KCRag Forum

As for Armour Corners, Cassel said construction should begin in mid-summer on the 110-unit building at 520 E. Armour.

A revised plan for the larger residential and retail component on the four corners of Armour and Troost is expected to be presented to neighborhood groups soon. Mac has been working to address concerns about the amount of parking.

If all goes well, construction on the Armour and Troost component could begin in spring 2020.

I'm glad and somewhat surprised that 520 E Armour seems to moving ahead smoothly. I know there was typical parking concerns from some nearby neighbors in Central Hyde Park, but it looks like they weren't able to derail it.

I am a little surprised/concerned that the parking concerns over Armour and Troost have had a bigger impact on slowing down the project. I guess rather than just HPNA, there is also Center City, Squier Park, and Troost Alliance to deal with for that project.

The first mention of Armour and Troost I can find is from September 2015. Now, "if all goes well" (which it probably won't), we are looking at spring 2020 at the soonest? It seems like talk of a looming recession is getting louder. I am starting to get concerned that this project may never get built if they don't break ground before the economy tanks.

The Hyde Park residents on Harrison Blvd are the entire reason for the delay at Troost. After this passed CPC 5-0 they began working with Shields to kill it in committee. The tactic seems to be to present MAC with a continually changing series of demands that can never be fully met. (It was darkly humorous that these perservation-minded people pushed so hard for increased parking that MAC tore down a historic building to satisfy their demands.) Shields has been hosting private meetings between Hyde Park NIMBYs and MAC, and it’s entirely possible that the results of those meetings will be something that works only for Hyde Park and the two other neighborhoods won’t accept. I saw one version of the plan that would put all of the apartments in Hyde Park and used the SP and CC corners as a strip mall and surface parking. CC leadership has fairly suburban tastes in urban design and might go for that but I am very sure that SP would fight it.

I saw one version of the plan that would put all of the apartments in Hyde Park and used the SP and CC corners as a strip mall and surface parking.

JFC. This has the potential to be one of the most transformative projects in the city; it can't be hobbled by these kinds of demands.

What kind of pull do such neighborhood associations have over an entity like MAC - surely if favorable zoning is in place they only have so much influence over the design and execution of a project of this size, no? They are able to align with a CC member and prevent approval of plan thru council?

Honestly the best thing that can happen is for the next mayor to move Shields off PZE. Problem solved.

Unfortunately, Shields has built quite the following by championing just about any and all anti-development group in the central core.

The committee reassignment would curtail that until she's termed out. Who knows if it will actually happen though.

chaglang wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2019 4:10 pm The committee reassignment would curtail that until she's termed out. Who knows if it will actually happen though.

She always seems pretty close to Justus during committee meetings, perhaps it’s because they are from the same district. I think Justus would feel obligated to keep Shields in her current seats if she wins the mayoral race.

Armour closed now with utilities tearing up the street...the one that was just repaved and striped a few months ago. I don’t understand why we do that in this city. Raise the road construction fee for utilities x10. Have the money go to sidewalks or pothole repair or affordable housing, anything to deter them tearing up every nice street we have.

beautyfromashes wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:55 pm Armour closed now with utilities tearing up the street...the one that was just repaved and striped a few months ago. I don’t understand why we do that in this city. Raise the road construction fee for utilities x10. Have the money go to sidewalks or pothole repair or affordable housing, anything to deter them tearing up every nice street we have.

Because the city can't really tell the utilities what to do, as long as they restore the current condition. Technically they can, but they won't.

DaveKCMO wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 7:57 pm Because the city can't really tell the utilities what to do, as long as they restore the current condition. Technically they can, but they won't.

Then they need to expect more pothole complaints every year. You take a smooth road surface and cut a big hole in the middle of it, it doesn’t matter how it’s patched, it will erode much quicker. There has to be a large enough fee to deter closures and cuts that aren’t absolutely necessary because it costs the city large amounts of money in future year street repairs and is terrible for residents. Hopeful, new councilpeople will have the will to push back on utility power.

beautyfromashes wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 9:59 pm

DaveKCMO wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 7:57 pm Because the city can't really tell the utilities what to do, as long as they restore the current condition. Technically they can, but they won't.

Then they need to expect more pothole complaints every year. You take a smooth road surface and cut a big hole in the middle of it, it doesn’t matter how it’s patched, it will erode much quicker. There has to be a large enough fee to deter closures and cuts that aren’t absolutely necessary because it costs the city large amounts of money in future year street repairs and is terrible for residents. Hopeful, new councilpeople will have the will to push back on utility power.

They're welcome to, but utilities exert power at the state level (which is all too willing to preempt local control).

DaveKCMO wrote: ↑Tue Apr 16, 2019 10:03 pm They're welcome to, but utilities exert power at the state level (which is all too willing to preempt local control).

Well...damn. It just drives me nuts. Pet peeve. I saw the utilities marking up Main Street last month in the Crossroads along the streetcar route and just about lost it. There’s just no logical reason. Laziness.

KCtoBrooklyn wrote: ↑Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:16 pm Rendering for the Armour and Cherry proposal:

Construction fencing has started to go up and the parking lot has been closed. Looks like ground breaking is soon.




Fencing is up and some work has been going on for a little while, but they still don't have all of the necessary approvals/blight designation. This goes to PZED on Wednesday.

Here is the rental listing for the recently renovated Chalfonte apartments (1110 E Armour):
https://northterrace.com/properties/chalfonte/ $1,295 -$1,495 for two bedrooms. I wonder if that is a record high for east of Troost (perhaps outside of Beacon Hill). It is a beautiful building. I had been in it man years ago (18?) and I don't remember all of the woodwork/built-ins being painted, which is unfortunate. I do remember being harassed by what appeared to be drug dealer hanging out in front of the building upon exiting. Things have definitely changed on Armour.

WOW

Historic apartment building on Armour sells at auction

The U.S. General Services Administration sold a Midtown apartment building known as Windsor Manor for $1.9 million.

The GSA sold the four-story brick building at 409 E. Armour Blvd. in an online auction.
...

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... =e_me_set1

There was a PIEA Special Board Meeting conference call yesterday for issuing $80M in bonds for the Armour and Troost four corners project.

I am a little surprised it is at that point since things have seemed to have gone quiet lately. I still haven't heard or seen anything about the revisions to the project with the additional land acquisition on Harrison north of Armour.

There was supposed to be an update this summer, but I haven't seen anything either.

This is speculation, but I wonder if Shields moving off her old committee has some relevance to this project moving ahead.

Saw that the PIEA approved final sale of the properties to MAC a meeting or so ago, and that the environmental cleanup was approved by the state. So something must be happening...

I just wish the Boulevard Manor Hotel building could be pulled out of the fingers of the Abnos clan, and included in this development.

The building on the NE corner of Armour and Troost was demolished today.