Hawthorn @ 39th & Main goes condo

[jerry12]

20+ years ago their was a huge porn store on the NE corner of 39th and main.  They completely renovated it and it looked like the area would blossom.  But as time went on not much positive happened.  Main Street was also overun with hookers about that time.  Maybe its time has finally arrived but it always seems to be a struggle.

[DiggityDawg]

The latest, from this morning's Star :

In other matters, the development agency board approved:

■ A development plan to convert the Hawthorn Plaza Apartments, at 3835 Main St., into 72 market-rate apartments. Tom Gardner, a consultant to the proposed developer, Frederick-Lanell Distinct Properties, said the $24 million redevelopment plan includes the acquisition and demolition of the New York Times Square Video store at 3821 Main St.

A four-level, 155-space garage would be built at the video store location to serve the development. Gardner said the developers would like to close on the Hawthorn Plaza property Oct. 14.

The project would be completed in 2008.

[moderne]

     Hate to see all those low income people have to leave one of the few good locations for public transit in this town.  But it will be the biggest thing to happen in that stretch since Mama Stuffeati's twenty years ago.Good for the Unicorn's investment also.

[macnw]

Where do we propose the "low income" people go? We never follow up on that little fact.

[dangerboy]

Yes it is unfortunate that low income people are being displaced.  However, one of the biggest problems with that area is that there is too much poverty concentrated there.  It really does need some middle and upper income people added to the mix.  I don't think we should displace too many poor people, but we definitely need to adjust the ratio around that intersection.

[omenapt]

RIGHT ON!!! michael/....god, . i feared someone would bring up the "displacement" issue..........

This city is chocker- block ,assholes-to elbows, full of cheap housing.... Urban  re-developemnt isnt about  welfare recipients.....


this isnt Utopia folks(or Portland)..its frickin Kansas city...Multi-cult, blended well communitiies(economic) wont happen at first!!!!!

[macnw]

Funny how that question never really got answered

[ComandanteCero]

well, I honestly don't know where they're going, but KC doesn't have the crazy housing issues that many coastal and sunbelt cities are facing.  Because of that stability I'm sure those families and individuals will be absorbed into existing housing.  Granted, I'm no housing expert, but that's my guess.  Displacement is a very real and worthy concern in cities with very tight housing, but KC doesn't seem to have that problem, so i'm guessing they'll land on their feet.

[KC ROO]

While it is always unfortunate to displace people, whatever their income may be, however I think this is a positive move for this location. Hopefully this will spur further redevelopment along Main. I wonder what will become of the adult movie store there, I would rather not live so close to such an operation, that location could be put to much better use. I know those types of business are "needed" however that one just seems to be in a bad spot, any thoughts on that?

[beautyfromashes]

Get rid of that one and Ray's Playpen.  They don't need to be on Main st.

[DanCa]

Get rid of that one and Ray's Playpen.  They don't need to be on Main st.

But Ray's is a KC icon! 

I've lived here in Denver right off Colfax within a couple blocks of porn stores and never had any problem at all.  Actually, along Colfax in my old neighborhood they've added a couple upscale restaurants and upscale condos on Colax and the porn store is still there.  Although many porn stores are in crappy neighborhoods, it's not necessarily an indicator of the surrounding population. 

Just a thought, is the brick-and-mortar porn industry suffering due to Internet porn?  Or maybe the only people buying porn at these stores are poor people who can't afford computers.  Hmmm...

[beautyfromashes]

Where is it acceptable to have a porn shop?  How about in P&L? The Plaza?  Are we wanting something different for the Main St. compared to those locations?

[LenexatoKCMO]

Where is it acceptable to have a porn shop?  How about in P&L? The Plaza?  Are we wanting something different for the Main St. compared to those locations?

I would think the blood/plasma centers are a hell of a lot bigger drag on the central midtown neighborhood then the porn shops.  Talk about a sketchy crowd.   :shock:

Last time I drove past the one on Broadway it looked as if they might as well be paying for the plasma in meth rather than money. 

[justin8216]

The low-income residents of the 10 story Hawthorn Apartments near the intersection of 39th and Main are in the process of moving out.  Word on the street has it that the building's owner is going condo.  In related developments, there has been a lot of behind the scenes negotiating for properties on Main Street between Crown Center and the Plaza.  One local real estate agent tells me that this area is the next big thing and that property values are expected to soar with the completion of the Federal Reserve Building.  Developing...

Hopefully with these soaring mid-town property values resulting from the new Federal Reserve we can force out all the working-class people and destroy the mixed-income environment. That way we can have all the working-poor confined to one area with and endless cycle of  unemployment, second-rate educations, and the crime that accompanies it. Wow it sounds allot like Paris.  Go K.C.!!

[Paintfumes]

The Hawthorn are being turned into Condo's for the good. Before that it was a bad place and the police never liked going into that place. It'll help spur re-development along Main Street. That's if Rudy Langer will ever sell his properties. Hopefully. They are also going to build a ugly 3 story garage where the adult book stores at. Which isn't alot of space there.
Wouldn't the ugly 3 story garage look better behind the Hawthorn.

[chrizow]

Hopefully with these soaring mid-town property values resulting from the new Federal Reserve we can force out all the working-class people and destroy the mixed-income environment. That way we can have all the working-poor confined to one area with and endless cycle of  unemployment, second-rate educations, and the crime that accompanies it. Wow it sounds allot like Paris.  Go K.C.!!

(a) Midtown is not even close to being gentrified or expensive.
(b) the Fed Reserve will not make Midtown's property values increase dramatically, if at all.
(c) KC will not become as segregated as Paris in 1000 years. 
(d) the Hawthorn going condo will probably push out some people, but if they want to stay in the neighborhood, they can.  no neighborhood in kansas city is so dense or in danger of being completely gentrified that working-class people can't live nearby.  this includes the Plaza area. 

[beautyfromashes]

That way we can have all the working-poor confined to one area with and endless cycle of  unemployment, second-rate educations, and the crime that accompanies it. Wow it sounds 'a lot' like Paris. 

I thought you were talking about Wyandotte County.

[paisstat]

Which properties along Main does Rudy own?

[Paintfumes]

between 36th street and 37th street on Main , what use to be the Silo , next to it is the riley automotive parts , the pawn shop and the empty lot behind the pawn shop parking

[Marreekarr]

^I can't speak for Rudy Langer, but I do know that he has at least considered the possibility of selling the Silo building and nearby properties.