Discuss items in the urban core outside of Downtown as described above. Everything in the core including the east side (18th & Vine area), Northeast, Plaza, Westport, Brookside, Valentine, Waldo, 39th street, & the entire midtown area.
mgh7676 wrote:Didn't the city receive funding to put bike infrastructure on Armour a few years ago? Armour is one of Kansas City's most beautiful streets, bike lanes would make it even better.
mgh7676 wrote:This would be incredible news. MAC has done a great job through the entire Armour corridor. It will be interesting if they can successfully continue east of Troost.
As for 39th St., I've always hoped they could rehab the Hawthorn Plaza, Alcazar, and Santa Maria. That would do wonders for the area.
TheBigChuckbowski wrote:Walked down Armour for the first time last week and it is a really beautiful street but is severely missing some retail. This, along with the building they're renovating now at Gillham, would be huge for the area on both sides of Troost.
It think it would be a great opportunity for MAC to renovate the Hawthorne Plaza building at 39th and Main. That would seem to me to be an obvious choice for them as their first big apartment renovation outside the Armour corridor. It's a good central location near Westport and the Plaza, on a major transit line, and near already existing retail.
Is Hawthorne Plaza the large building immediately north of the H&R Block offices? If not, what is the name of it? I always look at it and think what an amazing building it would be to put in market rate apts and added retail when I'm at BodyFit KC across the street.
That block is not exactly a beacon of good urbanism. You have the nice insulation-backed windows in the Scientology building, then the vagrant urinal stalls, er, foyers that are unused, then the "awning."
mgh7676 wrote:Didn't the city receive funding to put bike infrastructure on Armour a few years ago? Armour is one of Kansas City's most beautiful streets, bike lanes would make it even better.
According to this article, it looks like the sharrows were completed in 2010 (I may be wrong, but I don't think they continue west of Main, to Broadway). This article implies that turning Armour into a complete street could be in the cards. Would be a perfect street to convert...there isn't much traffic and it is much larger than it ever needs to be. https://bikewalkkc.org/2013/08/contentb ... ing-study/
39th and Main is one of those locations where it makes sense to invest in constructing new apartment buildings--especially for seniors. It has good stretches of smaller intact retail spaces that could be reached by walking. Two drug stores are nearby, and a small grocery. There are two larger apartment buildings that need upgrading, and new ones could be built to augment those and raise the population density to support the retail. It's on a transit corridor. There are churches nearby. It's about halfway for healthcare at Truman Medical Center and St. Luke's on the north-south axis, and KU Medical Center to the west. The location also would appeal to college students--especially foreign ones who might not have a car while enrolled. They also need walkable retail and mass transit access. Residents here would be located to take advantage of entertainment at the Plaza, W. 39th Street, Martini Corner, Westport, and downtown--all by transit. There are five universities nearby (Rockhurst, UMKC, Penn Valley College, KCAI, and KU Med.).
There are several parcels nearby that could be redeveloped for larger apartment buildings. If Kansas City can achieve a better level of urbanization, and increase in population density, this is an obvious location for redevelopment. It's structured to better leverage the investment. Many of the basic requirements already exist. If the streetcar extension to the Plaza ever happens, this location will be among the choice opportunities.
mgh7676 wrote:Didn't the city receive funding to put bike infrastructure on Armour a few years ago? Armour is one of Kansas City's most beautiful streets, bike lanes would make it even better.
According to this article, it looks like the sharrows were completed in 2010 (I may be wrong, but I don't think they continue west of Main, to Broadway). This article implies that turning Armour into a complete street could be in the cards. Would be a perfect street to convert...there isn't much traffic and it is much larger than it ever needs to be. https://bikewalkkc.org/2013/08/contentb ... ing-study/
KCMO won't add bike lanes because they don't want deal with Hyde Park and the inevitable parking, uh, discussion. The city has a $600k grant to spend on this and right now only plan on repainting the sharrows.
KCMO won't add bike lanes because they don't want deal with Hyde Park and the inevitable parking, uh, discussion. The city has a $600k grant to spend on this and right now only plan on repainting the sharrows.
chaglang wrote:KCMO won't add bike lanes because they don't want deal with Hyde Park and the inevitable parking, uh, discussion. The city has a $600k grant to spend on this and right now only plan on repainting the sharrows.
What a waste! Drop the street from 4 to 3 lanes and you'll have plenty of room for parking and bike lanes.
MAC properties is going before the Plan Commission tomorrow to present plans for an 80 unit apartment building over retail located on the 34th ter/Main block (about half a block off Armour). As people have discussed elsewhere, I think Main St. through Midtown is going to continue to heat up with new developments. Imagine if there were a streetcar line under construction...
Is this the parcel on the west side of the street at 34th Terrace and Main that MAC wants to develop? The parcel where Mid-America Title Loans and Avis Car Rental are now?
No, it looks to be on the east side. Here is the case info for CPC:
4 GW 24. Case No. 9817-SR-277-- A parking, circulation, landscaping and building plan application within the Main Street Special Review District related to a proposed mixed use building at 12 East Armour Blvd (southeast corner of 34th Terrace and Main Street) and approval of any necessary modifications from the Main Street Special Review District guidelines.
Applicant: City Planning and Development
4 JE 25. Case No. 14595-MPD - About 0.73 acres generally located at the southeast corner of E 34th Terrace and Main Street and also an area north of E 34th Terrace and about 140 feet east of Main Street, to consider rezoning from District R-1.5 (Residential 1.5) and District B 4-5 (Heavy business commercial (dash 5)) to District MPD (Master Planned Development District) and approval of a development plan that serves as a Preliminary Plat for a retail and residential building for 80 units and parking lot.
Applicant: Mac Properties, repr. Husch Blackwell, LP
4 JE 26. SD 1522 -- Preliminary Plat, 34 + Main, About 0.73 acres generally located at the southeast corner of E 34th Terrace and Main Street and also an area north of E 34th Terrace and about 140 feet east of Main Street, to consider the approval of a preliminary plat in District MPD (Master Planned Development District) for two lots for a retail and residential building for 76 units and parking lot
It's hard to figure out from that description what MAC intends to do. Are they putting apartments in that office building, and renovating the old apartment building north of 34th Terrace? Are they also planning to build some new units on the surface parking lots, and that grassy parcel, on both the north and south sides of 34th Terrace?
