OFFICIAL: Port Authority Riverfront Project

[langosta]

Some unit counts from traffic study.

Is this new or the original MPD?

[bspecht]

Some unit counts from traffic study.

Is this new or the original MPD?

Issued May 2023, I'd assume new.

[Jblanco]

Sent my drone up for a fly around of the Current Stadium...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6AA-klncn4

Fantastic! Thank you.

[langosta]

I would like to see some actual designs before totally hating on this project. As of now my concerns are:

1. Past track record of PortKC developments on the riverfront as being too suburban.

No disagreement per say. The site map does show active ground-floor for the most part. The garages may be podiums with development above and Jon Stephens indicated such.

2. Excess parking

Is it? Port KC committed just 2,000 spaces for the stadium.

Peak Demand:
- 12,000 Game Day: 16,000+ for concerts IIRC
- 1,000 Apartments = 2,000 residents
- 1,000 Office Staff
- 300 Park Guests + Retail Guests

Streetcar: 180 per train. 6 trains per hour. 1,080 Pax Per Hour.

3. Related to #2, it feels like this development looks in on itself and turns its back to Berkley Parkway which is fast becoming a stroad and future pedestrian and bicycle concern.

Berkley Parkway itself faces the loud tracks. Jon Stephens either tweeted or stated at a public meeting the road could eventually loose 2 lanes to bike/ped path. Would it be that bad to relegate Berkley Parkway as the noisier ingress/egress and service corridor to an otherwise walkable area? It is not as if Berkley Parkway is a divider, the tracks do that on their own

rn.
4. This is only proposed for a thousand units but a ton of public money is being spent to bring streetcar to the riverfront, significantly complicating route logistics and for a return that doesn't seem that promising.

2,000 residents, 1,000 office jobs, retail, etc. Not to mention the big parcel 9 development.Could be better. Our small streetcar vehicles probably do not have enough capacity to support as much as you'd think they would.

5. PortKC making all of the financial and ownership decisions before community stakeholders have had a chance to weigh-in is concerning.

The school district says the same thing for pretty much every project.

[FangKC]

That parkway with four lanes was never needed. One lane going in each direction with bike lanes would have been enough. The Grand Viaduct only has one lane in each direction. I don't know why they pushed the parkway up against the tracks unless there was some hope that the railroad might eventually abandon some tracks and cede that land for development.

I also worry that the parkway won't have good street activation when all is said and done.

I have also been disappointed with how little effort there has been to create a tree canopy along streets and sidewalks. Notably, along the parkway and the north side of River Front Drive. The park should have been planted better from the get-go and those trees would be starting to mature by now. No one likes to walk the sidewalk in the hot sun. Shade also cools the sidewalk surface for pets walking.

[DColeKC]

This project seems far from becoming a reality. Doesn't it strike you as rather peculiar to collaborate with a company lacking any prior development experience on such a substantial endeavor? Upon completion, it entails nearly a billion dollars in investment. Once built, it has to be properly ran and once again, they lack any real-world experience there too. Perhaps not a big deal, but I haven't heard this discussed.

[langosta]

This project seems far from becoming a reality. Doesn't it strike you as rather peculiar to collaborate with a company lacking any prior development experience on such a substantial endeavor? Upon completion, it entails nearly a billion dollars in investment. Once built, it has to be properly ran and once again, they lack any real-world experience there too. Perhaps not a big deal, but I haven't heard this discussed.

The reason they have a development partner, no?

[DColeKC]

This project seems far from becoming a reality. Doesn't it strike you as rather peculiar to collaborate with a company lacking any prior development experience on such a substantial endeavor? Upon completion, it entails nearly a billion dollars in investment. Once built, it has to be properly ran and once again, they lack any real-world experience there too. Perhaps not a big deal, but I haven't heard this discussed.

The reason they have a development partner, no?

As far as I know, they lack a development partner. The Longs don't have a background in development either. There's undoubtedly more to this story, and only time will reveal the complete picture.

[Cratedigger]

I don't know why they pushed the parkway up against the tracks unless there was some hope that the railroad might eventually abandon some tracks and cede that land for development.

