The one thing I don't like about the eastern campus site around Main and Baltimore is the 500-seat theatre space appears to require the demolition of this building, where Anton's just opened recently.Proposed site east of the Kauffman Center:
https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.09421,-9 ... 6,,0,-2.65
The Crossroads Neighborhood Association, and other parties interested in maintaining and protecting the historic built environment of the Crossroads, needs to make it clear to UMKC from the get-go that they need to respect the existing neighborhood. There is no need to demolish buildings to accomplish this downtown campus. There are plenty of surface parking lots all around that area.
That theater space could be added at another location that doesn't require the demolition of this structure. The alterative for UMKC, if they want to build along Main, is to build the theater using the Anton's building in some manner, but not requiring its' demolition.
You could also site the theater to the south of Anton's along Main. Another way to go is to build it on the vacant parcel east of Wyandotte and south of 16th Street, which appears to have been appropriated already for the conservatory, and push the conservatory space further south.
In principle, one shouldn't really need to demolish any buildings to create this downtown campus. A good design plan could do this.
If buildings are going to be demolished, I'd rather see the UMKC campus along Broadway where less signficant structures exist.
Another thing I don't like much is seeing a new theater space built when the Lyric Theater is sitting empty, and without a use. If the FAA training facility doesn't end up there, it's a theater space without a purpose. I worry about the fate of the Lyric if the FAA thing doesn't happen.
The Lyric Building used to house a broadcast studio (KMBC Channel 9). It would seem that KCUR and the visual arts, film, and media space could be placed in the old Channel 9 studio area, and the 500 theater reperatory space could be in the auditorium area.
When the Lyric building was last used as a movie theater, it seated 700 people.
Personally, I would rather have seen this campus centered around 11th and Central, and mostly using existing buildings. It would seem to me that UMKC might be able to use underutilized theater spaces that already exist. The Lyric building and the Folly Theater. The Folly doesn't seem to have that many other events there, and schedules could be integrated for two purposes--the public and the academic. The Deramus Building, the Central Exchange (former fire headquarters), and 300 W. 11th (Financing Holding Corporation) could be part of the campus. I think DST already owns these buildings, and with the new management seeking to unload their real estate holdings, that perhaps UMKC could purchase these structures and adapt them for classrooms, offices, and practice and performance facilities.
We also have the empty Brookfield Building at 11th and Baltimore nearby that might be converted into student housing.
There is also the Little Theatre space in Municipal Auditorium, and the Music Hall that could be rented for public performances. There also used to be a 1000-seat former auditorium space in the former Power & Light Building that occupied the fifth and sixth floors. Does anyone know if it still remains?
http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... OX=1&REC=8
I would rather re-use what we already have than start tearing down buildings to construct new. The siting plan east of the PAC also appears to require the demolition of perfectly good and occupied structures. We shouldn't have to remove existing buildings and tenants when there are vacant lots and other buildings that could be repurposed.
UMKC needs to pay attention to these concepts because they already have a history of igniting the ire of their campus neighbors with past plans.
As a sidenote, a university should also set an example for the right way to accomplish these goals -- that benefit the entire community that supports them and not just their own. As Missouri taxpayers, we all do support the university with our tax dollars through higher education funding, and many campus projects do get funding via our legislature.
http://midwest.construction.com/yb/mw/a ... =181541804
