Westport

[beautyfromashes]

I give it six months.

[mgh7676]

I don't understand how they can use emulators/ROMs. Aren't ROMS inherently illegal? Are they getting around this because they are free to play?

I hope I'm wrong and I hope it does well, but...I'm with beautyfromashes, I'm giving it six months.

[DaveKCMO]

open until 3am as a dance club? horrible idea. it's hard enough maintaining the games with craft beer drinkers, let alone amongst sloppy westport weekenders.

[brewcrew1000]

If you had more people within a block or 2 of westport this place could have staying power but I'm giving it a shutdown of one year.

[kcjak]

Westport Square block and Harry's sold. Peachwave closed and slated to become restaurant with deck on roof. Developers sound like they want to retain the unique character of the area and focus on local businesses.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 30885.html

[earthling]

Their intent sounds promising but will it include rent increase, possibly pushing out current local tenants and drawing only large chains that can afford...

Westport is possibly getting too many restaurants as it is. Needs major boost of residents and daytime workers to support jump in restaurants.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

From the quotes in the article, this definitely sounds promising.

I think a restaurant with rooftop deck sounds like an upgrade from Peachwave. Apartments with balconies over Beer Kitchen also sounds like a great idea.

"They have really ambitious plans for Westport" sounds intriguing. It seems like the developers have most of their experience with residential, so perhaps that could be in the offing. I do agree that the area could use much more residential within a couple block radius of the heart of Westport. The lots across from Char Bar are prime for redevelopment and I think a large residential with mixed use project could work well there.

Is anything going on with the residential that was announced a while back for Central, north of Westport Rd? I'm afraid that plan is dead.

[kcjak]

Is anything going on with the residential that was announced a while back for Central, north of Westport Rd? I'm afraid that plan is dead.

I've been wondering that, too. But I think the guy who was planning it bit off more than he could chew with the wood fire pizza thing. I hope he doesn't let the land under the proposed apartments sit vacant if he owns the property.

[brewcrew1000]

I'm surprised peachwave lasted that long, at least this plan calls for apartments on top with New Orleans style balconies. More housing is definitely needed but I'm suprised by how well most of the restaurants are doing. The Corner Restaurant always seems crowded with lines outside for breakfast/brunch, I thought that restaurant was a goner after they quickly dropped the weekend dinner service.

[AlbertHammond]

A construction fence went up with an excavator today at the old Boston Market/Verizon pad site today. Bye, bye ol' girl. You won't be missed. Though I doubt your replacement will be an improvement.

[FangKC]

I recall there were plans to build two different apartment projects along the west side of Pennsylvania, and atop the parking garage at Manor Square, just south of the Westport Coffee House, and another project on the SW corner of 40th and Pennsylvania in that parking lot east of the Sunfresh loading dock. I wish those plans would get dusted off.

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/s ... tory8.html

I wish the property owner tearing down the Boston Market building would replace it with apartments.

There is also that parcel on Mill and Wornall across from Californos Saloon where that former warehouse-looking building was demolished. That would be a good location for an apartment building as well.

[chingon]

There is also that parcel on Mill and Wornall across from Californos Saloon where that former warehouse-looking building was demolished. That would be a good location for an apartment building as well.

St Luke's owns that. I give it a year before its a surface lot.

[FangKC]

Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre will begin renovations soon on the Warwick Theatre

Karen Paisley, artistic director of the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, told the opening-night audience of “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” in her pre-show remarks that the nonprofit theater had closed on the purchase of the historic Warwick Theatre.

The venue was built in 1912 as a movie theater and is on the east side of Main Street between 39th Street and Westport Road.

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment ... 54480.html

Warwick Theater history:

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/9245

[earthling]

Wow, that is awesome. As in the antithesis of awful.

[beautyfromashes]

There is the start of a huge redevelopment of Main St. It won't look the same in 10 years.

[Midtownkid]

Main between Armour and 43rd could quite easily become the best pedestrian corridor in the city. The historic building clusters around Westport Road and 39th are some of my favorite facades in town.

Add in a renovated Netherlands Apartment-Hotel and a few modern residential mid-rise buildings and it would be amazing.

Just imagine the street car rolling through there, too.

[earthling]

It could be but maybe only if residential density picks up that stretch of Midtown or if streetcar goes through. I don't see that stretch as a major draw to non-Midtowners, as much as central Westport anyway. Case in point, despite easy access via MAX, Blind Tiger tends to mostly draw Midtowners, not Westport visitors or even downtowners it seems. Might be different if streetcar went through.

Then again, a few live theatre venues could draw a different kind of outsider pedestrian traffic - Madrid, Unicorn, Met Ensemble and now Warwick. Would be nice to see old Osco spot become a major music venue. This would generate event-based foot traffic but suspect residential density needs to increase to get regular daily foot traffic increase.

[flyingember]

Then again, a few live theatre venues could draw a different kind of outsider pedestrian traffic - Madrid, Unicorn, Met Ensemble and now Warwick. Would be nice to see old Osco spot become a major music venue. This would generate event-based foot traffic but suspect residential density needs to increase to get regular daily foot traffic increase.

Venues need to have a quality show 5-7 days per week every week. That's easily 1000 shows for four events to cover. I'm sure there's enough local and regional performers that they could fill time slots but there's no way we have enough capacity to get enough people to the area to support that many shows.

Downtown has tons of parking garages while midtown does not. Midtown never saw the same level of tear downs. The Plaza has plenty of parking but it's legitimately running out of parking due to demand many times of the year so it's not reliable for a venue.

Midtown through Westport needs the train to come in and provide the ability for people to be able to park further out, ride closer and walk the remainder.

[slimwhitman]

Question: I seem to recall a mention here that St. Luke's recently requested to have 42nd Terrace vacated between Washington & Wornall. I can only see something from 2003 on kiva. Am I mistaken? Is it already vacated?

[chingon]

Question: I seem to recall a mention here that St. Luke's recently requested to have 42nd Terrace vacated between Washington & Wornall. I can only see something from 2003 on kiva. Am I mistaken? Is it already vacated?

I don't think its vacated, at least its still extant and open to public use. There is also still one remaining private residence nestled into all the parking blight on that block.