New Town Liberty

[chingon]

Isn't there an older, small towny section of Liberty, something with a little character?  In my mind, having a new urbanist development that communicated with Liberty's old DT would be more likely to succeed than these bizarre developments that are conjured out of thin air (New Longview, Shoal Creek) and look as though they have been picked up by a twister and dropped in a fallow field.  I don't know Liberty very well, but hopefully this development will build on whatever is left of its historic fabric instead of try to replicate it elsewhere.
And for the love of American architecture (rip), will some one tell these people that new shit should look new,  not mimic a dead european architectural vernacular. 

[im2kull]

Isn't there an older, small towny section of Liberty, something with a little character?  In my mind, having a new urbanist development that communicated with Liberty's old DT would be more likely to succeed than these bizarre developments that are conjured out of thin air (New Longview, Shoal Creek) and look as though they have been picked up by a twister and dropped in a fallow field.  I don't know Liberty very well, but hopefully this development will build on whatever is left of its historic fabric instead of try to replicate it elsewhere.
And for the love of American architecture (rip), will some one tell these people that new shit should look new,  not mimic a dead european architectural vernacular. 

yep...the area around the liberty square...between the newer liberty and William Jewell College

[Stockton]

Thanks to GRID:

Liberty Square:
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/a ... _sized.jpg

William-Jewell College:
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/a ... _sized.jpg

http://kc-photos.com/?q=node/76

[DaveKCMO]

we went looking for the site today. is it around the hallmark distribution center off of I-35 and MO-33?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q ... 7&t=h&om=1

please note the active rail line on the eastern edge.

[zlohban]

we went looking for the site today. is it around the hallmark distribution center off of I-35 and MO-33?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q ... 7&t=h&om=1

please note the active rail line on the eastern edge.

Hey Dave, The land's south boundry is I-35, north boundry is 112th, east boundry is Lightburne and west boundry is A Hwy.

Your location, also Hallmark land, would tie in better with the older part of the city.

[im2kull]

we went looking for the site today. is it around the hallmark distribution center off of I-35 and MO-33?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q ... 7&t=h&om=1

please note the active rail line on the eastern edge.

yeah...wrong side of the highway..nice try looking though...ill post a map showing the boundarys later for the new hs and new town liberty

[ShowME]

yeah...wrong side of the highway..nice try looking though...ill post a map showing the boundarys later for the new hs and new town liberty

That would be greatly appreciated.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Isn't there an older, small towny section of Liberty, something with a little character?  In my mind, having a new urbanist development that communicated with Liberty's old DT would be more likely to succeed than these bizarre developments that are conjured out of thin air (New Longview, Shoal Creek) and look as though they have been picked up by a twister and dropped in a fallow field. 

Yes and old liberty has really turned around quite a bit since I was in school around there - people have rehabbed a lot of the old homes and a lot of the sketchier elements have moved out.  However, it is pretty landlocked - there isn't much in the way of open space close enough to the historic area to "communicate" with the old DT. There are probably a few sixties/seventies-era apartment complexes that could be sacrificed here and there for New Urban development but nothing very substantial. 

[im2kull]

Yes and old liberty has really turned around quite a bit since I was in school around there - people have rehabbed a lot of the old homes and a lot of the sketchier elements have moved out.  However, it is pretty landlocked - there isn't much in the way of open space close enough to the historic area to "communicate" with the old DT. There are probably a few sixties/seventies-era apartment complexes that could be sacrificed here and there for New Urban development but nothing very substantial. 

Yep..the only interesting thing of note is the thought that comes to mind when wondering why they didn't just use some of the empty shops on the square, or buy out some, and create a shopping district like they are now with "whitehall station" in south liberty?  All the infrastructure is already there, and the shops, simply expand a little bit and sign some tenats and you have a great shopping center that meets and exceeds all the current trends.  There's even a nice park next door, and plenty of parking and walkability to the stores.

[im2kull]

Here's a quick sneak peek at a few things...56k stay away...

Future Major Northland Road Plan


Shoal Creek Valley Development








Square overview

[eliphar17]

OK I'm confused... why is it a good idea to build a "New Town" center just three miles away from the existing town center - which is not even doing that bad? New Urbanism projects are good but every single one I've seen so far aims to be THE area destination. Why can't there be New Urbanism (or TND) projects that simply seek to extend the built environment as true urban fabric? When will developers abandon the shopping mall mentality and take on smaller projects that fit into a cohesive urban environment? ... Ever?

[im2kull]

OK I'm confused... why is it a good idea to build a "New Town" center just three miles away from the existing town center - which is not even doing that bad? New Urbanism projects are good but every single one I've seen so far aims to be THE area destination. Why can't there be New Urbanism (or TND) projects that simply seek to extend the built environment as true urban fabric? When will developers abandon the shopping mall mentality and take on smaller projects that fit into a cohesive urban environment? ... Ever?

