On-going downtown development projects

[moderne]

Why do they ressurect that old canard about the P&L and Ghostbusters?

[chaglang]

Why do they ressurect that old canard about the P&L and Ghostbusters?

Right. Because some Chicago guys who had spent a lot of time in New York are really looking at a lonely skyscraper in Kansas City as inspiration. Brilliant.

FWIW there's a similar building in St. Louis, just off the SLU campus, that everyone swears was used in some Superman tv show.

[smh]

I have been hearing that Ten Main Center (920 Main) is converting floors 20 and 21 (former AMC executive suites) into apartments. Word is 10 per floor. Both floors have already been entirely gutted, thus I believe this to be actually happening.

[DaveKCMO]

I have been hearing that Ten Main Center (920 Main) is converting floors 20 and 21 (former AMC executive suites) into apartments. Word is 10 per floor. Both floors have already been entirely gutted, thus I believe this to be actually happening.

odd that there are no permits.

[smh]

I have been hearing that Ten Main Center (920 Main) is converting floors 20 and 21 (former AMC executive suites) into apartments. Word is 10 per floor. Both floors have already been entirely gutted, thus I believe this to be actually happening.

odd that there are no permits.

Yes, I thought that was strange. But I've now heard this from several different sources. And I witnessed (explored?) the demo'd areas to confirm at least that much. It is a full demo, bathrooms are gone, walls, plumbing, everything.

[joshmv]

Noticed CB has the "twisty tower" listed on Loopnet. Doesn't mean much, but I was still a little surprised to see it on there.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/19041053 ... s-City-MO/

"Great location directly north of the Sprint Center and Power & Light District.New construction of a 10-story, 320,000 square foot building - inlcuding 270,000 square feet of office/hotel and 50,000 square feet of retail.Partially below grade parking with 1,300 spaces."

[mister816]

Its only 10 stories? As much as I like the building, I hope that it never gets off of the ground. That space needs to be reserved for a skyscraper, not a high rise.

[missingkc]

The description that contains the 10 story reference is old. That was the original description of the proposed project. You can see that the square footage has increased from 320000 to 525000. Don't remember how many floors the new proposal is. 20?

[kboish]

I remember reading 25 somewhere. Nothing is set in stone of course.

[mister816]

I remember reading 25 somewhere. Nothing is set in stone of course.

I was hoping for 35 or more

[normalthings]

I remember reading 25 somewhere. Nothing is set in stone of course.

I was hoping for 35 or more

Same

[pash]

.

[mister816]

The original PR hype
I'm all for bigger buildings, but I'd happily sacrifice height for great street-level space, needed retail tenants, a residential component, or a design that steps outside the boundaries of our established style of contemporary urban architecture, Kansas City Humdrum.

Why can't we have both, I think we do need to have something to push the boundaries but we don't need to sacrifice height for it. I think it's time. Every major city has that iconic building or city-wide icon that you can see from miles away (the statoshphere in Vegas, Space Needle, Stl Arch ect) Why don't we? I don't want to settle anymore. I think that the twisty building is a step in the right direction but we can't just half ass that space by going short. It is right in the most visible space in our downtown and we need to capitalize it with something tall and unique. If we execute this correctly, when they show the exterior shots of the sprint center during the commercial breaks during the Big 12 tourney or something along those lines it would be like "BAM!!! Suck On This Minneaoplis, Indianapolis, STL ect!!!" That's all im saying

[normalthings]

The original PR hype
I'm all for bigger buildings, but I'd happily sacrifice height for great street-level space, needed retail tenants, a residential component, or a design that steps outside the boundaries of our established style of contemporary urban architecture, Kansas City Humdrum.

