KCRag Forum

I didn't catch any of the details, barely heard it, but when Fox 4 was talking about Marinovich's plans for inner KCK, they said something about a new grocery store downtown. It would be funneh if downtown KCK gets a decent grocery store before KCMO does.

FOX also reported with KC star and otehr stations that there will be a 40 million dollar steel tornado. Dont believe the hype@!

Whenever it comes and wherever it ends up being located, I hope they do something like this new Safeway in Portland.

I'll just be happy if they don't try to throw a 300 space parking lot in front of it.

Here's a link to an
Article in the KC Star.

KCDowntown

I must see design plans before I make the call on this. All I can imagine right now is the midtown market place and to that I say NO. It would kill the vibe in the crossroads.

What's on the SE corner of 18th & Main right now? I know the NE corner is the TWA building...glad to see some plans for that renovations.

Article says that the development would also try to get a bookstore, dry cleaners, etc. Developer is from Olathe, but says he wants to design something that fits in with neighborhood. The Marsh family of Marsh's Sunfresh in Westport would operate the store. Only downside seems to be that they want to use some land already occupied by healthy businesses.

Also mentioned Phil Pisciottia is trying to build a grocery in the River Market at 2nd and Missouri.

I'm fine with two larger grocery stores but it would be nice to just have a nice neighborhood market in the loop that residents could walk to for some basics.....I don't need a 60,000 sq.ft. price chopper to walk to, just something to pick up a few things.

Instead of a beauty parlor, I wish he'd go after a good, independent video store like Video Mania or Valentine Video. I hate having to drive to Westport to rent a movie.

as long as they carry a nice selection of adult movies for G2G, i am sure it will be ok.

This is FANTASTIC NEWS! Now the homeless (pronounced ARTISTS) no longer have to maneuver through traffic to the Sears Outlet on Front Street to obtain their refridgerator boxes (pronounced SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING UNITS).

Congrats. Just keep the price of Alpo and plastic spoons down...for obvious reasons.

Why does this firm have to have such a big chunk of land for this development? They have this big blob of land that stretches in odd directions. Can't they just develop it building by building like has been happening in elsewhere?

You do not need a $62 million (TIF) deal to bring in a beauty salon, book store and basic retail. Yeah buddy....here is the TIF money for that beauty salon we needed so bad. TIF should be for dramatic projects, not basic retail in an already emerging and hip district. What he wants to do are things that will happen naturally anyway. The only thing that would need a TIF is the grocer.

I am very worried that what he want to do is similar to that thing in Westport with the Chili's and Sun Fresh. We DO NOT need a strip mall downtown.

Before this topic gets stupid with the negatives, let's look at the positives.

- The centerpiece of the Fishman plan is a 30,000-square-foot grocery — about half the size of a typical suburban store

- Another major component of the development would be the renovation of the historic TWA Building at 1735 Baltimore Ave. to house service-oriented retail.

- The project would have a total of 200,000 square feet of retail space along with some additional office and residential components.

- Parking garages with an estimated 520 spaces.

- Fishman has hired El Dorado Architects, a firm located in the Crossroads, to assist with preparing an urban-oriented concept.

- He also has hired an artist, James Woodfill, to suggest flourishes that would make the project more compatible with other parts of the Crossroads, an eclectic district of art galleries, boutiques and residences.

- “I'm not talking about dropping a suburban shopping center in the middle of the Crossroads area,â€

Que is right...we shouldn't go typical KC resident on this plan. All the things we want are in this deal...

I think we're all just a bit gunshy from the Midtown Marketplace.

I'll be happy with a grocery store that is right at the sidewalk with a parking garage in the back.

Did Collison really have the balls to call that ugly, monsterous TWA building historic?

I think that spot should be leveled and turned into a modern corporate HQ for a high-tech company like Gateway with an attached upscale hotel and residential.

I do not think el dorado would be involved in this project if it could not be woven into the fabric of the crossroads. It sounded like the annoucement and the story was a little premature. We need a grocery!

I just don't understand why this guy needs so much land. I can understand it for the grocery store, but he is practically creating his own district within the Crossroads.

I agree with redeveloping the TWA property and putting in a grocer, but everything else I think should be developed independently.

el dorado has a great history of some very cool design, respecting the historic integrity of a building and the area. They absolutely don't do cookie cutter strip mall projects. I also like the fact that they've hired an artist to help the project blend into the area. Both of those are good signs for the development . I also like the idea that its not a big-asss suburban store, but more like a half-size store, so it won't overwhlem the area.

I'm also a bit disturbed by the attempt to move out established businesses. I don't see why the new development can't co-exist with current business. I also got my antenna up with the parking garage. They need to incorporate the garage into the retail design, so that there is not a big garage with no retail.

The TWA building might have some potential for renovation or some type of "retro" look. See what the new location for Retro Inferno is like. BTW the building on the se corner is the white "mobilfone' building, which that company owns and has been in for 12 years.

On the whole, more positves, and a lot of questions. Good idea, it is the execution that will be important.

Sure this is great news, but i have read 5 of these articles in the last year. I wish they would just tell me when construction is going to begin, and when it will be finished. Dont tease me with all of these deals that are being "persued" by O-lath-e developers.

[quote="QueSi2Opie"]- “I'm not talking about dropping a suburban shopping center in the middle of the Crossroads area,â€