OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

[grovester]

Can't believe I posted that, the whole thing is ridiculous.

[chaglang]

I think this is the 5th floor ballroom, The Sawyer Room:

[WSPanic]

I think this is the 5th floor ballroom, The Sawyer Room:

I used to have a desk in relatively tasteful cubicle farm in that room. The acoustics weren't really great for office work.

[pash]

.

[Eon Blue]

I think this is the 5th floor ballroom, The Sawyer Room:

IDK, I look at that ballroom and think that it could be so much more...

http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2011/04 ... ng-garage/

[FangKC]

I don't think they say anything about using historic tax credits in the EDC document.

If you don't use any historic tax credits in a renovation, even if the building is on the National Register, you don't have to adhere to restoration standards of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

However, if they alter the building too much, it could lose its' designation on the National Register.

[pash]

.

[FangKC]

Just because someone applies through the EDC for subsidies doesn't mean the City will approve them.

I would hope the City Council would realize what hell would be raised if some developer put a redevelopment plan forth asking for subsidies that caused a listed building to lose its' historic status.

It's one thing if a developer does it with their own money. It's quite another thing if they are asking for subsidies to do it. The City can always say "no."

There are very few larger buildings left to redevelop downtown. That building is a prime candidate for residential, since demand is so high for that downtown. I would hope the City would realize this, and say no to any plan that caused a building to lose historic status.

[FangKC]

Mark Twain Tower, River Market projects seek abatements

http://tinyurl.com/pnwj2ju

[loftguy]

Loftguy will probably know.

Yep. This is a Gary Hassenflu proposal.

[lock+load]

Parking in the building is a terrible idea. Should be plenty in the garage next door.

[mgh7676]

Parking in the building is a terrible idea. Should be plenty in the garage next door.

Would it be possible to just add levels to the garage next door? Parking seems to be such a huge issue for the Brookfield Building and the Mark Twain Tower...seems like a feasible idea to me.

[flyingember]

Parking in the building is a terrible idea. Should be plenty in the garage next door.

Would it be possible to just add levels to the garage next door? Parking seems to be such a huge issue for the Brookfield Building and the Mark Twain Tower...seems like a feasible idea to me.

depends on how big the foundations and columns were built

it's doable with that if.

[Critical_Mass]

This proposal came about a week and a half too early...would have been a funny April Fool's gag.
What an absolutely terrible idea!
Latest biz journal article (http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... ml?ana=twt) mentions that it's actually 6 levels of parking with the entrance cut into the facade on the NE corner off Baltimore. That would be right next to the existing entrance to the neighboring parking garage and directly across from the Missouri Bank garage entrance, completing the ultimate pedestrian experience on both sides of Baltimore.

[lock+load]

This half baked plan does not warrant tax subsidies. Come back with a better plan.

[flyingember]

ha!

The parking would be accessed off of Baltimore Avenue through a new garage doorway cut into the northeast corner of the building, Reitzel said. He said a driveway would proceed from the entrance through what his now retail space occupied by Goodden Jewellers, with a circulation ramp allowing motorists to access higher levels.

"That's wonderful news," Rich Goodden said upon learning of the plan on Tuesday, but he didn't mean it.

Goodden said he moved his jewellery story to the Mark Twain Tower two years ago, has another eight years on his lease and likely won't give up the space without a legal challenge.

[KCPowercat]

Can the city help share parking in the garage that they supposedly can't get a long term deal with? Rick Usher was helping in the Cashew situation.

[FangKC]

The garage is owned by the Land Clearance Redevelopment Authority. I assume the garage was built in the first place to solve parking problems for neighboring property owners.

It would seem to me that certainly the City could help work out a deal, because the garage was built to solve this very problem.

I have a feeling that is not the problem. The problem is when a property owner wants to have dedicated parking spaces that they own, and that somehow makes luring tenants to their property more secure than just by renting spaces in a neighboring garage.

[FangKC]

This proposal came about a week and a half too early...would have been a funny April Fool's gag.
What an absolutely terrible idea!
Latest biz journal article (http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... ml?ana=twt) mentions that it's actually 6 levels of parking with the entrance cut into the facade on the NE corner off Baltimore. That would be right next to the existing entrance to the neighboring parking garage and directly across from the Missouri Bank garage entrance, completing the ultimate pedestrian experience on both sides of Baltimore.

The article also mentions that Hassenflu might pursue historic tax credits. This will be interesting to watch seeing that he plans to rip out the interior of several floors and repurpose them as parking decks, as well as alter a part of the exterior facade to create an garage entrance.

[taxi]

This proposal came about a week and a half too early...would have been a funny April Fool's gag.
What an absolutely terrible idea!
Latest biz journal article (http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... ml?ana=twt) mentions that it's actually 6 levels of parking with the entrance cut into the facade on the NE corner off Baltimore. That would be right next to the existing entrance to the neighboring parking garage and directly across from the Missouri Bank garage entrance, completing the ultimate pedestrian experience on both sides of Baltimore.

The article also mentions that Hassenflu might pursue historic tax credits. This will be interesting to watch seeing that he plans to rip out the interior of several floors and repurpose them as parking decks, as well as alter a part of the exterior facade to create an garage entrance.

Perhaps he will only park historic cars in there.