KC Considers Offices in Central Library on 12th Street

[FangKC]

REAL ESTATE:
COMMERCIAL
September 5, 2003
The Business Journal of Kansas City

KC checks out library's old space

Jim Davis
Staff Writer

Kansas City could occupy space across the street from City Hall to be vacated by the Kansas City Public Library, City Manager Wayne Cauthen said.

Cauthen said he has begun "preliminary conversations" with his staff about the feasibility of moving city offices, now scattered throughout the city, into the building at 311 E. 12th St.

The library is scheduled to leave that location at the end of this year and reopen in March in the former First National Bank Building, 14 W. 10th St.

The Kansas City School District owns the building where the library now leases space for its Central Branch and administrative offices. Cauthen said he hasn't contacted school district officials.

The school and library districts were commonly governed through 1988, when the library become autonomous. As part of the split, the school district took control of the downtown branch building, and the library district gained title to its other locations.

Al Mauro, president of the Kansas City School Board, said he plans for school district offices to use some of the space now occupied by the library. The library leases 142,000 square feet, or 86 percent of the building. The school district uses the remaining space.

Mauro said he expects to move school offices from leased space in the Argyle Building, 306 E. 12th St. "It's a savings for us to move in," he said.

Mauro said he's "fairly optimistic" about being able to lease space the
school district doesn't need to local government agencies, which he
declined to identify.

The building opened in 1960. Many areas are in poor condition and
require significant repairs.

Cauthen said economics will determine the city's interest in the school district's offer.

"We're trying to get a handle on our budget," he said. The city now
leases space in Oak Tower, 324 E. 11th St., because it has run out of
room in City Hall, 414 E. 12th St.

The city drew heat from downtown advocates earlier this year when it
announced plans for the Water Services Department to consolidate offices split between City Hall and Oak Tower in another building at 4800 E. 63rd St.

Advocates said the move violated the spirit of Kansas City Mayor Kay
Barnes' attempts to revitalize Downtown.

Cauthen promised he won't repeat that blunder and said he'll talk with the city architect to determine the city's office space needs "so we can consolidate in the downtown core."

Cauthen said that having the city replace the library at 311 E. 12th St. would be "a logical step for us."

"We would prefer to own space rather than lease it," he said. "If the city were to pursue it, we'd do it on a lease-to-own basis."

[Midtownkid]

I hate that building...i wish they would tear it down and replace it with a nice looking, pedestrian friendly building w/ ground floor retail.

[FangKC]

Yes, it's a hideous building. I would shed no tears if it were torn down.

[dangerboy]

I used to work there and I can tell you that building is pile of crap. Like most buildings from the late 60s or early 70s it was not built to last. It has major problems with heating, cooling, plumbing, and all the rest of the mechanicals. The school district has not kept up with maintenance, and as a tenant the library wasn't able to do much with it's half. The library even considered blowing it up and building new, but the school distirct wouldn't sell. It would need extensive rehabilitation in order to adequately house city offices.

[FangKC]

That building opened in 1960. When I am in the library, I often wish I was in a protective suit with its own air supply. Have you ever looked at the central-air vents in the ceilings? The ceiling tiles around them are disgusting. I can only imagine how much dust and mold is in those air ducts.

The curtains that hang in the library look like they are the original ones installed in 1960 too. The school district should spend more money on maintaining its property instead of funding Oleta Adams concerts for its staff. I'm sure their employee morale would be more improved by a better working environment than listening to a 2-hour concert.