Battery and Service Company Building, 3001 Gillham Rd. *NHR
86. TWA Headquarters Building, 1735-1741 Baltimore Ave *NHR

87. Union Station, Pershing Rd. and Main St., *NHR - #KCHR
88. Vaccaro, Joe, Soda Water Manufacturing Company Building, 918-922 E. 5th St., * NHR
89. Waltower Building, 823 Walnut St, *NHR
90. Warner, William Maj., mansion, 1021 Pennsylvania *NHR
91. Webster School, 16th and Wyandotte, *NHR  - #KCHR
92. Western Auto Building, 2101--2111 Grand, aka Coca Cola Building *NHR
93. Western Union Building, 100-114 E. 7th St *NHR