Study and analysis by KU and K-State graduate students at KCDC resulted in its recommendation that Washington Square Park be focused on as a key downtown gathering place. Now, KCDC director Vladimir Krstic said, 16 KCDC grad students are in their second semester of a yearlong study of the park.
This could become a great urban park square. Needs lots and lots of park benches, the kind with arm rest in middle so no one can sleep on them, with landscaping on par with E Coast parks of this size (thinking Rittenhouse Sq in Philly). Maybe eventually a hirise (residential or office) developed in lot to N of it with a public plaza that opens up and merges into the park, with small bite/drink vendors. With streetcar going by, this could become a major functional urban park for downtown.
I'm not sure much needs to be done to the park, but the architect quoted in the article leaves out an interesting fact - the Washington Memorial was indeed moved here in 1926, but it was moved from the original Washington Square at Holmes and Missouri, which was renamed Columbus Square as a result.
The exhaustive book 'A Legacy of Design : An Historical Survey of the Kansas City, Missouri, Parks and Boulevards System, 1893-1940' has more.
Yea I like this park currently, and it could become a much nicer park with a little help. That being said I don't think it will ever be used like Rittenhouse or any great square like that. Sadly the density is not that great around this park, nor will it ever be. Plus Crown Center already has a square, right in the middle of all the Crown Center action. Why would people in CC go to Washington Square when they can experience a generally vibrant public square right there?
The blocks surrounding the park are pretty well maxed out every direction except immediately north. That parking lot to the north is its only hope, and sadly building something here would destroy the city view from this park, which is outstanding. Also, the train tracks just north of that lot don't allow for too much continuity in development to the north.
This park is kind of in a sea of nothing, which is an odd thing to say since it is in between Union Station and Crown Center. But it's pretty much true. The area is quite simply not designed for walking, at all. All these buildings are designed around the car. The friggin link even crosses by the park. So I think this park, even with improvements, will continue to be a nice, quiet park. It will be a great place to read a book on your lunch break, with excellent views of the city. I don't see it ever becoming a great urban square like Rittenhouse or Madison or Union. There just isn't the density and never will, unless mass demolition and redevelopment of Crown Center occurs.
My favorite urban squares in KC are Oppenstein on Walnut and Barney Allis. Their locations are much better for public squares. Even though I like the look of Washington Square a lot more, it is amazing how much more activity Oppenstein gets. It may be small and basic, but it's right in the middle of downtown and has people who are doing a million different things walking by. This is the recipe for a successful public square.
Demosthenes wrote:
The blocks surrounding the park are pretty well maxed out every direction except immediately north. That parking lot to the north is its only hope, and sadly building something here would destroy the city view from this park, which is outstanding. Also, the train tracks just north of that lot don't allow for too much continuity in development to the north.
This park is kind of in a sea of nothing, which is an odd thing to say since it is in between Union Station and Crown Center. But it's pretty much true. The area is quite simply not designed for walking, at all. All these buildings are designed around the car. The friggin link even crosses by the park. So I think this park, even with improvements, will continue to be a nice, quiet park. It will be a great place to read a book on your lunch break, with excellent views of the city.
What about just adding just two more levels to that parking lot and topping it off with a park/plaza extension? Make that in conjunction with a wider footpath along Main to the Crossroads and possibly street-level retail along Grand.
If there was someway of seamlessly connecting it to the base of Liberty Memorial, there could possibly a be a nice chain that forms.
I doubt the plaza extension would ever fly with Union Station management, since that is a future development parcel, and a potential source of income for the Union Station complex. I think Union Station also has an agreement to add a mass transit station there within any future development--probably an office building, or mixed use structure.
However, depending on how it's developed, some sort of small pedestrian plaza might be added that might include a bridge over the tracks to connect with the Crossroads.
The reason that parcel is valuable is that it includes the potential to add a lot of structured underground parking and a transit station inside the complex itself.
Whatever goes there, it would be smart to wrap retail spots around the base fronting the park that would allow patrons to sit outside facing an improved park space.
FangKC wrote:Whatever goes there, it would be smart to wrap retail spots around the base fronting the park that would allow patrons to sit outside facing an improved park space.
I can definitely envision a very pleasant sidewalk/plaza cafe bordering a new development on the north edge of the park.
FangKC wrote:Whatever goes there, it would be smart to wrap retail spots around the base fronting the park that would allow patrons to sit outside facing an improved park space.
I can definitely envision a very pleasant sidewalk/plaza cafe bordering a new development on the north edge of the park.
Macken Park in NKC has a large walking loop with stretching/strength stations along it.
Sometime similar in this park could work well. There's no space for a large loop but imagine if this becomes the place for outside exercising to coordinate with someone that biked or ran there.
This would do a ton for the park and the cost would be extremely low cost for the return.
Or how about this. Instead of a formal loop, have a sort of an exercise path. You walk a certain loop up and around hospital hill, back down, do exercises, and repeat.
The health aspect would fit in well with the hospitals.
I love this plan - would be great to get rid of the surface lot and the awkward road (OK Street?) dividing the area. Make it so.
I assume the plan would keep the link to Union Station?
My hope would be that the northern connection over the tracks will get built and be compelling enough to draw people through the park. Otherwise, as awesome I think it might be, I would be a little concerned about a lack of general activity--of course part of that depends too on the number of buildings/units that might get built.
smh wrote:My hope would be that the northern connection over the tracks will get built and be compelling enough to draw people through the park. Otherwise, as awesome I think it might be, I would be a little concerned about a lack of general activity--of course part of that depends too on the number of buildings/units that might get built.
From the article:
Also being studied is a possible pedestrian bridge that would cross the railroad tracks and link the top of the park’s new stovepipe shape to the Crossroads Arts District to the north.
Alternatives for providing pedestrian linkage to the north also are being studied, Stockman said. Those options, which may prove more practical, include “improving the pedestrian experience on the Main Street viaduct and/or the Grand Boulevard bridge that crosses the tracks," he said.
smh wrote:My hope would be that the northern connection over the tracks will get built and be compelling enough to draw people through the park. Otherwise, as awesome I think it might be, I would be a little concerned about a lack of general activity--of course part of that depends too on the number of buildings/units that might get built.
From the article:
Also being studied is a possible pedestrian bridge that would cross the railroad tracks and link the top of the park’s new stovepipe shape to the Crossroads Arts District to the north.
Alternatives for providing pedestrian linkage to the north also are being studied, Stockman said. Those options, which may prove more practical, include “improving the pedestrian experience on the Main Street viaduct and/or the Grand Boulevard bridge that crosses the tracks," he said.
Yes, I saw that. Hence my comment that I hope it gets built and is compelling.