Why can't we have both, I think we do need to have something to push the boundaries but we don't need to sacrifice height for it. I think it's time. Every major city has that iconic building or city-wide icon that you can see from miles away (the statoshphere in Vegas, Space Needle, Stl Arch ect) Why don't we? I don't want to settle anymore. I think that the twisty building is a step in the right direction but we can't just half ass that space by going short. It is right in the most visible space in our downtown and we need to capitalize it with something tall and unique. If we execute this correctly, when they show the exterior shots of the sprint center during the commercial breaks during the Big 12 tourney or something along those lines it would be like "BAM!!! Suck On This Minneaoplis, Indianapolis, STL ect!!!" That's all im saying

I agree. Although i doubt a space needle type structure would be approved by tax payers.
An office tower would be much more likely.

[mister816]

The original PR hype
I'm all for bigger buildings, but I'd happily sacrifice height for great street-level space, needed retail tenants, a residential component, or a design that steps outside the boundaries of our established style of contemporary urban architecture, Kansas City Humdrum.

Why can't we have both, I think we do need to have something to push the boundaries but we don't need to sacrifice height for it. I think it's time. Every major city has that iconic building or city-wide icon that you can see from miles away (the statoshphere in Vegas, Space Needle, Stl Arch ect) Why don't we? I don't want to settle anymore. I think that the twisty building is a step in the right direction but we can't just half ass that space by going short. It is right in the most visible space in our downtown and we need to capitalize it with something tall and unique. If we execute this correctly, when they show the exterior shots of the sprint center during the commercial breaks during the Big 12 tourney or something along those lines it would be like "BAM!!! Suck On This Minneaoplis, Indianapolis, STL ect!!!" That's all im saying

I agree. Although i doubt a space needle type structure would be approved by tax payers.
An office tower would be much more likely.

lol, i'm sure you know what i was saying... just something to stand out. I

[Eon Blue]

Why can't we have both, I think we do need to have something to push the boundaries but we don't need to sacrifice height for it. I think it's time. Every major city has that iconic building or city-wide icon that you can see from miles away (the statoshphere in Vegas, Space Needle, Stl Arch ect) Why don't we? I don't want to settle anymore. I think that the twisty building is a step in the right direction but we can't just half ass that space by going short. It is right in the most visible space in our downtown and we need to capitalize it with something tall and unique. If we execute this correctly, when they show the exterior shots of the sprint center during the commercial breaks during the Big 12 tourney or something along those lines it would be like "BAM!!! Suck On This Minneaoplis, Indianapolis, STL ect!!!" That's all im saying

You can see our entire downtown from miles away. As far as I-470 & Woods Chapel Rd in Lee's Summit, you can see 1KCP and Town Pavilion. Coming in from the west on I-70, you crest a ridge and the entire spread of downtown from the Commerce Tower down to Crown Center is splayed out in front of you.

Increasing the visibility of downtown won't fix the lack of vision that many of the leaders in this town suffer from.

[mykn]

1KCP has always been that building for me, and to a lesser extent the P&L and 909 Walnut building. I can see 1KCP for miles as I drive home, it's always a welcome sight.

[flyingember]

you can see downtown from the tower at Shawnee Mission Park when it's not hazy.

another spot is the rise at around NW 56th and I-29

[mister816]

Yea. I can see them from the stadiums by where I live but maybe with my travels I expect more. Just take a trip to Denver and take notes. I don't want to settle anymore.

[FangKC]

Remember that the more floors you add to that building at 12th and Grand, the larger the parking garage has to be to serve the tenants. To do that, you have to build a monolithic base--usually with blank wall--several stories tall on that block, or tear down an existing building on an adjacent block to build an additional garage. That second auxiliary garage might also be a monolithic single-purpose structure.

Keep in mind the example of a previous development Copaken did across the street when they built that huge garage to serve the 1201 Walnut tower.

I'm already worried that nice little building with street-level retail spaces on the SW corner of 12th and McGee is going to be sacrified by Copaken to create a sub-level parking garage on that entire block.

If you want to build a tall iconic tower somewhere, put it where you can build a large enough garage to service the building without creating blank wall streetscapes. Preferably up against a freeway or hidden in the interior of an existing cleared block with offices or apartments wrapped around the garage.