OFFICIAL - Atlas Lofts (formerly Berlau Paper House)

[grovester]

And if you factor in the likely timeline that a lot with these particular attributes, above and beyond window cuts, would likely be developed, given the huge swaths available, I might want windows for the next 30 years.

[grovester]

To my point, that the time of the future Berlau redevelopment is likely the time that this plot of land will "up" for redevelopment, given the huge swaths of land available today. And if they cap the south loop or get rid of the north trench this plot may not be developed for 75 years.

Why would you want to deprive someone of sunshine for so long?

[aknowledgeableperson]

"At least the developer is only putting in windows, not balconies."

Given the size of the cuts on the top three floors (the back cuts)it looks like balconies could be going there.

[grovester]

I agree, we will not be a real city until this lot is developed. It will be a festering sore visited upon our children and our children's children.

[JBmidtown]

I agree, we will not be a real city until this lot is developed. It will be a festering sore visited upon our children and our children's children.

That's where they'll put the monument to the 400 ppm carbon dioxide threshold being passed "lest we forget".

[taxi]

Nothing taxi has argued on the subject is accurate. Evidently he just really likes all the vacant lots and surface parking lots interspersed with the few substantial buildings we have in the Crossroads, so much so that he's making up reasons to justify development practices that, if they continue, will ensure the neighborhood remains substantially empty for many years to come.

I have 3 vehicles and I like to park them.
This building and the one to the south have been challenging and somewhat risky investments. Armchair critics love to criticize developers for doing things they think aren't brilliant, but decisions like window cuts are not lazy and thoughtless, they're made with careful deliberation. There are plenty of things going on downtown that we should be critical of and I personally don't think this is one of them. I'm happy to see both of these buildings redeveloped. You may think it's an easy one, but believe me, historic tax credits are a bitch, on many levels.

Pash, lay off the light pipe. Try a quaalude instead.

[aknowledgeableperson]

"It's lazy, thoughtless design and development practices that are going to ensure the adjacent lot is a parking deck for decades, nothing else."

Not really. The pace of development will go up and down through the years. There is so much so-called vacant space it will take decades to develop no matter what happens. And times will come when existing buildings will be replaced with newer and bigger buildings instead of vacant lots being utilized just because of locations.

[flyingember]

Market dynamics work in weird ways. You end up with parking lots while areas further out develop.

Go look at the intersection of Adams and Wabash in Chicago. There's a parking lot next to the El, four blocks from commuter rail, close to the park and surrounded by towers. If logic said everything had to be a building this would be a $500 million tower already.

What we want is continual density increases as a net for the city and that can mean some areas aren't perfect.

Look forward at all of downtown in an era where less parking is needed just because we need skinnier spots because cars park themselves. It's entirely possible that skinny lots will be the perfect spot to store self driving cars while tearing out a larger parking garage

[pash]

.

[grovester]

Shit, now I feel bad.

[JBmidtown]

Sometimes I'm pretty sure I give too many fucks to live in this city.

I really like your posts and your presence on this board. I really hope you don't let this sour your view on this board or Kansas City. It's important to accept that nearly all meaningful development within our market society is driven by market forces. It would be great (in some instances) to maybe have more restrictions or regulations on what is built to steer development towards building more meaningful density. But the question is, does one surface lot really meaningfully change the density of the Crossroads? Is this lot remaining undeveloped or used primarily for parking going to hamper the increase in density or development on other lots?

Realistically the answer is no. This is not a project that will set a precedent nor is this a project that is actively blocking other surface lots from becoming developed. In the larger scheme of things it's just one stupid lot. Who cares? The Berlau Paper House will now have the added amenity of extra sunlight for future tenants at the expense of MAYBE an extra health juicery or microbrewery in the adjacent lot. It will come at the expense of maybe 30 more residents to downtown. Is it really worth getting heated up enough about to throw away the entire city and its progress over?

Density, development rate, retail, pedestrian activity, demand etc. are all abstracts to explain the organic growth or decline of a city. It's fun to observe and contemplate but nothing worth getting angry about. I mean, essentially we're all just playing a passive, spectator role in a real life Sim City. In a thousand years no ones going to give a shit about the adjacent lot next to the Berlau Paper House (if there's even any one around in 1000 years).

[KCTOGA]

Well said JB.

[DaveKCMO]

the adjacent garage has gone vertical. new construction on top of the main building.

[FangKC]

So they are adding a new floor to the top of the building?

[DaveKCMO]

So they are adding a new floor to the top of the building?

looks like a rooftop thing, not a new floor.

[DaveKCMO]

current status:

[shinatoo]

For some reason, new windows in those old building really thrills me. If they redid all the windows in the Tension Envelope building I might pass out.

[DaveKCMO]

you need to see the transformation of the ground floor facade. so cool.

[smh]

you need to see the transformation of the ground floor facade. so cool.

I wanted to look but I was too busy dodging cars in the street due to lack of sidewalk access.

[DaveKCMO]

https://atlas-kc.com/