rxlexi wrote:I've always thought that little commercial strip where Sidestreet bar, the limo service, etc. is just off Gillham could be an excellent, small neighborhood retail hub.
There are a number of spots like this with the potential for nice little neighborhood retail hubs throughout North Hyde Park and Longfellow. Just around the corner from Sidestreet are a couple more potential retail spots (around where Bike Walk KC has their offices).
On 34th St, across from Acadamie Lafayette is another old retail building, although that one remains in limbo thanks to title problems resulting from Charlie Williard.
Holmes between 33rd and Linwood has a few more possibilities. The building where Pech Limo is located actually used to be a nice looking neighborhood market building and I think the bones are there behind the siding. It sounds like Slavic sold his limo business and may be repurposing the building. I also noticed some work is going on at the commercial building at 3312 Holmes.
Longfellow has even more potential for retail in buildings along Holmes and Cherry to compliment places like You Say Tomato, Succotash, and the Antler Room. Hopefully some of those light industrial buildings can be redeveloped.
rxlexi wrote: Would love to see Hyde Park, probably along/near Armour, develop some retail to mature into a real walkable neighborhood, and something of a destination a la Westside, or a baby Central West End (StL). Mother Earth Coffee in the MAC developed International building (former IBM) is a start - clearly they (MAC) see the appeal also.
Unfortunately, I don't know if we will see much new retail/mixed used going in on Armour (aside from Troost and potentially at Main and Broadway). There aren't too many lots on Armour that would be prime for redevelopment. The biggest candidate would be the parking lot across from the Newbern, but if Mac didn't redevelop it at the time they rehabbed the Newbern, I don't they will in the foreseeable future.
There is also the large grassy lot in front of the duplex that is set way back from the street at Charlotte and Armour. If the owners were willing to sell, that lot could have potential. But I believe that is an owner occupied duplex, and I don't think they would want development in front of their building.
The bigger issue for more development on Armour could be neighborhood objection. I know some CHP residents who live close to Armour already gripe about traffic and parking issues from the Mac buildings. I'm sure they would try to stop any new development.
I think the best chance for Central and South Hyde Park to have more walkable retail is Troost.
The only other possibility for South Hyde Park is if the city would entertain selling the park land west of Gillham (aside from the tennis courts). No one ever uses that portion of the park. The grade is too steep for it to have any practical use and it is severed from the rest of the park by a busy street. I think some mixed use buildings with sidewalk cafes across from the park would be fantastic. The city could put a TIF on that land to be diverted to improvements in Gillham park and use that money and the funds from the sale of the land to actually make it a nice park.