Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

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Eon Blue
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by Eon Blue »

You never know what could happen in the future, so I hope the design doesn't preclude anything.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by FangKC »

Plans to Redevelop Washington Square Park of Downtown KC Remain Work in Progress
Three years after being hired by Union Station Kansas City to explore options for redeveloping property it owns on the north side of Washington Square Park, VanTrust Real Estate remains undecided about the best plan moving forward.
http://cityscenekc.com/plans-to-redevel ... -progress/

I question the wisdom of the City putting VanTrust in charge of both Washington Square Park development, and the East Village development, at the same time. That's a lot of parcels controlled by one developer.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by DaveKCMO »

it's become a homeless camp. a shame that pershing & grand CID will only fund the hotels.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by WoodDraw »

What are our thoughts on vantrust?
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by cardium »

Image
https://vantrustrealestate.com/property ... uare-park/
Don't know if this has already been posted somewhere else, but from VanTrust's site:
"Washington Square Park is a planned office development located in Kansas City, Missouri. The 5.51-acre site will be home to two office buildings, totaling 390,000 square feet. The west building will have 10 stories and 150,000 rentable square feet. The east building will have 8 stories and 240,000 rentable square feet. The parking ratio for both buildings is 4 cars / 1,000 SF for a total of 2,066 spaces in a structured parking garage. Anticipated incentives include sales tax exemption and property tax abatement. Anticipated groundbreaking is early 2020 with a 24-month design-build schedule with core/shell completion expected during the summer of 2022."
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by normalthings »

cardium wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:20 pm Image
https://vantrustrealestate.com/property ... uare-park/
Don't know if this has already been posted somewhere else, but from VanTrust's site:
"Washington Square Park is a planned office development located in Kansas City, Missouri. The 5.51-acre site will be home to two office buildings, totaling 390,000 square feet. The west building will have 10 stories and 150,000 rentable square feet. The east building will have 8 stories and 240,000 rentable square feet. The parking ratio for both buildings is 4 cars / 1,000 SF for a total of 2,066 spaces in a structured parking garage. Anticipated incentives include sales tax exemption and property tax abatement. Anticipated groundbreaking is early 2020 with a 24-month design-build schedule with core/shell completion expected during the summer of 2022."
1. The 4 - 1,000 parking ratio is extremely high. That’s higher ratio than some of our early 2000’s parking agreements. Modern office projects (Strata) have ratios closer to 3 - 1,000 SF

2.This project is essentially our version of Nashville Yards. Let’s try and shoot for something Grander.

https://nashvilleyards.com
Last edited by normalthings on Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by missingkc »

You know, why does everything in KC have to be referred to as a version of something done someplace else. It's KC. It's KC's. It's not a replication of something done in some more popular, faster growing city. KC is a thing in itself. Stop it.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by normalthings »

missingkc wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:53 pm You know, why does everything in KC have to be referred to as a version of something done someplace else. It's KC. It's KC's. It's not a replication of something done in some more popular, faster growing city. KC is a thing in itself. Stop it.
I’ve referred to it as such due to my connection to the other project.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want more density on such a large/prime site.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by TheLastGentleman »

It's hideous.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by earthling »

mundane cinderblock shit
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by normalthings »

TheLastGentleman wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:23 pm It's hideous.
Let’s hold off design judgment until a legit rendering comes out.

The lack of density and/or mixed uses is IMHO a must greater issue. Hotel, Retail, and Apartment/Condo will keep the park (and area in general) active during nights and weekends.
Last edited by normalthings on Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by TheLastGentleman »

normalthings wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:33 pm
TheLastGentleman wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 10:23 pm It's hideous.
Let’s hold off design judgment until a legit rendering comes out.
Lets judge early while there's time to change stuff. Look where we got with 3 light!

(yes we're taking credit for that and I won't allow anyone to claim otherwise)
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by kcjak »

Nashville Yards contains a Grand Hyatt, a 34-story Hilton/condo tower, 9-screen movie theater, 4,000 person music venue, etc. The current proposal for Washington Square is not at all similar - two office buildings with a connecting park that will be a dead zone after 5pm. And wouldn't the taller building be a better fit along Grand, next to the taller buildings across the street?
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by Critical_Mass »

So is the land swap concept with KCMO Parks & Rec dead?

https://cityscenekc.com/plans-to-redeve ... -progress/
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by FangKC »

This development, depending on its' execution, might also remove a potential site for a downtown baseball stadium.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by flyingember »

FangKC wrote: Thu Jun 27, 2019 9:14 am This development, depending on its' execution, might also remove a potential site for a downtown baseball stadium.
it's not big enough to host a stadium, so don't worry about that. would require a public vote to not be used as park land
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by earthling »

In the meantime, would like to see the park add more park benches and allow food trucks. They would do well with the US streetcar stop traffic and those walking between CC and US. Am surprised US doesn't allow food trucks on the streetcar platform, which also needs a lot more seating/benches. They do allow food trucks behind station.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by kenrbnj »

Had to chime in. The Food Truck suggestion.

Given a guy who had invested in upgrades to restaurant/commercial space for a food venue versus a food truck; consider throwing support to the fellow who had made the investment into the property (driving development) AND local employment/taxes/streetscape.

The discussion of the future is the gypsy food truck, which may be incorporated in a town other than the retail location, a net negative to the streetscape, employment is inherently low, no investment in the community, etc. Each item sold at a food truck is a sale that would be recognized by your neighborhood restaurant.

It's a free country. Given a decision to eat at a food truck and patronizing a restaurant in your neighborhood; consider the consequences of your purchasing decision.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by normalthings »

kcjak wrote: Thu Jun 27, 2019 8:03 am Nashville Yards contains a Grand Hyatt, a 34-story Hilton/condo tower, 9-screen movie theater, 4,000 person music venue, etc. The current proposal for Washington Square is not at all similar - two office buildings with a connecting park that will be a dead zone after 5pm. And wouldn't the taller building be a better fit along Grand, next to the taller buildings across the street?
This site has plenty of space to add Hotel/Residential/etc. The area (streetcar, Crown Center, next to future rail expansion) is ripe for mixed use and density.
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Re: Washington Sq Park between Crown Center/Union Station

Post by earthling »

kenrbnj wrote: Thu Jun 27, 2019 11:37 am Had to chime in. The Food Truck suggestion.

Given a guy who had invested in upgrades to restaurant/commercial space for a food venue versus a food truck; consider throwing support to the fellow who had made the investment into the property (driving development) AND local employment/taxes/streetscape.

The discussion of the future is the gypsy food truck, which may be incorporated in a town other than the retail location, a net negative to the streetscape, employment is inherently low, no investment in the community, etc. Each item sold at a food truck is a sale that would be recognized by your neighborhood restaurant.

It's a free country. Given a decision to eat at a food truck and patronizing a restaurant in your neighborhood; consider the consequences of your purchasing decision.
If you can't handle competition of various formats, don't enter the business. In this case food trucks would liven up this park and fill a gap until developed. And when developed it may have restaurant/counter space so more competition anyway. Throw it all out there and allow the strongest survive. Promote more residential/hotel rooms near your business than trying to squash competition, particularly with a bias against a specific format.
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