OFFICIAL - East Village

[smh]

The VanTrust folks are very good at what they do, which is making money. Do not expect architectural greatness here, they are not concerned with that.

Architectural greatness is not big on my list for an area that has been waiting for development for a very long time, but "New Suburbanism" is a fear for me. However, I need to wait and see the plans before I can form an opinion. It's just that the low rise development with a splash of retail is a bit unnerving for me. If it's completed that way, we will be stuck with it for decades.

Precisely. I don't require iconic buildings, but I do require commonsense urbanism. I'm convinced they can do it. Can't wait to see some drawings.

[Pork Chop]

The VanTrust folks are very good at what they do, which is making money. Do not expect architectural greatness here, they are not concerned with that.

Architectural greatness is not big on my list for an area that has been waiting for development for a very long time, but "New Suburbanism" is a fear for me. However, I need to wait and see the plans before I can form an opinion. It's just that the low rise development with a splash of retail is a bit unnerving for me. If it's completed that way, we will be stuck with it for decades.

Precisely. I don't require iconic buildings, but I do require commonsense urbanism. I'm convinced they can do it. Can't wait to see some drawings.

If it's something similar to The Village at Mission Farms, but without the surface lots, then I think it would be fine. It looks like the garage would be in the center of the block from the first picture (if it's anything like this that is).

http://www.vantrustrealestate.com/prope ... ion-farms/

At this point, I still do not understand why they are planing to have the office buildings on the south end of the East Village and the apartments on the North end. That would create a dead zone on four blocks or so on nights and weekends for the office development (unless there is more than just a splash of retail that caters to just the office worker). It may even create a dead zone during the weekdays where the apartments are going to be located as well.

[macnw]

Now is the time to get involved in the planning process. There needs to be some input from the public or your stuck with what you get. If a streetcar extension occurred in this part of downtown, then we can justify dense housing(a la the Pearl District). Market conditions may also be a factor, although there are multiple residential projects happening now.

[atticus23]

I think the Mission Farms project looks like upscale dorms that in five to ten years will look like the apartments that surround Independence Center. I absolutely think that form should follow function, but that doesn't mean that form should not be given thought. There's a real potential for the whole East Village to be vibrant and dynamic as well as having interesting and heterogenous buildings that can and should complement each other. Apartments and offices should be mixed in next to each other not separated on opposite ends of the development, that creates nothing for a continuous interaction at any level. "New SUBurbanism" in a downtown core of any city would scare the piss out of me and the thought of it in our downtown terrifies me. VanTrust IS smart and they have done their homework, my hope is that they can adapt those lessons to urban development. That being said, can some one please explain what a "sprinkling of retail" means...? I think of JJ's drive-through as being a "sprinkling of retail" and that is the last thing needed anywhere in downtown.

Oddly, I'm kinda passionate about this project as I think that it really has the potential to knit together P&L/Sprint Center with points immediately east of the CBD. Every day I drive by that swath of land and it's just depressing seeing it just sit there...empty. I'd seriously consider moving off of W. 39th St. to the East Village if it was done right. Be kind as this is the first substantial post I've done here...

[chaglang]

That being said, can some one please explain what a "sprinkling of retail" means...? I think of JJ's drive-through as being a "sprinkling of retail" and that is the last thing needed anywhere in downtown.

Retail that isn't fully thought through and well integrated into the project, and/or cleaved off into a separate building(s) from the residential. Even with little else to support it other than the development it'll be a part of, carefully selected retailers in spaces that are integral to the residential component of the project could do well.

In other words, mixed-use buildings. I can't find a link, but I like to refer back to the Tent City development in Boston as a good example of this type of development.

[moderne]

These Van Tuyl apartments will have a huge footprint. This is about the same # of units as the View which is a 20 story building. While we all would rather see a mid or high rise, at least these are on the very perimeter of the DT loop. European cities consist of endless neighborhoods of 4-6 story buildings and they do produce the density for lively walkable nieghborhhoods with plently of local shopping and services.

[Eon Blue]

Exactly, moderne. I would also rather build out our open space with 4-6 story (or even 3 story) buildings before we start worrying about adding taller towers. Construction costs are more in line with what the market will bear right now and it will do much more for street life and walkability.

[Pork Chop]

These Van Tuyl apartments will have a huge footprint. This is about the same # of units as the View which is a 20 story building. While we all would rather see a mid or high rise, at least these are on the very perimeter of the DT loop. European cities consist of endless neighborhoods of 4-6 story buildings and they do produce the density for lively walkable nieghborhhoods with plently of local shopping and services.

