Company to Develop New and Renovated Housing on East Side

FangKC · Post by **FangKC** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 7:39 pm

According to the Biz Journal, a company just received City Council approval to proceed with a plan to develop new and renovated houses and apartments on the East Side. The area between Linwood and E. 47th, and Troost and Paseo, has been designated for special tax incentives. The owners of the affected homes and apartments will pay no property taxes for 10 years.

macnw · Post by **macnw** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 9:45 pm

This is great news. It's about time the eastide got some attention. The city core is important, but it seems to me that the surrounding areas(Beacon Hill, Union Hill and along the Paseo will provide the taxes that help the core survive. It will definitely take more than just loft residents to make the city viable. These neighboorhoods have been neglected for too long. Granted there have been many problems over the years(drugs, crime and lack of services). Now is the time to take a stand and take the neighboorhoods back. More power to this and other organizations willing to bring back the central city.

FangKC · Post by **FangKC** » Tue Feb 03, 2004 12:47 am

I'm glad to see any improvement along the Paseo. George Kessler, who designed KC's parks and boulevard system, intended for the Paseo the be KC's premier avenue. It was designed to be lined with grand houses and apartment buildings. I'm also very interested to see Troost come back--especially the area from around 31st St. to Brush Creek. I wish they could remove all those car lots from that stretch.

People forget that Paris was totally redesigned in 1850, and that redevelopment made Paris into the city it is today. Before that happened, many parts of Paris were crowded with narrow streets and slums. Of course cities like Paris are much older than KC; we are still a relatively new city in many respects. It would be great if we could just level much of the east side and start over. I know it sounds harsh, but it maybe the only way to rid the area of its stigma. It wouldn't be the first time a city cleared large areas of slums.

UMKCroo · Post by **UMKCroo** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:37 pm

Tell me about it Fang, one of those "car lots" is in my backyard. I cant believe the city lets these a-holes get away with that. Maybe this tax initiative will give these guys the message, as the area gets cleaned up.

Great point, many people do often forget Paris was once a dump! This should give East KC residents a little hope. Kessler's system was designed to "define" KC, and still has the skeleton to do this. Unfortunately, the only way to reclaim this area might be to level it and start again. Bold steps are often needed to create significant change.

Speaking of Kessler, did anyone catch the exhibit at the Kansas City Museum about KCs park and bolevard system. I believe its done now, unfortunately i never got a chance to go see it.

rxlexi · Post by **rxlexi** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:21 pm

haha...i saw the exhibit. It was nearly a year ago that I saw it, so my memory is a bit rusty, but parts of it were really cool. A lot of pictures of KC as the boulevard system developed. One picture of Ward Parkway circa 1950's stands out in my head in particular...much narrower, prettier, trees everywhere. They also had in exhibit with some of the fashionable clothes from the time etc. Probably the greatest part was learning about KC's development inside the former home of Robert A Long, one of KC's first big movers and shakers...awesome house and a real piece of history.

Fang- you sound like a textbook from the early 60's on the beauty of 'urban renewal'. I hate to admit that in this case the idea does at least make some kind of sense. There are places where things have really fallen into a poor state of affairs...I wish some of these people would take some pride in their once great neighborhoods and improve them. Just because one is poor doesn't mean one can't maintain one's home and try to create a safe and livable area, IMO. I'm no rich man myself, but I hope to always be proud of my home and neighborhood, and feel safe in it.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 7:21 pm

Is there income restrictions on the redeveloped housing or could anyone move there who wants to?

[quote]Plan offers affordable new housing
Parkway Redevelopment will put 500 residences in city's center
By KEVIN MURPHY
The Kansas City Star

â€œIf houses start to look good and people have the proper incentives in place they will start to feel differently and start to keep up their property.â€

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