Thoughts on Riverbend & Coffee Lofts ?

[tella100]

Ok, so I am not sure if I have posted this in the correct forum or not.

My Loft search continues & I wanted to see if anyone who either lives in or used to live in the apartments now known as Riverbend and Coffee lofts would chime in on what they thought of the buildings? (noise from neighbors, venhilation etc). 

I like both of these places and they prices (at least on the lower end 180-200, work in my budget)

[skim82]

I was told that the Coffee Lofts were having trouble selling, and that some of the units might be leased out... i don't know if that's true or not, but that is the rumor.

I was originally very excited and came very close to buying a loft in Coffee Lofts..  However, after consulting with a realtor, i decided although I love the garment district, the River Market had more of the "urban" flavor I was looking for.

I have no problem with the Riverbend Lofts... however, for me it was a little too dark, and the remaining available floorplans were not too appealing to me.  There are many people on this forum that live in Riverbend, so you might want to pm them and get their personal opinions..

[scooterj]

What building is Coffee Lofts??

[tella100]

I was told that the Coffee Lofts were having trouble selling, and that some of the units might be leased out... i don't know if that's true or not, but that is the rumor.

I was originally very excited and came very close to buying a loft in Coffee Lofts..  However, after consulting with a realtor, i decided although I love the garment district, the River Market had more of the "urban" flavor I was looking for.

I have no problem with the Riverbend Lofts... however, for me it was a little too dark, and the remaining available floorplans were not too appealing to me.  There are many people on this forum that live in Riverbend, so you might want to pm them and get their personal opinions..

Yea i think they about about 15 sold out of like 40 units available. However the great majority of the sales are on the small 120-150K units. 

The remodel of the common interior is not done yet, no club room etc, that may be slowing sales. I dont think that they are leasing them yet.

I just cant seem to pull the trigger on Coffee either, for whatever reason they seem about 10-20% too high for what you get, but they do have a lot more light than riverbend, maybe the windows are larger? They both primarly get North and East Sun (less light) but I agree, RB seems kinda dark.

And like you I am slightly favoring the RM neighborhood of all the places to live downtown.  Although if P&L really kicks off, would property inside the loop may become more desirable than the RM?

[skim82]

Yea i think they about about 15 sold out of like 40 units available. However the great majority of the sales are on the small 120-150K units. 

The remodel of the common interior is not done yet, no club room etc, that may be slowing sales. I dont think that they are leasing them yet.

I just cant seem to pull the trigger on Coffee either, for whatever reason they seem about 10-20% too high for what you get, but they do have a lot more light than riverbend, maybe the windows are larger? They both primarly get North and East Sun (less light) but I agree, RB seems kinda dark.

And like you I am slightly favoring the RM neighborhood of all the places to live downtown.  Although if P&L really kicks off, would property inside the loop may become more desirable than the RM?

Yea, the real problem with Coffee Lofts, is that you're buying into something that isn't yet completed ..they don't have a clear plan on what they want to do with that building... I've heard they have some experience selling lofts/condos, but overall, their reputation wasn't that great with realtors, etc. I don't know exactly what's going on, however, i know its a shame, b/c the garment district is AWESOME... but too bad the owner of Coffee Lofts owns 700 Broadway, and the building next to it (Fountains of Broadway)???

Anyways, about the CBD, I would say the CBD is a totally different animal than the RM.  It's just different, from the amenities, to the neighborhood.  Remember, if you're considering living DT, you're buying a lifestyle, along with a home..  I've done my research, and I made my choice of the RM...  I reserved a unit right next door (in the shadows) of Riverbend.. i can't wait to see it develop, there is so much potential in that area. 

Oh yea, and don't forget, you have to spend more $ just to make your Coffee Loft unique... it comes "as is" with older appliances, etc. 

btw have you checked out Bridgeworks???  or how about the Gumbel building???

[tella100]

Did you reserver at First and Main?  If so, good move, that place looks like it will be awesome with the terrace / porch , the garden/park etc.

Yes the build out / Remodel costs have to be factored in, thats the thing with Bridgeworks. Everything left is 250K but they are finished out.  Coffee, Riverbend, 523 Grand etc are all as is" but are priced so much lower that I think you could put lots of money into an "as is" building and get it looking pretty top notch and still pay less than you would at a new development. The only exception i have found to that is First and Main.

I tend to agree with you, the RM is the best urban neighborhood KC has right now.

[Long]

Is Coffee Lofts the building to the east of the Folgers Plant?

If so, the loft conversion was just done 5 years ago, so everything is pretty new.  You might decide you want nicer kitchen countertops, but the appliances would probably be just fine. . .

They do have big windows . . . and north and east exposures are best.  With north windows, you can have the blinds open all the time and not have a problem with direct sunlight. 

Anyway, I thought this was a cool building before they painted it pink.  When it was white it had a pretty cool industrial look to it.  But I guess that's bad.

[skim82]

Did you reserver at First and Main?  If so, good move, that place looks like it will be awesome with the terrace / porch , the garden/park etc.

Yes the build out / Remodel costs have to be factored in, thats the thing with Bridgeworks. Everything left is 250K but they are finished out.  Coffee, Riverbend, 523 Grand etc are all as is" but are priced so much lower that I think you could put lots of money into an "as is" building and get it looking pretty top notch and still pay less than you would at a new development. The only exception i have found to that is First and Main.

I tend to agree with you, the RM is the best urban neighborhood KC has right now.

Yes, I have reserved there, I just hope that the developers just keep up their end of the deal.... I'm sure they will though, b/c from what I can see from their developed projects, they are top notch.

