OFFICIAL - Strata (H&R Block's 2nd Tower)

Come here for discussion about the new downtown entertainment district.
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FangKC
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Re: Five Light

Post by FangKC »

This.
Copaken is building the project on a speculative basis, meaning he doesn’t have tenants in mind yet, but is confident that he can sign some to lease agreements before it opens in almost three years.

Copaken’s news was probably music to Tim Cowden’s ears. Cowden, the chief executive of the Kansas City Area Development Council, an organization that looks to recruit employers to the Kansas City region, has hoped that a developer would take the risk to build new office space.

That’s because businesses that consider locating in Kansas City have been off-put by the lack of immediately available, premier office space.

“(Kansas City) has lost out on some major employer opportunities because we didn’t have this type of office product available,” Cowden told The Star in a text message. “Peer markets like Nashville, Denver, Dallas and Salt Lake have all seen Class A (speculative) office development occur. This helps even the playing field against markets like these — and smaller ones like (Oklahoma City) that have also seen (speculative) office activity of late.”

Kansas City’s Class A office vacancy rate has been dipping continuously since 2014, when it was nearly 12 percent, to 9 percent in 2017, according to KCADC research. But not much has been done in terms of building new office space.

Meanwhile, cities like Dallas and Atlanta have delivered expansive speculative office developments since 2016. Atlanta has built nearly 4 million square feet of speculative office space in the last two years, according to the KCADC.

Copaken acknowledged that his development team is taking a big risk with the Strata project, but thinks it’s the right time.

“I think the city has some good examples of where they’re missing out on deals because the space isn’t currently available,” Copaken said.

Cowden agreed.

“In the evolution of development, office space follows where people choose to live,” Cowden said. “The timing of this new office tower makes sense based on all the multifamily, entertainment and retail that has occurred downtown in recent years. The time is now.”
I don't know if Starbucks passing on KC triggered this. Any real estate people know of any other companies that looked, and passed on downtown recently because of lack of space?
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normalthings
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Re: Five Light

Post by normalthings »

I had heard from other sources that they have tenants in mind.

The office lowrise by Barney Allis is very likely to be built now. (Still wish they’d add a dozen floors)
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Re: Five Light

Post by tower »

Anyone else think the facade was specifically designed to make the rendering look shorter than it is? I feel like the render is meant to look like a 9 story addition. Of course it will look big when it was done, but maybe the developers thought it would draw less criticism if people think it isn't part of the skyline?
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Re: Five Light

Post by moderne »

No. There are myriads of buildings where multiples of floors are grouped into larger "frames."
WoodDraw
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Re: Five Light

Post by WoodDraw »

Has there been any criticism? I know the subsidies are a bit aggressive, but that p&l deal is what it is at this point.

This spot was always designed for height. I think the reaction to the design has been mostly positive.
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Re: Five Light

Post by tower »

I haven't heard any criticism about the height or design. I wouldn't have brought it up, but they are grouping the garage facade as well, and I just found that a little odd.
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Five Light

Post by beautyfromashes »

tower wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:52 pm I haven't heard any criticism about the height or design. I wouldn't have brought it up, but they are grouping the garage facade as well, and I just found that a little odd.
The overhangs of each ‘grouping’ are usually an architectural element for fire suppression. Instead of the fire coming out the window and ‘climbing’ the side of the building to other floors, the fire is pushed away from the building and isolated from spreading. If done on ever floor, it would isolate to one floor. This would isolate to each group of floors. Plus, it looks nice. I’m hearing this building might get taller if increased interest shows during design.
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normalthings
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Re: Five Light

Post by normalthings »

How much taller can it go though?
Last edited by normalthings on Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Five Light

Post by mgh7676 »

beautyfromashes wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:32 pm
tower wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 3:52 pm I haven't heard any criticism about the height or design. I wouldn't have brought it up, but they are grouping the garage facade as well, and I just found that a little odd.
The overhangs of each ‘grouping’ are usually an architectural element for fire suppression. Instead of the fire coming out the window and ‘climbing’ the side of the building to other floors, the fire is pushed away from the building and isolated from spreading. If done on ever floor, it would isolate to one floor. This would isolate to each group of floors. Plus, it looks nice. I’m hearing this building might get taller if increased interest shows during design.
I'm wondering if it has already gotten taller due to interest. The building has grown by 5 floors since the first time I heard it referenced, unless the parking garage was not included in the original description.
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Re: Five Light

Post by WoodDraw »

normalthings wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:56 pm How much taller can it go though?
I swear there are renderings out there from way back when this was first proposed as h&r block II. I just can't find them or remember much.

My limited memory is this is mostly in line with what they were thinking back then. I don't think it was ever designed to be massively tall. More of an over flow if they needed extra space.

I know nothing about what was actually built and to support what though.
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normalthings
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Re: Five Light

Post by normalthings »

WoodDraw wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:23 pm
normalthings wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:56 pm How much taller can it go though?
I swear there are renderings out there from way back when this was first proposed as h&r block II. I just can't find them or remember much.

My limited memory is this is mostly in line with what they were thinking back then. I don't think it was ever designed to be massively tall. More of an over flow if they needed extra space.

I know nothing about what was actually built and to support what though.
Yeah. I didn’t think that they would be able to go much higher than what’s currently proposed.
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Chris Stritzel
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Re: Five Light

Post by Chris Stritzel »

The reception from people in St. Louis about this is more positive than not. They wish it could be here (that's what was said on my Twitter). Only one hated it. I know St. Louis has nothing to do with this but it's fun to see what people say. An UrbanSTL user by the name of "SymphonicPoet" says that this design reminds him of "Streamlined Moderne". I thought Mid-Century Modern.
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FangKC
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Re: Five Light

Post by FangKC »

Chris Stritzel wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 6:56 pm The reception from people in St. Louis about this is more positive than not. They wish it could be here (that's what was said on my Twitter). Only one hated it. I know St. Louis has nothing to do with this but it's fun to see what people say. An UrbanSTL user by the name of "SymphonicPoet" says that this design reminds him of "Streamlined Moderne". I thought Mid-Century Modern.
Image

I can see it.
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Five Light

Post by beautyfromashes »

Do we think the glass cube will be the main entrance lobby to the building or midblock? It looks like the Garment District sign is missing from the rendering. Is there a place we could move retail shopping to fill more empty space?
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Re: Five Light

Post by moderne »

A mid block entrance will give direct access to the elevator core. This sorta looks like 5 of D.C.'s Kennedy Center stacked atop one another.
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Re: Five Light

Post by WoodDraw »

Aren't the entrances already set? I'm sure things can change, but my understanding was that the lobby was already set.
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Re: Five Light

Post by moderne »

Neither rendering shows it, but it would have to have some sort of penthouse element on the roof.
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FangKC
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Re: Five Light

Post by FangKC »

Here is the cutout for the front entrance on Main Street. I assume they will also have an entrance on Baltimore.

https://tinyurl.com/y7vqe2qh
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Chris Stritzel
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Re: Five Light

Post by Chris Stritzel »

FangKC wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 10:55 pm Here is the cutout for the front entrance on Main Street. I assume they will also have an entrance on Baltimore.

https://tinyurl.com/y7vqe2qh
The rendering shows this entrance open, at least that's what it makes it out to be. It would be obvious for an entrance on Main but an Entrance on Baltimore? I don't see it. The garage ramps would go in where the loading dock looking thing is.
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Five Light

Post by TheLastGentleman »

There's already a parking garage entrance.

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