OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
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KCMax
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by KCMax »

KCLofts wrote: Sounds like the next phase for Bridgeworks will be single family housing, or something similar with lower density.  They are trying to provide more downtown options for families.

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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by paisstat »

Actually I don't have a car, after it was stolen the second time I decided to give it a try without one.  As I have said before here, it's not that difficult once one gets to know the bus routes.  This whole parking question is really a debate over two opposing schools?  Do you believe it is impossible to build truly urban, pedestrian friendly and anti-car neighborhoods in this city?  Or do you believe that building such neighborhoods, a less car-obsessed culture can develop in those areas?  By building developments with parking as a pre-requisite are we not discouraging long-term, sustainable development?  Are we not upholding the precept that cars must be included and are essential?  Along these lines are the archaic parking requirements and zoning laws that uphold the car and contribute to sprawl.
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by shinatoo »

KCLofts wrote: Sounds like the next phase for Bridgeworks will be single family housing, or something similar with lower density.  They are trying to provide more downtown options for families.
Do you have a link to thiis info?
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by KCLofts »

shinatoo wrote: Do you have a link to thiis info?
Nope, word came from George Birt and one of the R&N agents.
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by shinatoo »

KCLofts wrote: Nope, word came from George Birt and one of the R&N agents.
Ah,OK.
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by scooterj »

Interesting.  Bridgeworks Phase II has changed from condos to single-family homes:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... source=syn

If done right, this could actually be good for the River Market by providing a better housing mix.

Some aesthetic highlights:  the houses are close together (12-18 feet), the garages are in the REAR (:)) and accessed from an alleyway, building materials are brick, glass, and stucco.
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by Long »

If this is a question of chicken or the egg, I think people will have to get rid of their cars before you can take away parking spaces at RESIDENCES.  In this city, sure, you don't NEED a car, I went six months without one while living downtown, but this isn't Chicago or the northeast.  Between relying on friends with cars and public transit, you can make it to SOME shopping, you can make it to SOME grocery stores, but you can't get everywhere you want to go.  You can't go out of town unless you rent a car.

Right now, I walk to work, so my car just sits for most of the week.  I suppose I *could* take the bus to the grocery store and some other things, but even then my car would still see some use, and I'm glad it has a parking space. 

We need to develop the urban core into a place where you can walk or take transit.  Parking requirements for businesses can be substantially reduced as more people don't need to drive to those places.  But in this city, for a long time, people are going to want a space at home to park their car for those few times they might need it.  Eventually, couples with two cars will sell one, but for a long time they will still keep one. 
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by Moniker »

tat2kc wrote: Oh good lord, get over the parking obsession! People have to have a place to park their car. Thats life. Everyone on this forum has a car, and needs a place to park it.   If you don't have a car, don't need one, and don't use one, then you can talk abou life without a car in KC. If you have a car, then quit your bitching.

Toss, dump your car, walk or bike everywhere, then come back and talk about he evils of the private auto.  This whole "do as I say, not as I do" mentality gets old.
One of my biggest quips about the places I've lived in the city is that ample parking hasn't been provided for our two cars between my fiance and I. Figure in our motor scooter, and we need at least 2.5 parking spaces. Seeing as how the places we've lived in are by no means inexpensive, I'd say we more than deserve two spots minimum.

Thank the good Lord that developers are looking at things with 20/20 vision, instead of relying off of pure idealism by providing more than 2/3rds the needed space or expecting people to merely "figure it out" on their own by renting parking spaces three blocks away.

Cheers~
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by warwickland »

oh jesus.
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by Long »

Moniker wrote: expecting people to merely "figure it out" on their own by renting parking spaces three blocks away.

Cheers~

What I keep saying is, true density comes from high demand for a small amount of real estate.  New York isn't that dense because people think its cool, it's that dense because of how many people want to live and work within set boundaries.  Back at the ranch, there are guidelines we can follow for building good urban spaces, but at a certain point it becomes contrived and absurd.  Tell a buyer, "sorry, you can't have parking spaces, we have the land available and no one else is ready to build on it, but your parking is three blocks away because it's the right thing to do."
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Re: Ho hum, Bridgeworks Lofts accelerating Phases II & III

Post by Moniker »

I'd love to be able to get rid of my car and completely economize. For the summer, I already cancelled my auto insurance and am going to see how carpooling on rainy days and riding my motor scooter out to College and Metcalf works out.
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos [was: RM(more housing)]