Because in laymans terms, its basically just a new huge neighborhood...

..and with the scv already underway it wont hurt anything anymore, its inevitable and will actually benefit the city regardless with an influx of residents and a bigger tax base, rather than lose it all out to the KC side of town

[ShowMeKC]

It is kind of an effort to stop/slow sprawl. If this development were more like most suburban developments, it'd take up 2,000 acres or more, instead of 700-1,000. The other thing is that every neighborhood must be pretty much walkable, so the suburbs that are far from city centers like DT Liberty have to have a center as well.

Look at Northgate Village in NKC, it is an extension of the city's urban area. It's there, but sprawl has to be stopped as well as creating infill.

[Thrillcekr]

Looks like they have a website up now.  Not much on it yet of course.

http://www.newtownatliberty.com/Links.aspx

[ShowME]

I just want to know where are all the New Town people going to work when this is completed?  It doesn't appear that the supply of good paying jobs is increasing in the Northland and downtown is stagnant.  Good luck with that developer.

[ShowMeKC]

They aren't looking for new residents, they are looking for people already living in the metropolitan area, as well as some new residents.

ShowME, this exact type of project has been under construction for several years in St. Charles, MO and was very popular. These types of neighborhoods are very popular, and studies are showing more and more people prefer them, but they can be expensive, and while the neighborhoods/developments aren't auto-oriented, the city doesn't have enough mass transit for the residents to use mass transit to get Downtown.

Also, New Town isn't a typical suburban development, it's New Urbanism, which is a traditional neighborhood type of development that you see all over Europe, and in older, denser areas of KC (think East Side, Northeast, Midtown and North Kansas City) and other cities. Shopping is within walking distance, which provides some jobs, but not enough for 15,000-20,000 people. But like I said, keep in mind that this is not a project that will be developed in a few years, it's Shoal Creek on a denser scale, over a long period of time, targeting mostly existing residents of the metro.

[ShowMeKC]

New Urbanism/Traditional Neighborhood developments in the KC area:

New Town at Liberty: http://www.newtownatliberty.com/
New Longview: http://www.newlongview.com/
Northgate Village: http://www.northgatevillage.info/
Zona Rosa: http://www.zonarosa.com/
Park Place: http://destinationparkplace.com/
Crescent Creek: http://www.crescentcreekhomes.com/
Lenexa City Center: http://www.lenexacitycenter.com/index.html
East Gateway
New Market (KCK)

[ShowME]

ShowME, this exact type of project has been under construction for several years in St. Charles, MO and was very popular. These types of neighborhoods are very popular, and studies are showing more and more people prefer them, but they can be expensive, and while the neighborhoods/developments aren't auto-oriented, the city doesn't have enough mass transit for the residents to use mass transit to get Downtown

Seriously right now the housing market in Clay County is crap.  I observe daily a newer subdivision(Benson Place) where I reside.  Our subdivision is still doing ok but newer one's that have sprang up(Brentwood & Hills of Montclair) to name a few are really struggling.  Once you get over the 250k threshold you're screwed in Clay County.  I will always revert back to there's not enough good jobs up here.  Working at Quizno's or any other service industry job isn't going to be conducive to living in a subdivision like this.  There's a big difference in something like this being located in Platte County and Clay County.  My conclusion is the developer has no idea what's going on in KC North.  He should of called me.

[ShowMeKC]

Actually, first off, people can commute to Downtown and the Plaza, and there are lots of people north of the river that do, you don't need jobs directly in the northland.

The other thing, is that one of the planners working on this, is from Duane Plater Zyberk, one of the biggest new urbanism developers in the country, and has done many huge and important projects across the entire country, including Miami 21, New Town at St. Charles, etc...
Also, a couple local architects from 180 degrees are participating in this project.
Other companies involved include Whittaker Homes, Corban & Goode, Ray & Silver, and Civitech.

This isn't some normal developer proposing this project, it's a major professional group that knows what they are doing.

Also, as I said, this type of housing is offered no where else north of the river, except a few dozen houses in Shoal Creek.

[Roanoker]

New Urbanism/Traditional Neighborhood developments in the KC area:

New Town at Liberty: http://www.newtownatliberty.com/
New Longview: http://www.newlongview.com/
Northgate Village: http://www.northgatevillage.info/
Zona Rosa: http://www.zonarosa.com/
Park Place: http://destinationparkplace.com/
Crescent Creek: http://www.crescentcreekhomes.com/
Lenexa City Center: http://www.lenexacitycenter.com/index.html
East Gateway
New Market (KCK)

Thank you for posting these URLs, SMKC. My husband has been surfing for places to live in KC when we return in a few years. I'll have him give these a look. Then when we visit KC (soon), he can view them for real.