VeLa Crossroads (Broadway and Southwest)

[Chris Stritzel]

Let me preface this by saying I don't know if this is an active proposal, but I post this because it's a good conversation starter.

I found the full view rendering, and thanks to bspecht having a better eye than me, found higher quality renderings. This tower is/was planned on the properties at 400 Southwest and 2035 Washington. Both are owned by LLCs associated with Wesley Grammer, the President of Sky Real Estate (that firm is partnered with Cordish on the Main and Truman towers). The LLCs were produced in 2018 and 2020. The renderings are named "VeLa Development Kansas" and were apparently produced late last summer/early last fall (based on the status of Three Light and the Wonderland).

VeLa Development Partners is the company started by Nick Benjamin after his departure from Cordish. His company has proposed projects in Nashville, Phoenix, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Tampa. Even his company's website mentions that their focus in sunbelt and mountain west cities, so KC is an outlier. But KC is also the home of the VeLa Development Partners office.

It's a great height and a decent design. There's just one problem: The Greater Downtown Area Plan. I count 24-stories of residential over a parking garage (so I assume this is a 30-story project). The height is limited to 75ft on this property, so a project like this would need a variance. I'm sure if a true proposal was brought forward, the variance would be approved.

If this were pulled off, as well as EPC's 1650 Broadway project, more high-rises could (and should) be built on the westside of Broadway and I'd walk back my arguments on "aesthetics" and "photo angles" that I made in the 1650 Broadway thread a while back. Since Sky owns the real estate here, it makes me wonder if this design is strictly with VeLa in mind or was dictated by Sky. If dictated by Sky, I almost wonder if this gives us a peek at the general styling for Truman and Main.

VeLa's business model are attainable luxury apartments with a focus on design to create a better product.
https://veladev.com

Site...


Renderings...

[missingkc]

I'm sure someone else will think of this, but would this run counter to sight lines promised for the Kauffman Center?

[Chris Stritzel]

I'm sure someone else will think of this, but would this run counter to sight lines promised for the Kauffman Center?

I thought the sight lines were for the view from Liberty Memorial and not this direction (which explains the drastic height limit the closer you get to the Kauffman Center east of Broadway).

[GRID]

I'm sure someone else will think of this, but would this run counter to sight lines promised for the Kauffman Center?

I think those sightlines are only between Kauffman and the Liberty Memorial. So this should be fine.

I know this is very preliminary and may not even be an active project, but that parking pedestal looks awful. That really needs to go underground. However if refined, it would be nice to see a project of this scale developed in the crossroads.

[Critical_Mass]

Something looks really off with that second rendering looking SE. Site map and first rendering show this comprised of two parcels (which also would require vacating the alley) so it is built right up to the NW corner of SW Trfy and Broadway. But second rendering you can clearly see the parking lot on that corner. It doesn't look like the model was placed and scaled correctly. It is not crossing the alley and looks way shorter than rendering #1.

[bspecht]

Outside of protected views from bottom of Liberty Memerial & I-35 N.

[GRID]

Something looks really off with that second rendering looking SE. Site map and first rendering show this comprised of two parcels (which also would require vacating the alley) so it is built right up to the NW corner of SW Trfy and Broadway. But second rendering you can clearly see the parking lot on that corner. It doesn't look like the model was placed and scaled correctly. It is not crossing the alley and looks way shorter than rendering #1.

yeah, I noticed the renderings are off. The proportions are all off. You can tell they just placed the renderings in the aerials and tried to stretch it to make it work.

[Chris Stritzel]

The first rendering is the best of the bunch. It’s the most accurate.

[FangKC]

I've never understood this concept of protected views from a performing arts center that somehow limits building heights and development potential between it and some landmark monument many blocks away. How is this even enforceable? Can't a future council just ignore it and approve new construction?

It seems to me that multiple developers and property owners could challenge it in court on the basis that no one bought their air rights and such specific zoning limits the value of their property versus one across the street outside "the zone."

What is to say that others could claim protective views from I-35 of the Power and Light Building and President Hotel sign thus limiting the height of a Cordish building at 14th and Baltimore.

[missingkc]

Perhaps the sight line restrictions only have teeth as long as Shirley Helzberg is alive. Perhaps it's being observed as a courtesy. I think the restrictions were at least partially responsible for the demise of a plan for a 17 story condo building on Broadway. Between 18th and 19th, I think, where the green space is.

[DaveKCMO]

Perhaps the sight line restrictions only have teeth as long as Shirley Helzberg is alive.

Actually, she actually tried to raise them for her 17th Street projects (which are capped at like 36' or something).

The FAA seems like a much bigger problem at this point.