There is hope this will happen

[langosta]

This project seems far from becoming a reality. Doesn't it strike you as rather peculiar to collaborate with a company lacking any prior development experience on such a substantial endeavor? Upon completion, it entails nearly a billion dollars in investment. Once built, it has to be properly ran and once again, they lack any real-world experience there too. Perhaps not a big deal, but I haven't heard this discussed.

The reason they have a development partner, no?

As far as I know, they lack a development partner. The Longs don't have a background in development either. There's undoubtedly more to this story, and only time will reveal the complete picture.

They do have a partner. It was mentioned during their Port KC meeting. Probably didn't make it into the news articles but it was said in meeting.

[DColeKC]

The reason they have a development partner, no?

As far as I know, they lack a development partner. The Longs don't have a background in development either. There's undoubtedly more to this story, and only time will reveal the complete picture.

They do have a partner. It was mentioned during their Port KC meeting. Probably didn't make it into the news articles but it was said in meeting.

I watched that meeting, didn't hear any partners announced with any kind of development experience. I think they had some design and finance folks in the room though.

[FangKC]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cv03_EAt ... BiNWFlZA==

[Cratedigger]

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... rrent.html

Groundbreaking of the project expected next year

This feels like it is moving quickly. Also I found this excerpt interesting:

The entire development is expected to generate $30 million in payments over 25 years to taxing jurisdictions and $13 million in incremental payments from the Current stadium over its initial term. The team also is allocating 10% of the multifamily units to be affordable for renters earning up to 50% of the area's median income, roughly 104 affordable units altogether.

In addition, the Current has committed to hiring from the Berkley Riverfront neighboring communities and investing in Kansas City Public Schools and youth sports programs in the area.

[trexel94]

More details about the KC Current backed project

- Office building planned to be 5 stories
- 1st phase apartment building will be 9 stories
- Future apartments will be 11, 14 and 16 stories high

https://flatlandkc.org/news-issues/port ... t-stadium/

[smh]

How many of the 9 levels in Phase 1 are parking?

[bspecht]

Every parcel down there is about to be converted into surface parking, until each parcel is developed. I'll take the structured parking over surface just about any day.

[smh]

Every parcel down there is about to be converted into surface parking, until each parcel is developed. I'll take the structured parking over surface just about any day.

Sure, but don't tell me it is a 9-story building if 5 of it is parking is all I'm saying. Call it what it is: A regular 4-story apartment building, which is also good! But we've got to stop pretending we're building significant density in these areas when we're really just continuing to build car storage.

[langosta]

Every parcel down there is about to be converted into surface parking, until each parcel is developed. I'll take the structured parking over surface just about any day.

Sure, but don't tell me it is a 9-story building if 5 of it is parking is all I'm saying. Call it what it is: A regular 4-story apartment building, which is also good! But we've got to stop pretending we're building significant density in these areas when we're really just continuing to build car storage.

On the parcel map it appears the initial residential is standalone from a garage.

[langosta]

Every parcel down there is about to be converted into surface parking, until each parcel is developed. I'll take the structured parking over surface just about any day.

To be fair, the entire place is already (dirt) surface parking today.

[bspecht]

Cordish heads to the Riverfront via Port KC RFP. Lot south of Current stadium.

The Port Authority of Kansas City tapped The Cordish Cos. to build a large mixed-use project that would fill in the last big development site at Berkley Riverfront.

A selection committee recently chose a team that includes Baltimore-based Cordish and Parking Company of America through a request for proposals to develop the riverfront's Parcel 9, a 4.57-acre site southwest of Interstate 29 and Front Street, across from the Kansas City Current's coming multipurpose stadium.
...
The RFP specified that the plan should include one or more among several components — at least 350 apartments; 10,000 square feet of retail, such as food, beverage and entertainment venue space; 100,000 square feet of office; and 200 boutique hotel rooms. The chosen uses could be built above, wrapped around or adjacent to the garage, which is required to start with 1,000 spaces for year-round public use.

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... oject.html