Post by trailerkid »

The way this complex is built on top of the parking structure is awful. I realize it is a bit isolated from the rest of the RM, but if this corner of the RM becomes more happening in the years to come; that ground level garage will stick out like a sour thumb. There is already enough parking around this building for a Kelly Clarkson concert.
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos [was: RM(more housing)]

Post by Kcfireman »

trailerkid wrote: The way this complex is built on top of the parking structure is awful. I realize it is a bit isolated from the rest of the RM, but if this corner of the RM becomes more happening in the years to come; that ground level garage will stick out like a sour thumb. There is already enough parking around this building for a Kelly Clarkson concert.
So what are you saying?  That instead of a parking structure people should just park around the building?
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos [was: RM(more housing)]

Post by scooterj »

trailerkid wrote: The way this complex is built on top of the parking structure is awful. I realize it is a bit isolated from the rest of the RM, but if this corner of the RM becomes more happening in the years to come; that ground level garage will stick out like a sour thumb. There is already enough parking around this building for a Kelly Clarkson concert.

Usually you're complaining that the River Market has too much surface parking, now you're complaining that someone is doing something to prevent more?
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos [was: RM(more housing)]

Post by trailerkid »

scooterj wrote:
Usually you're complaining that the River Market has too much surface parking, now you're complaining that someone is doing something to prevent more?
There is already more than enough around this structure without adding more.

The base of this building is completely dead and offers nothing to the pedestrian. Further, the parking structure invites potential assaults as it creates an isolated and hidden dead space.
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos

Post by Czar »

if not parking garages, do you build more surface parking? NO ONE will spend 350K and fight to find an on-street parking space.  Does your trailer have a dedicated parking space kid?
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos

Post by trailerkid »

Czar wrote: if not parking garages, do you build more surface parking? NO ONE will spend 350K and fight to find an on-street parking space.  Does your trailer have a dedicated parking space kid?
There are intelligent ways to build parking and there is what they did at Bridgeworks.

Many lofts in other cities do not come with parking spaces.
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos

Post by kard »

a lot of the area around there is slated for residential development (albeit single family houses...blah).  They knew it was going to be more dense.  I agree it could be more ped. friendly, but they did think a little bit ahead.
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos

Post by kc-vino »

This debate needs to address one thing at a time.  The parking at bridgeworks is not bad, on the contrary it is at least underground.  And I think we are being way to critical of this project.  To complain that their is no retail around it is a joke.  What about praising it for bringing 50-100 high end units to the dead side of the Rivermarket.  Would it be neat to incorporate some retail into the ground level possibly in front of Le Fou Frog....hell yes, but is it needed to make this project a success.....hell no. 

I agree with arguments on this forum and believe that people who are renting at around $480-700 per month in DT KC (especially if it is affordable housing) have no right to demand that they have parking right outside their apartment.  And people who are buying a $250-350k condo probably have that right.  Listen, if that is what it takes to get that kind of demographic in the rivermarket, with that level of disposable income being dropped in a 5-10 block radius......I'll take it.  We have to remember a couple of things here....condo living and this kind of wealth moving into our DT is basically new and we have to embrace it.  So what if those who are committing early have certain demands.  What we need to focus on is capturing as many semi-interested buyers and renters as possible.  Once we do this we'll see the services go up and their will be tons less need to drive across the river for retail or head over to KS.

This isn't selling out this is embracing buyers.  You have to sacrifice convictions many times to appeal to a larger audience.  Once you attract more buyers you have more power to shape the city in a healthy manner.
Put your money where your mouth is...live downtown.  Get out of the car and walk, shop, and play in the city.  Don't bring a suburban attitude/lifestyle to the city, rather be apart of changing the urban fabric for the better.
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Re: OFFICIAL: Bridgeworks Condos

Post by kc-vino »

This is so correct.  If we have more people in the DT area we will have places like in the actual city market stay open.  I'm not driving to Berbigulas on 31st and Gillam for fine wine when I can walk to the wine cellar in the city market.  But as it now stands they don't stay open late every night because the demand doesn't quite exist.  We can't expect people to lose money in the competitive world of retail just for the sake of pleasing urban enthusiasts.  But we can expect them to naturally capitalize on profits if the demand is apparent.
Put your money where your mouth is...live downtown.  Get out of the car and walk, shop, and play in the city.  Don't bring a suburban attitude/lifestyle to the city, rather be apart of changing the urban fabric for the better.
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