OFFICIAL: Professional Building

[staubio]

I just got a report that they plan to open tomorrow.

[kccrackednut]

Jimmy John's Hours downtown:
M-F 11:00-7:00
Sat 11:00-3:00
Sun closed

[DaveKCMO]

Jimmy John's Hours downtown:
M-F 11:00-7:00
Sat 11:00-3:00
Sun closed

wow. 7pm. wonder how long that will last.

[QueSi2Opie]

Anyone know what the deal is with Bear Creek Coffee next door to JJ's?  Looks like there hasn't been any activity in there at all.

The ladies at the leasing office in the Professional Building told me that Bear Creek is suppose to open by late-March or early-April.

[kccrackednut]

What happened to the coffee shop that was planned for the Professional Building? A "for rent" sign is in the window now. 

[KCDowntown]

Found a permit on KivaNet for a retail clothing store in this building called Envolve.

http://kivaweb.kcmo.org/kivanet/2/permi ... 1&jur=KCMO

This must be on the north side of this building next to the salon.

KCDowntown

[ComandanteCero]

cool!  that's just the kind of retail we need to see more of in the Loop.  Great find kcdowntown

[QueSi2Opie]

That's odd, Erik (the owner of the salon) said he was opening a boutique in that spot.  I'll find out today. 

[trailerkid]

That's odd, Erik (the owner of the salon) said he was opening a boutique in that spot.  I'll find out today. 

Maybe that's his boutique.

[FangKC]

The $26,000 poverty figure is calculated after also considering other costs like medical expenses, child-care deductions, and child support payments, which "spend down" the gross earnings rate. Utilities are also considered in the formula.

If you have a gross income of $35,000, but have a chronic health problem with regular monthly bills for doctor visits or prescriptions and co-payments, or have had a castastrophic illness that left you will high health bills to pay off, the amount you pay for health and rehabilitation bills is deducted from you gross income. So, if last year you spent $15,000 on health-related, or rehabilitation costs for you or a family member, your income spends down to $20,000, and your housing voucher is adjusted so that you pay 30 percent annually in rent on $20,000, and the Housing Authority or HUD pays the difference. That assumes they have the budget to do so, and where you are on the waiting list. 

During budget cuts, the poorest receive priority vouchers first, and the rest of the funds are awarded as you move up the income levels until the funds run out.  Events like Hurricane Katrina put a lot of stress on the affordable housing market, and HUD.

This purpose of this type of housing downtown is to provide for an certain population of people who work there as clerks, secretaries, mail-room staff, drivers, delivery people, security guards, librarians, teachers, school staff, health care aides and orderlies, custodial staff, cafeteria workers, cab drivers, bookkeepers, cashiers, and even the "yellow-jackets." 

Some governmental workers even are eligible if they don't earn a lot of income.  When I worked for the State of Arizona, we had lower-income agency staff who were eligible for AFDC, food stamps, and Section 8 housing.  Some of their children were even eligible for Medicaid, and their parents worked for Medicaid. However, if their income was very low, and they couldn't afford to make the health care premiums for additional family members, those members could become eligible.  The Arizona State Legislature was infamous for low-pay of state workers, and balancing the budget on the back of state workers by not giving cost-of-living adjustments for 3-5 years at a time.

The way the affordable housing works is that if you are single and make under $26,000 a year, you pay up to 30 percent of your adjusted income for your apartment.  Then the Housing Authority makes up the rest of the rent if they have the funds available and budgeted.  While you may be eligible, there is a waiting list and you have to be approved, and funds have to be budgeted by the Feds, City, and State.  Bush has cut back on Section 8 housing expenditures, and his Administration wants to eliminate, or reconfigure the program.

The affordable housing program has basically three components of rental housing.  Section 8 grants where the Housing Authority pays a portion of your rent to eligible, contracted private housing entities.

Rental housing owned by the Housing Authority itself in new or renovated buildings. No private contracts with building owners, and residents either get free rent, or adjusted sliding-scale rent.  If you receive a windfall one month--say of $500, you have to report it and it is deducted from that month's income and voucher award. So if that happens, you have to use the money you aunt left you to pay the entire amount of rent that month.

