Bakery/restaurant redevelopment for midtown Katz

[WinchesterMysteryHouse]

"Super Flea-South?"

[KCMax]

Westport's historic Katz drugstore building to be sold at auction

[ignatius]

Anything new on this?

[KCMax]

An auction for the structure at Westport Road and Main Street ended Aug. 11, and now the owner and the high bidder are in final negotiations. Does that mean the price wasn?t met? Cates Auction & Realty Co. Inc. of North Kansas City won?t say, but the company does hope a deal will be reached by the end of the week.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/22/30 ... z1VrKntcf0

[chrizow]

so what's the deal with this? the auction ended nearly a month ago.

[taxi]

It did sell and is scheduled to close on the 21st, but that's all I know.

[ThaMexican]

Here is a link from Redeemer Church which are the new owners of the building

http://www.redeemerkansascity.org/2011/ ... -purchase/

[smh]

Here is a link from Redeemer Church which are the new owners of the building

http://www.redeemerkansascity.org/2011/ ... -purchase/

This does not thrill me.

[brewcrew1000]

What is a church going to do with this? Soup Kitchen, homeless shelter, drug rehab center?

[FangKC]

My guess is that they will tear it down for a parking lot for their church members. It will be used once or twice a week, and sit empty most of the other time.

Not only that, now that a church owns it, no property taxes will be collected from that parcel.

[KCMax]

My guess is that they will tear it down for a parking lot for their church members. It will be used once or twice a week, and sit empty most of the other time.

Not only that, now that a church owns it, no property taxes will be collected from that parcel.

The press release said they are using it for a community center.

[FangKC]

It will probably be used for that for a short time, but eventually the church will decide it needs more parking. Mark my words.

[DiggityDawg]

Isn't the building protected from that kind of thing ( "historical" status, etc. ) ?

I see someone was over there in the comments section being a jackass about the parking issue.

[missingkc]

Maybe it be the US' only art deco family life center.

[FangKC]

The Katz Drugstore Building at Westport and Main is not on the National Register of Historic Places, nor is it on the KC Landmarks Register.

Even if a building is on the National Register of Historic Places, it is not protected from demolition or modification if the owners don't accept historic tax credit money to make the modifications. If they are spending their own money, they can do anything they want to a building. The only thing that saves historic buildings in the end is public protest, and bad publicity and ill will if they proceed.

Another method to protect a historic building is when some entity purchases the building and places protective covenants or easements in the deed which prevent demolition or modification. In this situation though, one has to hope that future owners will have the money to maintain the building and not let it rot.

Kansas City has it's own local landmarks register, and once on it, owners have to apply to the city to change or demolish a historic individual building, or any building that lies within a designated historic district, under the certificate of appropriateness. A public hearing is required. The City can deny a demolition permit for a certain amount of months, and then it goes up for rehearing. However, protecting a building can depend on politics of the moment. The Landmarks Commission is appointed by the mayor. If the mayor appoints a board that is less sensitive to historic considerations, they may permit demolition of a historic structure.

Even then, a property owner can still tear down a historic building without a building permit. It's illegal, but it's been done. I think the art deco former Skelly Station on Pershing Road next to Union Station was demolished illegally. They only real penalty is the property owner will have to pay a fine.

The Law Building (aka Exchange Building) at 12th and Grand was on the National Register of Historic Places, and the City issued a demolition permit on it. It was not on the Kansas City Landmarks Register though. The Emery, Bird & Thayer and Gloyd (near 10th and Walnut), and National Garage (11th and McGee) buildings were also on the National Register, but the City issued demolition permits on them. The Jenkin's Music Company Building was as well, but the facade was retained and incorporated into the 1201 Walnut garage structure.

The Empire/Mainstreet Theater was only saved after the City purchased the property and placed it on the National Register of Historic Places. Oddly, the City still has not placed the Mainstreet on the Kansas City Register.

Another odd thing (at least to me) is that no other City-owned historic buildings are on the National Historic Register: City Hall, Police Headquarters, Municipal Courts Building (at SE corner of 12th and Locust), or Municipal Auditorium. They are all old enough to qualify, and certainly are remarkable art deco-styled buildings that appear in books on the subject.

The Jackson County Courthouse in Independence is on the National Register, but the Jackson County Courthouse downtown is not--even though it also qualifies.

In the past, the City is somewhat selective about recognizing historic buildings it buys and placing them on the National Register. This is my criticism alone, but in creating Ilus Davis park, the city through its' downtown land clearance and redevelopment authority purchased several historic structures and demolished them even thought they would have been eligible for the National Register and the accompanying historic state and federal tax credits to restore them: YMCA Building at 10th and Oak and Shuyler Hotel (1017 Locust)--both still standing as late as 1999; and the Drake Hotel, 1016-1018 Locust (not sure when it was demolished).

All three of these buildings would have been good candidates for restoration and reuse as residential housing, which was needed more than another downtown city park.

Ilus Park just created a nice view from City Hall and the Federal Courthouse. The park is little used on a daily basis. No additional parking was created underneath the park that could have been used by the Federal Courthouse, and Department of Transportation, which is now getting a garage built at 9th and Cherry--instead of addition housing units that could have been built now by Sherman Associates.

In addition, JE Dunn could have used parking there and might not have required the garage that was built for it.

An underground garage at Ilus Davis Park could have also freed up for future development the parking lot bounded by 8th, 9th, Oak and McGee that is used by Federal Courthouse employees now.

In retrospect, the YMCA, Drake and Shuyler could have been renovated, and the City could still could have created parking garages that would have handled those residents, the Federal Courthouse, Transportation Dept, and even JE Dunn later on remaining portions of the blocks. A smaller park could also have been created across from City Hall south of the Drake Hotel.

The net result would have been that there would be more residents living downtown; the streets would have more feet on them; the city would appear to have more density in that neighborhood; and all present parties would have been served. JE Dunn could have built its' headquarters still around the Shuyler in an L-shape, and additional land would have been available for residential housing where the JE Dunn and Dept. of Transportation garages are now.

[FangKC]

The church that bought the Katz Drugstore Building could really give a gift to the community by making the building a community center and building an adjacent garage and high-rise senior residential tower on the current parking lot to the west--like the Catholic Diocese did with Cathedral Square. The site is near a grocery store and two drug stores, the post office on Westport Road, several churches, and on a bus route close to Truman Medical Center, KU Med, and St. Luke's Medical Center. The community center could also operate a cafeteria for the residential tower.

[FangKC]

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... a=e_du_pub

[brewcrew1000]

It seems read more about development with churches in the core(Church bought Crosstown, and another church bought Katz Building and other buildings at Westport/Main). Also, the Urban Farming guys are doing great things in Old Northeast.

Could this be one of the saving graces for the core? I am by no means a religious person but this influx could get really good people in an area were some think it has a horrible reputation. I'd rather see 10 churches go up before a seedy liquor store,smoke shop or more section 8 housing went up. Maybe down the road these churches start growing even more, they might even start buying up the old KCMO schools and start their own schools.

[pash]

.

[aknowledgeableperson]

because the customers never go out for dinner before or after

There are many restaurants around that do very good business early Sunday afternoons after church services with people in their Sunday Meeting clothes.

Guess we shouldn't have schools either. They might create some density and activity but it is just for a very limited time during the day and almost none in the summer months.