OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Discuss items in the urban core outside of Downtown as described above. Everything in the core including the east side (18th & Vine area), Northeast, Plaza, Westport, Brookside, Valentine, Waldo, 39th street, & the entire midtown area.
User avatar
AlbertHammond
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 355
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:52 am

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by AlbertHammond »

I would be ok with this project if they made another pass to make it more compatible to the aesthetics of "Historic Westport". What that means, is different to each person, but there is no attempt at all to make this building look "Westporty". It looks like any ol' place in the U.S. It's ok looking, but does not speak "Westport" in the slightest. This site is simply too critical to waste this opportunity to build on the physical Westport brand.
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by DaveKCMO »

do we even have a westport brand other than "entertainment district with covered wagon"?
User avatar
beautyfromashes
One Park Place
One Park Place
Posts: 7189
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:04 am

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by beautyfromashes »

I'd actually prefer new developments just go more modern. The idea that getting a developer to slap some brick on the side of their building to make it 'fit with the neighborhood' doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Westport is a mosh mash. We should just be pushing for higher end finishes and walkabikity than trying to make a uniform look.
chingon
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3522
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:47 pm
Location: South Plaza

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by chingon »

The opposition to this project has fuck-all to do with bricks. It is 100% an objection to increased traffic, decreased parking, and the height of the building/how many people might live there.
mykn

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by mykn »

chingon wrote:The opposition to this project has fuck-all to do with bricks. It is 100% an objection to increased traffic, decreased parking, and the height of the building/how many people might live there.
Bingo!
mykn

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by mykn »

beautyfromashes wrote:I'd actually prefer new developments just go more modern. The idea that getting a developer to slap some brick on the side of their building to make it 'fit with the neighborhood' doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Westport is a mosh mash. We should just be pushing for higher end finishes and walkabikity than trying to make a uniform look.
Agreed. I'd hate for it to be an Old-Timey Disneyland building.
User avatar
beautyfromashes
One Park Place
One Park Place
Posts: 7189
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 11:04 am

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by beautyfromashes »

chingon wrote:The opposition to this project has fuck-all to do with bricks. It is 100% an objection to increased traffic, decreased parking, and the height of the building/how many people might live there.
Yes, was more responding to AlbertHammod above. Actually, probably has more to do with entrenched neighborhood/don't change vs. building something new.
User avatar
AlbertHammond
New York Life
New York Life
Posts: 355
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:52 am

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by AlbertHammond »

It can be modern and still speak to the "Westport brand". Yes, Westport is a mish-mash of styles, but it has an overall feel that hints at a theme. Is "brick" part of the brand?...probably, but not necessarily. Is "walkability" and "pedestrian scale" part of the brand?...hell yes.

To think that "old-timey" is what it takes to enhance the "Westport brand", is shallow thought.
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by flyingember »

Westport feels a lot like a small town downtown where some older buildings are mixed with mid century properties.

Go to downtown Sedalia, Smithville, Clinton, Liberty, Parkville and that's what Westport is.

Meanwhile places like Liberty and Sedalia and Parkville have put a lot of money into walkability of their downtown. If someone went to Liberty and wanted to put this project downtown I bet it would be a bit smaller but approved.
kcjak
Penntower
Penntower
Posts: 2429
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:02 pm

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by kcjak »

Project was approved yesterday by a 3-2 vote.
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by flyingember »

kcjak wrote:Project was approved yesterday by a 3-2 vote.
for someone that doesn't want to read back, this was the zoning change, not project approval.
User avatar
grovester
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4560
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:30 pm
Location: KC Metro

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by grovester »

I thought zoning was 5-0 and out of committee 3-2
flyingember
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 9862
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:54 am

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by flyingember »

grovester wrote:I thought zoning was 5-0 and out of committee 3-2
you could be right, still doesn't mean the project is approved
User avatar
grovester
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 4560
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:30 pm
Location: KC Metro

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by grovester »

You don't say.
TheBigChuckbowski
Bryant Building
Bryant Building
Posts: 3546
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:36 pm
Location: Longfellow

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by TheBigChuckbowski »

It was passed out of Planning and heading to Council committee.
kcjak
Penntower
Penntower
Posts: 2429
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:02 pm

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by kcjak »

TheBigChuckbowski wrote:It was passed out of Planning and heading to Council committee.
The Council is supposed to vote on this development tomorrow, and the lady from the Midtown Post/Save Westport is hitting up social media asking folks to oppose the development by contacting the council members and to show up at the meeting tomorrow.

I emailed the council members just now (in support of the development), as I believe the Save Westport group's concerns are unfounded.
kcjak
Penntower
Penntower
Posts: 2429
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:02 pm

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by kcjak »

Passed Council committee 3-1.
kboish
Hotel President
Hotel President
Posts: 3258
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:25 am
Location: West Plaza

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by kboish »

Passed 8-2. Shields and Wagner were "no".
earthling
Mark Twain Tower
Mark Twain Tower
Posts: 8519
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2011 2:27 pm
Location: milky way, orion arm

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by earthling »

kcjak wrote:
TheBigChuckbowski wrote:I emailed the council members just now (in support of the development), as I believe the Save Westport group's concerns are unfounded.
Well there are also those of us in between. Do the project even taller but save the bank building. Let's hope this doesn't set a precedence for developers coming in and tearing down more of the oldest buildings that define Westport. Overall glad to see more residential going in but not at the expense of tearing down the oldest buildings.
User avatar
KCtoBrooklyn
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1260
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 4:01 pm

Re: OPUS at Broadway Blvd and Westport Road

Post by KCtoBrooklyn »

I don't think you could have scripted a better photo of more curmudgeonly NIMBY stereotypes than this pic from the star:
Image
Post Reply