Hospital Hill activity

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
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horizons82
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by horizons82 »

Wow that's idiotic then, there's already two parks across the street!
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grovester
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by grovester »

The irony of an exurban arboretum tearing down houses in the urban core for a park.
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by mykn »

Where the hell is Historic KC?
Riverite
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by Riverite »

It's not adding to the on street parking, so my guess is the same place they were when ever other building was torn down without a development plan, nowhere to be seen
mykn

Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by mykn »

Just read through the Facebook comments. It looks like the houses were relocated to this site when union station was built and they are currently being deconstructed so they can be reused in other projects. So that’s good at least, still shitty.
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by kcjak »

There are so many empty lots or abandoned homes in the area - there's no excuse for this.
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by flyingember »

kcjak wrote:There are so many empty lots or abandoned homes in the area - there's no excuse for this.
Those were probably the only owners interested in selling
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by missingkc »

As Ronald McDonald House operates on either side of those lots as well as across the street, and since Ronald McDonald Charities owns the lots, seems pretty certain that whatever use is to replace the houses, it will be related to RM Charities. Maybe Powell is just providing planning and operating expertise for RMC.
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smh
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by smh »

It isn't really being replaced by a park per se. I've heard that it is going to be more of a quiet reflection space for parents staying with RMC. Somewhere tranquil to destress/reflect/mourn, what have you, is the idea as I understand it.

I also know that RMC worked very hard to try to relocate the houses and that dismantling them was a last resort.
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by FangKC »

I also know that RMC worked very hard to try to relocate the houses and that dismantling them was a last resort.
Smh, prove it that they worked hard at relocating those houses. I want some hard evidence and not hearsay.

I don't recall seeing anything in the newspaper, or on local TV stations about this situation. I don't recall Historic Kansas City publishing on their annual endangered properties list that those houses were at risk, and seeking a party willing to pay to move them, or putting together a community effort to see it done.

If you want to save historic houses via relocation, one of the methods is to widely-publicize what will happen to them if they aren't moved. Cast a wide net. Contact the local historic preservation organization, and enlist their help publicizing the situation.

Reflection space? Please. If RMH needs a reflection space for people staying in their facilities, why not work with the City to fund it in the already existing public park across the street? The park that has very little going on to make it a pleasant public space except an expanse of grass and three benches. There would have been plenty of space to create a reflection space. One not only for RMH visitors, but for anyone living, working in, or visiting the neighborhood and medical centers nearby. RMH already has a building on rented land from the City in Longfellow Park; thus they have a working relationship with the City.

Take a looksy:

https://tinyurl.com/y9x79y5o

Ronald McDonald House probably has a public affairs person, or a PR/community outreach person. I worked in public affairs for many years for a large academic medical center that had to occasionally demolish and build in an urban neighborhood. There are steps that are taken in this type of situation. The first being you don't piss off the community, and neighborhood, you are in.

Nothing on their website for the last two years.

https://www.rmhckc.org/

No pleas seeking help in moving those houses on their Facebook page (I went back three years looking).

https://www.facebook.com/pg/RMHCKC/post ... e_internal

So, explain how they worked so hard when I can find no public media reports where RMH is seeking to get these houses moved.

Perhaps it could have been accomplished had they made a more obvious public effort. What I mean by this is that you could Google "Kansas City, Ronald McDonald House, giving away free house if someone will move them" and you would find something.

My bet is that the garden is a temporary thing, and in five years, RMH will be building another building there because Children's Mercy Hospital keeps expanding.
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by WoodDraw »

reflection space lol i hope no one actually believes that. if it is, I expect them to donate the land to KC asap
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FangKC
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by FangKC »

FangKC wrote:Three Victorian houses on the 2500 block of Cherry (south of the dental school) are being demolished. They are owned by the Ronald McDonald House organization.

Image

Google Streetview of the houses being demolished.

https://tinyurl.com/y92wqzgg

Link to photos showing dismantling. Scroll down to find the post. You might have to join the Facebook group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1261597 ... et&fref=nf
Update: The post about these houses on Kansas City History Buffs --at the link above --- appears to have been deleted. Apparently the original poster must have thought it was causing too much trouble. For those of you who didn't see that original post, it featured photos showing the houses being dismantled. If anyone is in the neighborhood, you might swing by and take some photos to post. Please.
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smh
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by smh »

FangKC wrote:
I also know that RMC worked very hard to try to relocate the houses and that dismantling them was a last resort.
Smh, prove it that they worked hard at relocating those houses. I want some hard evidence and not hearsay.

It isn't hearsay if I know it.
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FangKC
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by FangKC »

Then please describe the very public efforts they made, and provide the examples (media clips, newspaper articles, press releases, public statements), because I'm just not seeing it.
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by flyingember »

FangKC wrote:Then please describe the very public efforts they made, and provide the examples (media clips, newspaper articles, press releases, public statements), because I'm just not seeing it.
Trying to relocate doesn’t require a public media campaign. Look at how many real estate transactions happen silently behind the scenes.
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FangKC
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by FangKC »

When you are seeking to find someone willing to undertake the move expense and effort--and since historic houses are involved, a public publicity effort is very much called for. These were not houses that had sat empty for years in neglect. People had recently lived in them. Sure, I'm told they needed some updating inside, but the houses themselves were reported to be in good condition.

Obviously since they are being torn down, their "efforts" to save the houses didn't amount to much. I'm still very skeptical that they made a real effort, and am awaiting evidence that they did.

Perhaps the outcome would have been different had they asked the media and Historic KC for help finding parties willing to move them.

Look what happened when the Cosby Hotel was threatened. The media covered it. The community rallied and a solution was found.
flyingember
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by flyingember »

FangKC wrote: Look what happened when the Cosby Hotel was threatened. The media covered it. The community rallied and a solution was found.
The media didn't cover it for years until someone saw the demo permit in time.

The owner had no interest of putting the tear down in the media. He was also involved with the McWhirter tear down (you can see The Cosby Hotel from it) and look at the effort made there and lack of publicity. No solution was found there.
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by beautyfromashes »

Let’s just be real: no one is going to sit in this ‘reflective space’. It’s going to be largely empty all the time. And dead space, though likely expertly manicured, is not a good legacy for the donor who shelled out a ton of money for its creation. Tearing down a space that has life in it, people doing homework and cooking meals and being a family, so someone can sit alone and think about what used to be is the ultimate sadness. I respect RMH so, so much. I think they failed in this instance.
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FangKC
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by FangKC »

Especially when there is a boring park across the street where it could also be created.
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smh
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Re: Hospital Hill activity

Post by smh »

FangKC wrote:Then please describe the very public efforts they made, and provide the examples (media clips, newspaper articles, press releases, public statements), because I'm just not seeing it.
Hi, good morning. I never said it was a very public effort. However, I do know they put out an RFP for relocation and received only one response.
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