My main concern is not the height, but segregating the office buildings from the apartment buildings instead of mixing them together. There's around four blocks to the north and four blocks to the south for the e. village. One of the blocks on the north is already developed with a 50 unit apartment complex and a parking garage. To me, I would have liked to see plans that have the office buildings and apartment buildings mixed together throughout the e. village with more than a splash of retail. However, I am reserving my opinion until I see the plans. I am glad there is finally movement on this area of the city. As someone said above, it would be the link between CBD and further development to the east. Just like getting Columbus Park right would help development further along Independence Ave.

[FangKC]

There really isn't a reason that a specific building could house offices on so many floors, and apartments on others. They could even have separate entrances and elevators facing different sides of the street.

I lived in an apartment building that had a deli, pharmacy, and child care center on the street level, two floors of rented out administrative offices, and 33 floors of apartments above that.

The building across the street had a similar height with a deli on the ground floor, seven floors of offices and medical clinics, 10 floors of hotel, and 16 stories of apartments.

I'm not advocating that many floors. I'm just saying you can have mixed use buildings on the entire footprint of the neighborhood. Let's say a 6-to-8 story building. Retail on ground floor, 3 floors of offices, and 2-4 floors of apartments.

[earthling]

^That would be ideal as opposed to what sounds like housing N and office S. Someone needs to push (insist actually) the mixed use approach to them before they come up with a solid plan for isolated use rather than mixed use. The City should be encouraging mixed use right out of the gate. DNA might be the best place to start - several here are involved with them, right?

[FangKC]

If you want an urban neighborhood to be successful, just study the old neighborhoods in Europe and places like New York City to see what has made them functional for decades and centuries.

[earthling]

Oh yeah, have been to NYC/Europe often enough to feel as if almost lived there. It's (some) local developers who need a better taste of such places if they are going to invest downtown. A few developers (though others get it) are bringing suburban mindset to city core. The City and groups like DNA need to preemptively strike those developers (with appreciation for their investment) before they come up with early plans. Hopefully DNA type groups will get involved with E Village during the planning phase, not wait to see a even a draft plan.

Software developers have kits that explain best practices/guidelines for intuitive use of their app. Maybe the City or DNA could provide developers with a 'pedestrian scale development kit' with best practices when they first start to show interest in developing downtown.

When a developer implies housing to N and office to S, sounds like 'they don't get it'. I guess there is not enough yet to say it will be poor design, but it wouldn't hurt for DNA to get involved now rather than wait to see. Anyone here with DNA?

[moderne]

With the city beautiful movement KC was an early leader in single use zoning which kept messy commercial zones apart from residential. At the time this was considered progressive(no longer would a West Bottoms develop next to a Quality Hill).Seems to be ingrained here now. It takes a long time to turn a barge on the Missouri.

[mgh7676]

From KC Business Journal:

E. Frank Ellis announced Tuesday that he plans to step away from day-to-day operations as CEO of Swope Community Enterprises, a nonprofit umbrella group dedicated to rebuilding Kansas City neighborhoods through health care and development services.
The announcement comes a month after a report that VanTrust Real Estate LLC will join Swope Community Builders as a co-developer of the stalled redevelopment of Kansas City's East Village on the edge of Downtown. Swope has been the designated developer of East Village since 2005, but the only project it has completed is a 50-unit affordable apartment project at 950 Holmes St.

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... swope.html

[Eon Blue]

A topographic survey was being done on the site of the former JE Dunn building last Friday. The site itself is pretty much cleared and graded out now. I didn't see any signs of seeding or topsoil prep, so I don't know if that's still pending or if they plan to start construction on something soon.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... boost.html

VanTrust Real Estate LLC, one of Kansas City’s most active real estate and development firms, will be affected in only one significant way by the acquisition of its capital source, Van Tuyl Group, by Warren Buffett’s holding company Berkshire Hathaway.

It will grow bigger and faster, VanTrust President Dave Harrison said.

Maybe we will finally see some real progress with the East Village now that the Van Tuyl's may be focussing more on VanTrust (and have an extra $4 billion in cash from the sale)

[flyingember]

A topographic survey was being done on the site of the former JE Dunn building last Friday. The site itself is pretty much cleared and graded out now. I didn't see any signs of seeding or topsoil prep, so I don't know if that's still pending or if they plan to start construction on something soon.

you don't need to prep topsoil to put in a parking lot

[JBmidtown]

Is anything happening with this?

[FangKC]

I have a feeling that since VanTrust has joined Swope Community Builders as a co-partner, they might be revamping the original design for the neighborhood. We will probably see new drawings of the potential buildings.

[DaveKCMO]

city manager says that the pickwick, argyle, and old fed projects should provide the needed connectivity for east village to actually happen.