KCRag Forum

KCtoBrooklyn wrote:

chaglang wrote:I also noticed that many of the storefronts on the 3100 block of Troost (most of the west side of the block) had been boarded up.

Murals are going up on the boarded up buildings. It looks nice, but it is a bit concerning for what it might portend for how long the boards will be up.

Also, it seems like I have been noticing numerous new "For Sale" signs appearing on buildings up and down Troost. Maybe the negligent and absentee landlords maybe be seeing the changes coming and realizing they can get some money for their properties. This is encouraging if the properties actual make it into the hands of people who will do something positive.

The 31st and Troost owners were not foreclosed on. My understanding is that those buildings are related to the Troost Market Collective. There was(/is?) a Native American cultural center there and the plans for these buildings involve developing/expanding the center to help provide more opportunities to Native Americans and connect them with opportunities already out there that they may not have access to (particularly those from the city as opposed to the Rez), as well as providing opportunities to neighborhood artists and entrepreneurs. I think the project has been delayed but I know people are still working on it and trying to ensure that those plans stay in tact. There is some concern that part of that stretch might be demolished for the TMC garage.

In other, tastier news, a chicken biscuit place is coming to 39th & Troost in April.
http://www.feastmagazine.com/the-feed/k ... 9f20d.html

TMC garage?

Sorry, Troost Market Collective

Troost Market Collective garage?

Troost Market Collective garage.

Elaborate, please.

The Herrons' properties on the west side of the street were foreclosed on by Legacy Crossing Development, LLC. This includes every building except Family Dollar and Journey to New Life. They are in the process of cleaning them out, and have them for sale or lease. They could have new tenants by the spring.

The Troost Market Collective is looking to use many of the spaces on the block. They would be a tenant, not a property owner (at least at this point).

The Native American cultural center is located at 3103-3105 Troost. It is not owned by the Herrons but by a nonprofit called Tycor Community Development Corp. The head of that board recently passed away, so the status of that building is uncertain. If you look at it from a birds' eye view, the back half of that building is a giant shed/shanty town. There has been talk of tearing that part off to create more parking for the block. Maybe building a new garage has been discussed, though I haven't quite heard that. But I'm assuming that is what yeliab is referring to.

Thanks. That sounds more like my understanding of the situation on that block. There is a garage somewhere in the center of that block, but I don't know the size or condition. I believe it's accessed from the Firestone Building on the south end.

The owner of the Bakery Building has a neat idea:

"An idea we've had is a "Troost Drag Race." We think this sort of out of the box fun would be a great draw across racial and socio-economic lines and help to challenge negative Troost perceptions head-on. We aren't talking about parachutes and 100 miles an hour dragsters. We are more thinking something short and sweet, It can also be as simple as a 2 block race, with one block to slow down and stop safely. I don't expect cars will exceed 60MPH. In fact, we can institute a speed limit on the race to allay safety concerns. We would run the race along Troost from Linwood to 29th. We would coordinate with the owners along these blocks. We already have the support of many (and I am one).

We would install the appropriate barricades at your direction and get all relevant street closure permits. Our goal is to schedule the event for next May / June. We would want significant lead time to get all the stakeholders excited and make this a high-quality event. We expect this would be an opportunity for a meaningful fundraiser."

Challenge negative perceptions AND a meaningful fundraiser! Wooeee!

chaglang wrote:"Troost Drag Race." Wooeee!

Hmm, racing in drag sounds like fun. https://youtu.be/zGLmiWfoJx8

What's the worst that can happen?

Kansas City doesn't have a history of cars running into buildings right?

I'm ok with the idea, as long as they hold drag races on Ward Parkway and Brookside first.

That's a terrible idea! Drag racing is already a problem in other cities - why glamorize it even more and bring that trend to KC where it hasn't caught on (yet) as much as it has elsewhere?

I tuned into KCUR yesterday in the middle of a sponsor message for some organization related to Troost. The message was about "bringing people together" or "bridging the divide" on Troost, or something like that. I missed the name of the group (tuned in too late). They did give a web address, which I can't recall but it didn't sound familiar and I couldn't identify the organization from it.

I know that's not a lot to go off of, but anyone know what that group might be?

Maybe this – mentioned above too. https://www.troostmarketcollective.org/

tskev wrote: The Native American cultural center is located at 3103-3105 Troost. It is not owned by the Herrons but by a nonprofit called Tycor Community Development Corp. The head of that board recently passed away, so the status of that building is uncertain. If you look at it from a birds' eye view, the back half of that building is a giant shed/shanty town. There has been talk of tearing that part off to create more parking for the block. Maybe building a new garage has been discussed, though I haven't quite heard that. But I'm assuming that is what yeliab is referring to.

A few years ago, in 2004 or 2005, I went to a show in the psuedo auditorium space in that building. The building appears to be split in two: there is the older building to the south of Reconciliation Services, there is the seeminlgly 1950s or 1960s addition of a small interior shopping mall, which was infilled around the old building, to the south and east. This is the 'shantytown' as best as I can tell. To access the auditorium, you had to go in the small infill entrance to the south, on Troost, and walk around to the back to the windowless (and sweltering in the summer) space. Inside the main corridor are storefronts that appear to resemble a small interior mall, filled with junk. I'm guessing these interior shops were abandoned when this stretch of Troost was disinvested in during the late 1960s and into the 1980s, but it would make sense considering that there used to be a JC Penny, Jones Store, Movie Theater, and many other retail establishments on this stretch into the early 1970s.

27th and Troost is on the agenda for the LCRA meeting on Jan 24th.

The contract for Milhaus/UC-B is to be extended until Feb 16th (was supposed to close 1/16). The delay is because the city had to approve alley vacation, and it looks like that was completed this week.

The more interesting tidbit is that it looks like the process of selling the SW and SE corners to Botwin may be beginning. I would be curious to see the plans that Botwin submitted for the RFP as I don't think those have ever been publicized.

Here is the agenda:
http://edckc-meetings.s3.amazonaws.com/ ... 821%29.PDF

Also, I happened to stumble upon the RFQ (I guess that is preliminary to a RFP) that UMKC put forth for the development of their land on Troost. It is dated April 5, 2017.

According to the timeline they put out, they were to select the developer in August 2017, execute an agreement in September, and site could be available for construction in October. I wonder where things currently sit with this process.

Here is the RFQ:
https://info.umkc.edu/neighbor/wp-conte ... andout.pdf

You’re right- it would be great for more developed plans to be made public. The Botwin plans I saw were pretty schematic and it seemed like a lot was in flux. There was a hangup with part of the SW lot but they were hoping to move ahead despite that.