Plaza Residential Development

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.
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FangKC
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Plaza Residential Development

Post by FangKC »

I'm starting a new thread for the Plaza residential development (splitting off from the Plaza Move-Ins thread).

I'm starting with the Plaza Heights development, being one by the Westport Today Foundation / St. Luke's.

https://plazaheights.com/site-plan/

Here is a site map showing the existing houses that will be/have been demolished to build the proposed houses.

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The existing neighborhood as it is now.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/724+C ... 94.5953959
Last edited by FangKC on Sat Nov 24, 2018 3:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Plaza Residential Development

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Here are the houses that will be demolished in the Plaza Terrace Development.

On Corbin Terrace.

Image
Last edited by FangKC on Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Plaza Residential Development (Westport Today Foundation)

Post by FangKC »

On 44th Terrace.

Image
Last edited by FangKC on Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by FangKC »

On W. 45th Street.

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Last edited by FangKC on Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Plaza Heights Development (Westport Today Foundation)

Post by FangKC »

The proposed houses.

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Re: Plaza Heights Development (Westport Today Foundation)

Post by KCKev2 »

Well researched. If I understand correctly all the houses proposed to be demolished are rental properties owned by a St. Luke's Hospital development division and were all donated to the development division. The design of the new housing seems to be nice. I don't understand the goal - demolish well maintained rental single family homes for new owner single family homes? What's the advantage?
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Plaza Residential Development

Post by FangKC »

I don't get it either.

I can see them building on some of the vacant lots around the neighborhood. That would make sense. They have six single parcels that I think would be okay to do the single family houses shown above--or something similar--maybe not the front garage designs, but place the garages in the back of the house with shared drives. I'm not a huge fan of street-facing garages.

There are a couple of houses they own that I can see them demolishing among those six parcels I mentioned scattered around the neighborhood. None of them though are among the houses I've identified in photos that are to be demolished. These houses: 4442 and 4450 Washington. I don't know. Both could probably be remodeled. 4450 definitely needs the porch fixed, and 4442 needs a new roof.

On their parcels north of 44th Street though (shown below), I would prefer to see denser options than single family houses: apartment buildings, or three-story townhouses, etc. Here are some examples of what might be built.

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Last edited by FangKC on Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:40 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Plaza Heights Development (Westport Today Foundation)

Post by chaglang »

Do they own the empty lots on your aerial photo?
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Re: Plaza Heights Development (Westport Today Foundation)

Post by Highlander »

FangKC wrote: Thu Nov 22, 2018 11:30 pm I don't get it either.

I can see them building on some of the vacant lots around the neighborhood. That would make sense. They have six single parcels that I think would be okay to do the single family houses shown above--or something similar--maybe not the front garage designs, but place the garages in the back of the house with shared drives. I'm not a huge fan of street-facing garages.

There are a couple of houses they own that I can see them demolishing among those six parcels I mentioned scattered around the neighborhood. None of them though are among the houses I've identified in photos that are to be demolished. These houses: 4442 and 4450 Washington. I don't know. Both could probably be remodeled. 4450 definitely needs the porch fixed, and 4442 needs a new roof.
I like what St Lukes is doing. The homes will be a bit larger and more versatile and are built for ownership instead of rental which will also help the neighborhood. I think the area is prime for gentrification in terms of densely spaced single family housing which is something Kansas City lacks and desperately needs in the urban core. There's no better place for that than the area between Wesport and the Plaza. It can be done on a pretty dense scale. What I do not understand is the $350 per sq ft suggested price. They will be newly built homes but that seems pretty high. Is anybody in KC really going to pay that for a home?

By the way, I think it's great to separate this thread out from the greater Plaza thread but you should retitle it Plaza Area Residential so it can cover a range of residential projects going in around the plaza instead of just this particular project.
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Plaza Residential Development

Post by FangKC »

chaglang wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 9:54 pm Do they own the empty lots on your aerial photo?
Yes. I looked up all the parcels on the City's parcel viewer.
Last edited by FangKC on Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Plaza Residential Development

Post by FangKC »

Highlander wrote: Sat Nov 24, 2018 1:41 am By the way, I think it's great to separate this thread out from the greater Plaza thread but you should retitle it Plaza Area Residential so it can cover a range of residential projects going in around the plaza instead of just this particular project.
Good idea.
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by marieantoinette »

It is my understanding that they do not own all of the lots potentially to be redeveloped. My dentist just informed me that he owns several homes in the neighborhood that St. Lukes is pressuring him to sell to them.
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by alejandro46 »

Thanks for starting this thread. I am supportive of the re-development as well; the neighborhood property values are exceptionally high and it makes sense to upgrade the old housing stock and generate revenue and long-term stability by replacing the homes. The foundation has already rehabbed homes where possible, so I don't think demo was their first choice at all. In addition, they have worked to develop multiple apartment projects in the neighborhood as well. There are open lots up by 42nd street which would be prime for some more market rate housing or expansion of Bishop Spencer Place.
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

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marieantoinette wrote: Mon Nov 26, 2018 11:33 am It is my understanding that they do not own all of the lots potentially to be redeveloped. My dentist just informed me that he owns several homes in the neighborhood that St. Lukes is pressuring him to sell to them.
I was referring just to the lots in the photo above that are bordered with red lines.
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by FangKC »

St. Luke's wants to preserve the residential neighborhood between the Plaza and Westport — by building half-million dollar homes there

Barbara Shelly
Dec 6, 2018 7 AM
Recently, the foundation connected to St. Luke’s Health System has announced plans to start construction on 30 new homes in the neighborhood west of its flagship hospital in Kansas City.

