OFFICIAL - Argyle Building

[dangerboy]

Wish they would hurry up and start on the Argyle Building.  It's been seven months since approval...

[chrizow]

Wish they would hurry up and start on the Argyle Building.  It's been seven months since approval...

i walked by the Argyle building today and thought that it looked like something was being done with it...perhaps it was wishful thinking though.  it looked like the sidewalk was blocked off.  i thought to myself "it would be awesome if someone rehabbed that building!"  lo and behold, it's one of the buildings the McGowans are supposed to be working on. 

GIT R DUN

[DaveKCMO]

the argyle...

[FangKC]

It appears McGowan-Walsh is nearing sale of the Argyle Building to an out-of-town buyer. I hope it's not the same out-of-town buyer that resulted in the Law Building coming down.  The Business Journal mentioned the new buyer intended a residential, or hotel, project.

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... tory7.html

Friday, December 7, 2007

Argyle building owner nears a sale to out-of-town buyer

Kansas City Business Journal
Jim Davis

The St. Louis-based urban housing developer that owns the Argyle building in downtown Kansas City wants to sell the vacant structure.

McGowan & Walsh LLC wants $5.3 million for the building at 1221 Locust St., across the street from City Hall.

[FangKC]

Did this sale ever go through?   What is happening with this building?  All work appears to have stopped.

[DaveKCMO]

no sale yet. the building was broken into on friday.

[GRID]

Anybody know what's up with these projects?  The Argyle building looks ghetto now and 12th street between Grand and Oak looks terrible because of the loss of the law building and now the argyle building.

The Argyle building was a used building with occupied office space and now it's a boarded up mess that seems to have been abandoned and will probably become yet another parking lot.

Can't wait till they tear down the old library / kcmo sd building.  That should really finish out 12th nicely.

[FangKC]

I think the Argyle building has been put up for sale.

[GRID]

I think the Argyle building has been put up for sale.

That's not good.  The land under that building is worth more as a parking lot than the building itself.

[FangKC]

A sale was pending. Don't know what happened to it.

http://forum.kcrag.com/index.php?topic=13493.0

Here's the link to the Biz Journal article:

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... tory7.html

Enhancing the Argyle's current value is a $3.7 million property tax abatement. The 102-year-old building also qualifies for historic tax credits.

[scooterj]

Looks like the Argyle may become a hotel now...

http://www.kansascity.com/382/story/642502.html

...
Wendy Timm of Conrad Properties Corp. told the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority board her firm would like to begin work within nine months on the $30 million project which qualifies for a 25-year property tax abatement.
...

The article says that [the stupid] parking requirements blocked previous attempts to make that building lofts, but a hotel can get around the requirements by using existing garages for guest parking.

If this goes through it will really help boost the progress on reviving McGee.   If The Studio can hang on long enough, this may also give them enough steady business to survive.

[trailerkid]

This could be a nice idea for that part of downtown. You'd think the government district/Sprint Center proximity would be ideal for a new hotel. It'd be nice to get Courtyard or a similar flag on this property. A good hotel property could serve as an initial anchor for this eastern stretch of 12th.

[DiggityDawg]

If I read the article about this potential hotel correctly, it really bugs me that the people in charge of the decision making on this are hell-bent on some 10000000000 room Uberhotel instead of using several buildings that are already there.

[DaveKCMO]

If I read the article about this potential hotel correctly, it really bugs me that the people in charge of the decision making on this are hell-bent on some 10000000000 room Uberhotel instead of using several buildings that are already there.

from the biz journal article:

Wendy Timm with Conrad Properties Corp. said the suburban St. Louis-based company plans a $30 million renovation that would provide about 175 rooms in the 10-story structure.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Some opposition.

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Arc ... p_docnum=1

The Argyle redevelopment plan drew immediate criticism from the Convention & Visitors Association, which has adopted a policy urging the city not to use tax incentives to assist smaller hotel projects. Instead, the association wants the city to focus its incentive programs on building a 1,000-room convention headquarters hotel.

Convention officials believe smaller hotels will not help boost the overall travel business in Kansas City. They argue only a large convention hotel will allow the city to compete for bigger events and increase the hospitality market.

"Our board's position on this matter is pretty clear," said Rick Hughes, convention association president. "If a hotel in the Argyle building makes sense at market, then let them go for it.

"Any incentive, in any form, is misuse of resources. We do not support this project with any incentive, including abatement. This project will not stimulate one room of incremental demand, one new tourism dollar, nor one penny of new tax revenue."

[KCPowercat]

This is a bad idea.  No hotel here please.

Condos or apartments or offices.  If we can't approve a huge get like a W, then why would we approve some other Hotel Phillips II?

[trailerkid]

This is a bad idea.  No hotel here please.

Condos or apartments or offices.  If we can't approve a huge get like a W, then why would we approve some other Hotel Phillips II?

I don't understand why we can't have regular hotels and a HQ hotel?  Other cities do. There are only like 4 hotels from the river to Crown Center. Sad...

[KCPowercat]

we are working on getting 1000+ hotel right now....this project could hurt those prospects.  if that is sad, so be it.

[voltopt]

I don't understand why we can't have regular hotels and a HQ hotel?  Other cities do. There are only like 4 hotels from the river to Crown Center. Sad...

What is an HQ hotel?  Last time I checked, *there are* 10 hotels from the river to 31st street, possibly more.  Why do residents pine for a large hotel? 

**edit to correct spelling and grammar**

[KCMax]

What is an HQ hotel?  Last time I checked, their were 10 hotels from the river to 31st street, possibly more.  Why do residents pine for a large hotel? 

To chase the ever elusive convention market.