building just south of 17th and Summit.

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artistboy
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by artistboy »

loftguy wrote: 16th & Summit was the catalyst for the community uprising, but I thought the downzoning encompassed any new development, including existing structures.................?
Yes, it was supposed to encompass new development including existing structures. The nice old man with the auto garage just off 17th and Summit told me if he sells, no one else can open a business there. So, who can afford the cost of a commercial structure just so they can tear it down to build a single family dwelling? Hmm... I don't think the nimby's thought that one through so expect another vacant building when the old man retires. Way to go West Side leadership.
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FangKC
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by FangKC »

They'd probably prefer to just tear that building down.

Are the anti-everything crowd opposed to home renovations, or would they have preferred to remain in a run-down neighborhood with declining property values?

Is there a common denominator mentality or mindset you can identify?  For example, are they senior citizens or low-income residents who don't want their property taxes to go up?

Are they lazy people who like a run-down block because it means they don't have to make any effort to fix up their house, or spend money to do it?

Are they xenophobic?
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by Rusty »

I'm pretty sure they're pretty wealthy...I've also heard that just a few people own a good portion of property there like KC2B said.  I'm pretty sure the owner of the Blue Bird is the biggest.
KCtoBrooklyn wrote: I agree.

There are just a few people who own a good portion of the Westside.  They insist on keeping the area a quiet, residential neighborhood.  I can understand the sentiment, but they're sandbagging any progress for the area.  Being adjacent to downtown and the crossroads, it seems unreasonable to try to maintain the status quo.  I'm curious to see the effect of the PAC and condo tower on the region.
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by ThaMexican »

I lived in the Westside for about a year and went to a couple of meetings and I did not like them at all. One of the meetings I went to was hosted by the Boulevard Brewery and they were showing their expansion plans and let me tell you some people was rude with the speakers. They ask what do we get? What does the neighborhood gets? I was like WHAT? Why should they give you anything? Also all I heard is rich people is moving in and I was like good the area will improve. I heard complains about the Blue Birds restaurant, about the new rich residents, etc. I was like what about trying to work together and improve the area. There are some valid concerns regarding some residents do not have the income to fix their places but a lot of them do you can see the big truck outside the house but you do not see them fixing their places. It is frustrating sometimes.
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KCtoBrooklyn
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by KCtoBrooklyn »

Rusty wrote: I'm pretty sure they're pretty wealthy...I've also heard that just a few people own a good portion of property there like KC2B said.  I'm pretty sure the owner of the Blue Bird is the biggest.
The current owner of the Blue Bird doesn't own any property, including the restaurant's building.  Its owned by the people who originally opened it up, and yes, they own a good bit of property.  Definitely not hurting for money.
loftguy
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by loftguy »

FangKC wrote: They'd probably prefer to just tear that building down.

Are the anti-everything crowd opposed to home renovations, or would they have preferred to remain in a run-down neighborhood with declining property values?

Is there a common denominator mentality or mindset you can identify?  For example, are they senior citizens or low-income residents who don't want their property taxes to go up?

Are they lazy people who like a run-down block because it means they don't have to make any effort to fix up their house, or spend money to do it?

Are they xenophobic?
Fang, you have nearly summed up all the issues in play in the Westside.

Add to the list some volatile residents who have too much time on their hands.

However, the rallying point is valid and that is the impact of greatly increased property taxes on seniors and very low-income residents.  These folks are being displaced by change.  I feel that in order to maintain the flavor of the neighborhood and to insure diversity, economic and otherwise, a clearly qualified freeze on tax increases should be made for a period of up to ten years.
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by Rusty »

KCtoBrooklyn wrote: The current owner of the Blue Bird doesn't own any property, including the restaurant's building.  Its owned by the people who originally opened it up, and yes, they own a good bit of property.  Definitely not hurting for money.
Thanks for the clarification.
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by drumatix »

There are quite a few people in the Westside who are blood relatives & have been there for years, and who would love for the area to stay afforable & family oriented. I can't fault them for valuing that over property values, hip architecture, etc., and for worrying that they were about to be steamrolled by big bucks in some new and previously unthought of way.

A couple years ago residents in the area recieved warning letters and/or tickets for code violations (peeling paint, untrimmed weeds, etc.), and it didn't take a paranoid nutcase to figure out that these compaints were being called in to the city by someone. In a decade I'd never heard of this happening to anyone in the area, and suddenly there were warning letters appearing in people's mailboxes. There was at least one instance of a developer pulling what I understand to be somewhat of a bait & switch by showing one set of plans to the neighbors and then building according to another. The general paranoia felt in the area is not completely without reason.

So, folks in the area have definitely felt threatened at times - and there are some incredibly greedy and questionable 'developers' out there so I can easily understand the paranoia. The Westside is certainly collectively guilty of a an over-reaction here and there, and of some impossible to moderate meetings, but I have yet to see the neighborhood committee refuse to work with the developers who've come into the area. Poor Butch Rigby got grilled to death at one of the meetings because some of the residents completely misunderstood what was happening... but I don't think he cowered or ran away from his project because of it.
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by KCMax »

This building will open a crepe cafe in the first floor - "The Cafe on Summit":

http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/3949
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chrizow
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Re: building just south of 17th and Summit.

Post by chrizow »

KCMax wrote: "The Cafe on Summit":
sounds exciting.
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