[Moniker]

I lived in two different lofts within the Coffee House over two years before they kicked everyone out to turn it into condominiums. Although large and spacious, they had serious ant problems in practically every unit I lived in (including my neighbors). They would come through the cracks between where the carpet met the cement walls in both the bedrooms and in the living room.

Ant issues where they've infested the actual foundation of the building are an issue that cannot simply be resolved by spraying and laying out ant traps.

[lock+load]

Sounds to me like the Coffee building would have been best left as rental.  Why try to convert a dud into conds, when there is an ample rental market out there?

[Long]

I lived in two different lofts within the Coffee House over two years before they kicked everyone out to turn it into condominiums. Although large and spacious, they had serious ant problems in practically every unit I lived in (including my neighbors). They would come through the cracks between where the carpet met the cement walls in both the bedrooms and in the living room.

Ant issues where they've infested the actual foundation of the building are an issue that cannot simply be resolved by spraying and laying out ant traps.

Yikes!

[parrothead]

Wow, just stumbled across this blog on Coffee Lofts.  These guys are way off base!  I have lived at this building for two years and I love it!  I am actually still renting, because I have not closed on my unit yet.  The owners have been really flexible in this regard.  When they decided to convert it to condo's they gave everyone the option to buy their unit, so that's what I did.  On my deal I took my unit as is, because I like the way it looks now, and when I close, the company is going to give me a check for $15,000.  Pretty sweet!  But they also give you the option of doing up to $15K in renovations if you prefer this over the cash.  The building itself is awesome, big widows, big living spaces, tall ceilings.  The whole building is made out of concrete so there are no sound issues at all.  Plus there is secured covered parking attached to the building, you never even have to go outside. 

Right now they are doing a ton of renovations which look like they will be done shortly, they are adding a cool clubroom and a fitness center, not to mention redoing all the carpet and paint in the building.

The neighborhood is great, tons of bars, restaurants and I have never had a problem with crime.

When I spoke with my broker the other day she told me about half the building had already been sold, not bad considering it's still under construction.

[Moniker]

Wow, just stumbled across this blog on Coffee Lofts.  These guys are way off base!  I have lived at this building for two years and I love it!  I am actually still renting, because I have not closed on my unit yet.  The owners have been really flexible in this regard.  When they decided to convert it to condo's they gave everyone the option to buy their unit, so that's what I did.  On my deal I took my unit as is, because I like the way it looks now, and when I close, the company is going to give me a check for $15,000.  Pretty sweet!  But they also give you the option of doing up to $15K in renovations if you prefer this over the cash.  The building itself is awesome, big widows, big living spaces, tall ceilings.  The whole building is made out of concrete so there are no sound issues at all.  Plus there is secured covered parking attached to the building, you never even have to go outside. 

Right now they are doing a ton of renovations which look like they will be done shortly, they are adding a cool clubroom and a fitness center, not to mention redoing all the carpet and paint in the building.

The neighborhood is great, tons of bars, restaurants and I have never had a problem with crime.

When I spoke with my broker the other day she told me about half the building had already been sold, not bad considering it's still under construction.

Parrot, you weren't a victim of one of the many instances where the storage units were pilphered by residents? Every single unit who had storage on the third floor of the building had their locks busted off and things stolen by people who moved out around last summer. They also hit the first floor. Nor, was this the only instance that it had happened. When we first moved in, the second floor was hit.

Granted, the parking spaces are one of the more redeeming qualities about the Coffee House. Soho was also kind enough to relocate us into a bigger, better top floor unit after displacing us not once, but twice and covered our moving expenses We now proudly live on the top floor of the Opera House. However, the ants would deter me from ever buying there. Pest infestation issues in the foundation of the building cannot simply be resolved by slapping a new coat of painting on the building or a new fitness room.

[Thaine]

Admittedly, I'm no expert like an exterminator or anything, but if Parrothead is right and the whole building is concrete, the ants aren't killing me, they just need to be poisoned and left to die their nasty little death.

If Moniker is right and the ants or other pests are attacking the "foundation" (assuming its wood I guess?), then the ants present a little more of a problem.

I can't imagine the foundation of a commercial downtown building being wood?  Moniker?

[Moniker]

The foundation isn't wood, it is concrete. These aren't carpenter ants or termites. Like most pest infestations, they live beneath and within the cracks of warm stone.

[parrothead]

Well Moniker, I can't speak for the ants because I have never seen any.  In the couple of years I have lived at Coffee Lofts I have not had any problems with pests of any sort, whether they are insect, rodent or human.  Sorry to disappoint all the Coffee critics out there.

[bahua]

Perhaps I'm breaking a cardinal forum rule by opening this back up, but I have lived on the first floor of the Coffee Lofts for over three years, with nothing between my feet and the moist earth but the warm stone of the building's foundation, and I've never seen an ant. I have seen a spider before, but that's more my issue than the building's.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Talk about a jynx - you will probably go home tonight and find a massive swarm of ants carrying off your furniture. 

[dangerboy]

Perhaps I'm breaking a cardinal forum rule by opening this back up, but I have lived on the first floor of the Coffee Lofts for over three years, with nothing between my feet and the moist earth but the warm stone of the building's foundation, and I've never seen an ant. I have seen a spider before, but that's more my issue than the building's.

They were all swept away in the Great Sewer Flood of Aught-Nine.

[ColumbusParkian]

i live in Riverbend. love it. I can see how people might think it's a bit dark, however. I'm lucky enough to not have that problem as i live in a corner unit, with large windows facing west and north.

the building has a real sense of community. it seems that whenever it's a nice night out, there are neighbors sitting on the front porch drinking beer or wine, inviting everybody to join them. it's wonderful.