The single-family houses, which are expected to sell for around half a million dollars, will “enhance and revitalize” the neighborhood, according to a news release from the St. Luke’s Foundation.

The announcement, though, failed to veer into a widening debate about how much responsibility the foundation bears for the deterioration of the neighborhood it now intends to revitalize.

As jackhammers tear up asphalt and bulldozers turn over dirt on vacant lots in the enclave of homes and small apartments between Westport and the Plaza, it’s worth recounting the difficulties that occur when an institution as large as St. Luke’s casts a shadow over a neighborhood.

Two days before the St. Luke’s Foundation announces its new housing development, Bob Perry slows his red Chevy in front of a freshly bulldozed lot. He looks astounded.

“I didn’t know they tore that down,” Perry says.

“Oh gosh,” says his wife, Judy Perry. “I didn't either.”

Bob and Judy had been out of town for two weeks. In that stretch, a little bit more of their neighborhood had vanished.
...
https://tinyurl.com/y7vttyus
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by alejandro46 »

FangKC wrote: Thu Dec 06, 2018 8:43 pm St. Luke's wants to preserve the residential neighborhood between the Plaza and Westport — by building half-million dollar homes there

Barbara Shelly
Dec 6, 2018 7 AM
Recently, the foundation connected to St. Luke’s Health System has announced plans to start construction on 30 new homes in the neighborhood west of its flagship hospital in Kansas City.

The single-family houses, which are expected to sell for around half a million dollars, will “enhance and revitalize” the neighborhood, according to a news release from the St. Luke’s Foundation.

The announcement, though, failed to veer into a widening debate about how much responsibility the foundation bears for the deterioration of the neighborhood it now intends to revitalize.

As jackhammers tear up asphalt and bulldozers turn over dirt on vacant lots in the enclave of homes and small apartments between Westport and the Plaza, it’s worth recounting the difficulties that occur when an institution as large as St. Luke’s casts a shadow over a neighborhood.

Two days before the St. Luke’s Foundation announces its new housing development, Bob Perry slows his red Chevy in front of a freshly bulldozed lot. He looks astounded.

“I didn’t know they tore that down,” Perry says.

“Oh gosh,” says his wife, Judy Perry. “I didn't either.”

Bob and Judy had been out of town for two weeks. In that stretch, a little bit more of their neighborhood had vanished.
...
https://tinyurl.com/y7vttyus
Classic Pitch hit piece.

I do not agree. St. Lukes is working to improve the neighborhood by increasing property value of all, cleanliness and modern housing with layouts families expect. Other than Beacon Hill, new construction is not exactly common in the plaza and urban core. As the previous articles stated, the homes being demolished were beyond saving and St Lukes has already gotten a large number of multi-family projects in this area.
-45 madison
-46 Penn
-Mirabelle
-45 & Summit townhomes

-46 Summit (http://kcrag.com/viewtopic.php?t=20417)
-Crowne Plaza (3 stories)
-Tudors
-44 & Washington (https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... oject.html)
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by DaveKCMO »

Beyond saving? Really? :roll:
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by taxi »

Jesus saves, St. Luke heals.
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by alejandro46 »

DaveKCMO wrote: Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:56 pm Beyond saving? Really? :roll:
I mean, if it costs more to rehab a home than it would be able to be sold for, sure. If they can break even or make a little profit, that is more rehab work they can do in the Plaza North neighborhood.
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Re: Plaza Residential Development

Post by FangKC »

Keep in mind Alejandro that they got all the houses for free -- donated to the hospital foundation. The only cost to renovate would be the labor and materials. If you put $60,000-$80,000 into the rehab, you could still slap a 10 percent profit on top, sell them, and they would still be considered affordable housing. They are a foundation, so they aren't paying any taxes either.

The thing I keep asking is who are they trying to help? Selling $600,000+ houses seems to me that they are trying to upscale the neighborhood. Then I ask, what about their own employees as customers for these renovated houses? I'm sure there are plenty of the lower-paid hospital employees (nurses, nurses aides, janitors, cafeteria workers, records clerks, etc.) who don't earn huge salaries, but would love to be able to buy an affordable house within walking distance of their job. For some, it might mean they don't have to have a car, or at least wouldn't have to pay as much for gas to get to work.

I am seeing houses, that appear in worse shape, east of Troost that are getting rehabbed.

The mayor pledged to still try and adhere to the Paris Climate accords. That means asking big employers to reduce their carbon footprint. Not tearing down existing houses they own does that, as well as providing housing for employees where they don't have to drive to work.
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