50s/Main development

[Thaine]

I don't think the Peanut is going.  Clyde North owns that.  He's an old-school rich guy.  My understanding of his position is that DST can have his building-as long as they pay him 5 million bucks.  That may have changed, I guess.

[PumpkinStalker]

So what is going in at the old Accurso's site? Looks like they're already working on it. Is that the British pub?

I thought the British pub was going in the spot where Double Dragon was.  The now vacant lot was supposed to be a grocery store or something.

[NDTeve]

I think the Northwest Corner of 51st and Main will be residential condos and across the street is the British pub.

[trailerkid]

Green Acres Market would do really well down here.

[dangerboy]

I have been to Accurso's and Planet Sub. Both are nice enough, but the interiors strike me as very strip mall-ish - like they are trying really hard to disguise that they are located inside a giant cinder block box (but not succeeding very well).

[trailerkid]

I have been to Accurso's and Planet Sub. Both are nice enough, but the interiors strike me as very strip mall-ish - like they are trying really hard to disguise that they are located inside a giant cinder block box (but not succeeding very well).

It is quite literally a strip mall pulled up to the curb, am I wrong?

I would assume both PS and Accuro's rely heavily on doing minimal architectural modification to their spaces beyond paint/signs whereas Spin has an architect to help them? There have been numerous complaints on this board about Planet Sub's ramshackle spaces so I'm not surprised they're unable to transcend their new location and give it its own personality.

[Tosspot]

The Planet Sub in question totally wastes its front windows owing to its interior setup.

[cdm2p]

It is quite literally a strip mall pulled up to the curb, am I wrong?

I would assume both PS and Accuro's rely heavily on doing minimal architectural modification to their spaces beyond paint/signs whereas Spin has an architect to help them? There have been numerous complaints on this board about Planet Sub's ramshackle spaces so I'm not surprised they're unable to transcend their new location and give it its own personality.

You guys are snobs.  This may not fit the ideal model set forth by the Congress for New Urbanism but the set up works.

[PumpkinStalker]

I might eat my own skepticism in this thread.  There are construction crews working on the old Double Dragon space as I type this on the Max.

[KCMax]

The Planet Sub in question totally wastes its front windows owing to its interior setup.

My thoughts exactly. And I think for a strip mall, the spaces are wonderful. What exactly would have made them better?

[chrizow]

this new strip on Main is basically a 2009 version of the 1959 (or whatever) strip mall on 51st between brookside blvd and oak (Muddy's, Pride Cleaners, Subway, etc.).  it's okay, but there needs to be some density built up in there.  the Kirkwood stuff, while not my style, is definitely a step in the right direction.  if the new strip mall instead had two stories of residential above it, that would have been a great addition to the area - along with about 250 more townhomes and apartments in the immediate vicinity.  there is a nice little strip of services and restaurants and stuff there, but not a lot of residential immediately surrounding it. 

[KCMax]

I think the Northwest Corner of 51st and Main will be residential condos and across the street is the British pub.

Any idea on how many units/stories the condos will have? Will it just be single use?

[DaveKCMO]

the fact that all the parking is not in front of new construction is a HUGE step forward for this town. i welcome it with a loving embrace. 

[ignatius]

^Agreed.  Now if development in Midtown could understand that. Several strikes with Linwood/Main area and new Jimmy John's on 39th.  There needs to be an urban core development policy for streetfront development, parking in the rear.

[NDTeve]

They've already torn down all of the old Accursos, Plaza Ford Ideal etc. And I've seen crews working all the time on the new pub. Now if we could just get rid of that gas station across the street from Il Centro. And clean up the the Muddy's/Pride Cleaners strip.

[trailerkid]

You guys are snobs.  This may not fit the ideal model set forth by the Congress for New Urbanism but the set up works.

bad design is bad design.

yes, it's better than 99% of what has been built in urban kansas city over the last 50 years.

[Tosspot]

And clean up the the Muddy's/Pride Cleaners strip.

Honest question -what would you change about it?

[cdm2p]

bad design is bad design.

yes, it's better than 99% of what has been built in urban kansas city over the last 50 years.

how is the design bad?  Should money been spent making the place look like it was built in the 20's?  In my opinion, money talks.  I don't care how "great" a design might be.  If it doesn't cash flow, it's worthless.  This set up works.  I see people over there every evening.  It is a neigbhorhood place. You unemployed architects need to find something else to criticize.

[Midtownkid]

I don't care how "great" a design might be. You unemployed architects need to find something else to criticize.

Hey!  That's a bit snarky.  If you don't care about how good a design is, ignore those kind of comments.  Criticizing architectural design is not a bad thing, it's good.  However, just saying it's "Bad" with little more explanation is not really criticism...it's just blabber.  From what I remember, seeing this strip last October, I really liked it.  It did look urban and modern/clean.  I'm planning on checking out Spin when I visit in a few weeks so I can better criticize the strip then.

[KCMax]

http://www.kansascity.com/199/story/1460756.html

Question: Have you heard anything about that corner at 51st and Main across from Il Centro? I have people swearing to me that Whole Foods or Trader Joe's are in final discussions.

DST Realty, which has been developing parts of the 49th and 50th blocks of Main on the west side, said it is just sprucing up the area after tearing down some buildings and may do a community garden until retailers are signed for the spot.