Scattered single-family housing sites owned by the Housing Authority. Some private contracts with landlords or homeowners, and some homes owned by HUD and/or Housing Authority. Residents are eligible for either free rent, or adjusted sliding-scale rent.  Many are low-income, no income, single parents, the elderly, blind, refugees, foster parents, formerly homeless, medically-indigent, or disabled.

HUD and the Housing Authority also sponsors a home-ownership program where eligible clients are awarded down payment and closing grants up to 20 percent of the purchase price of the home, and lower-interest loans. Clients must participate in lending and homeowner education clinics.  Former HUD, FHA, and repossessed homes are often available at less than market rate. New homes are often included in specific, designated urban redevelopment zones like Beacon Hill, the West Side, and many scattered neighborhoods on the Eastside.

[FangKC]

Perk-Up Ice Cream, Candies, and Coffee is opening in the last space left in the Professional Building--on the Grand Boulevard of the Fanged Butt Monkey frontage south of the building entrance.

They also appear to serve sandwiches, salads, and breakfast, and are based in Overland Park, KS.

They even have breakfast burritos. My monkey companion, Thor, will like that.

http://www.perkupop.com/aboutus/

[loftguy]

Thang, are you thaying that you have a Thor Butt Monkey?

Thath dithcuthting.

[FangKC]

Yes, the monkey has been my "longtime companion."   

[shaffe]

bump

my fiancee and i might be getting a unit in this building.  has anybody heard anything at all, good or bad, about the lofts?

[QueSi2Opie]

bump

my fiancee and i might be getting a unit in this building.  has anybody heard anything at all, good or bad, about the lofts?

I've lived here for about 6 months, started bad...however, things are improving.  The retail occupancy rate on the street level of the lofts is 100%, we're under new property management, blown litter is being picked up daily in our parking lot, the immediate area surrounding the property is improving with new restaurants, streetscape, and the ugly Parkade Plaza parking garage (housing both Huggie Bear's Bail Bonds and Freedom Bonding) will be demolished in the early Spring of next year. A new garage with ground level retail will replace it. I also have heard one of the bus stops at 11th & Grand will be moved down one block to control unwanted congestion of criminals being released from the city's jails and detention centers. Despite that fact, these people have never bothered me except to occassionally ask for change. The scarey bums that live in the neighboring alley (Ray, Mama, etc.) are really not that scarey at all, and will get to know you on a first name basis if you just say hi.

Now here's the bad stuff. The elevator's break down all the time (luckily not at the same time), some of the equipment in the exercise room doesn't work properly, maintenance is slow to handle problems, and sometimes certain tenants invite over unwanted guests. The drug dealer's in the giant parachute white shirts that stand unnoticed (by police officers), on the street corners near the building, can also be a problem because of the type of individuals they attract.

Other than that, the individual units are clean, the view from the rooftop is amazing, and most of the neighbors are friendly. Hopefully I can welcome you to the building and neighborhood soon.           

[shaffe]

thanks for the answer que, it's really hard to find out information about this place online since it's so new.  we'd heard about some of the poor things previous management did (the #1 was apparently a leak that went from the 12th to the 2nd floors or something like that).  but it's encouraging to know that new management is taking care of those things.  we won't be moving until november, so hopefully things are even better by then.  as for your list of "bad stuff", the elevator breakdowns are the only real thing that concern me.  i probably won't the on-site exercise room and can do my own maintenance probably almost as well as they can.  it's exciting to hear about building improvements nearby too.

which floor do you live on?

[Tosspot]

Are pets allowed in the Prof Bldg? Like a cat and birds?

[shaffe]

Are pets allowed in the Prof Bldg? Like a cat and birds?

cats, yes.  birds, i'm not sure.  dogs, definitely not.

thinking of a move?

[Tosspot]

cats, yes.  birds, i'm not sure.  dogs, definitely not.

thinking of a move?

Thanks shaffe. By the way - you might need to activate private message notification. 

Yep, looking to get into downtown, and have my sights set on the Prof Bldg right now at least.

[shaffe]

Thanks shaffe. By the way - you might need to activate private message notification. 

Yep, looking to get into downtown, and have my sights set on the Prof Bldg right now at least.

whoops.

if you're interested you should get in soon, the waiting list is very long to get in.  to get on the list you have to put down half of the deposit which i believe is somewhere around $150.  i would assume you get that back if you don't move in.  but if you can hide your income well enough i would recommend living here.