Keystone Innovation District

[grovester]

IMO if this project and district has success this could be the biggest thing since the Crossroads' success.
Troost has become a fantastic trophy for the city but this is really where the rubber hits the road.
Establishing 18th Street as a successful residential, mixed use and cultural epicenter with The Vine is something that seems impossible. The leadership at City Hall's failure to complete the East Village and 3 decades of 18th & Vine disasters by so-called "Black Leadership" informs me that the 2 simply can't negotiate development on an executive level. I hope that changes with this Keystone District.

Isolated, island development doesn't work is one lesson.

[missingkc]

I think that UMKC/Rockhurst/Stowers/MRI makes as much sense as the Crossroads location. Build on what we have.

“The idea is to create a place where entrepreneurs, research institutions, students and corporations can collaborate privately and publicly to generate economic impact and workforce readiness.”

Folks say they want UMKC to grow (and KC desperately needs for it to). This seems like a suitable adjunct facility with compatible functions.

The Crossroads obviously has some qualities that make it attractive (it's obviously going to be much easier to build there), but I wonder how much the choice of location was driven by availability of land owned by Transit Authority (that they want to dispose of) and the expectation that the City's desire to develop 18th will lead them to chip in. Not that those aren't good things.

[shinatoo]

The Kauffman Foundation is already by UMKC and provides a similar function.

[anonkcmo]

Isolated, island development doesn't work is one lesson.

Totally agree and I've said that a million times.
But this has some distinctions.

1) The city has poured and continues to pour millions into 18th & Vine, why waste it?
2) The ATA owns much of the land and has committed to changing 18th street.
3) The Crossroad's smaller residential and retail developments have and will continue to grow to the east along 18th in the future due to available lots and cheaper costs.

[grovester]

Isolated, island development doesn't work is one lesson.

Totally agree and I've said that a million times.
But this has some distinctions.

1) The city has poured and continues to pour millions into 18th & Vine, why waste it?
2) The ATA owns much of the land and has committed to changing 18th street.
3) The Crossroad's smaller residential and retail developments have and will continue to grow to the east along 18th in the future due to available lots and cheaper costs.

We're on the same page, this can be a game changer now that the Crossroads is up and running and moving east organically.

Guess I don't necessarily blame city government and "black leadership" for previous failures, it was doomed by geography from the get go.

[DaveKCMO]

The work continues: https://www.startlandnews.com/2019/07/k ... -mcginnis/

[FangKC]

Mayor’s budget nixes $300K for Keystone innovation development at 18th and Troost

https://www.startlandnews.com/2020/02/b ... a-97078961

[normalthings]

I still am not sold on why this is a good location. It seems far from anything they are trying to connect (young people, tech companies, research institutes, universities, and transit). The riverfront with its proximity to streetcar extension, highway, and wide-open spaces for development just seems like a better fit to me. The ~9 acres about to be cleared at 51st & Brookside would also be an amazing fit. Next to uni, next to the streetcar, next to multiple research institutes, etc

https://www.keystonedistrict.org/the-vision

[TheLastGentleman]

I still am not sold on why this is a good location. It seems far from anything they are trying to connect (young people, tech companies, research institutes, universities, and transit). The riverfront with its proximity to streetcar extension, highway, and wide-open spaces for development just seems like a better fit to me. The ~9 acres about to be cleared at 51st & Brookside would also be an amazing fit. Next to uni, next to the streetcar, next to multiple research institutes, etc

https://www.keystonedistrict.org/the-vision

Any effort to route some Crossroads energy over to 18th and Vine gets my approval. If you know of a better way of doing that than what they've proposed with this project, I'd love to hear it.

[FangKC]

I think the placement probably has to do with opportunity zone financing, and putting it east of Troost (though barely) lessens the chances people will complain about local incentives. There are also nearby parcels that could be developed if they want to expand the district.

[Riverite]

If they make this work, I’d love to see the same density of the crossroads pushed all the way to paseo. It would make the city feel so much denser.

[normalthings]

I think the placement probably has to do with opportunity zone financing, and putting it east of Troost (though barely) lessens the chances people will complain about local incentives. There are also nearby parcels that could be developed if they want to expand the district.

Interesting point. I didn’t think of the opportunity zone financing

[dukuboy1]

I think the placement probably has to do with opportunity zone financing, and putting it east of Troost (though barely) lessens the chances people will complain about local incentives. There are also nearby parcels that could be developed if they want to expand the district.

Interesting point. I didn’t think of the opportunity zone financing

Also proximity to hospital hill & growth there could be helpful. Creating a midtown business loop of sorts. Using Crossroads as catalyst and trying to connect the East side more. I like the idea of river front as well if this idea fizzles because of location

[normalthings]

Troost in the 31st and Linwood could be another interesting location. Plenty of open fields and developable sites for cheap. Soon to be the Crossroads of 2 MAX lines. Opportunity Zone. KCPS facilities a block north. Close to Armour Blvd apartments

[normalthings]

The gentrification of low-income residential neighborhoods was evidently a big factor in site selection. (So no Troost Corridor)

WB and East Village were also considered.

[KCDowntown]

There's a 'Request Development Assistance Team Meeting' permit on CompassKC for a 5 story office building on the NE corner of 18th & Troost. Project name for this building is 'Keystone Innovation'

Streetview

20M dollar building
Construction start Feb 2022
Construction end Jan 2023
140 projected employees

KCDowntown

[normalthings]

This is either 5 or 6 stories

[Riverite]

Fantastic idea and building can’t wait for this to get started

[Riverite]

Would be great if they could attach an entrepreneurship generator tied to a local university like umkc or rockhurst

[alejandro46]

I thought this never got funded? Maybe moving forward now?

Also the street trees and pedestrian activity on those rendering are quite...asperational lol.