Westport

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.
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FangKC
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by FangKC »

loftguy wrote:
Midtownkid wrote:If nothing else do you think it would be physically possible to brace the front facade and build a new building behind?? I would accept that solution.

Whoa Midtown! You are waaay ahead in the solution game. (and quote me, that proposal is never, ever going to happen)

This building is doable, with a bit of incentive help and far less civic blindness.

It ain't rocket science. There are 100 credible professionals in this city that can outline how readily this building can be made to work. It's a numbers game and a worthwhile one at that.

The Chatham was in bad shape too, as was The President Hotel. Loftguy is right. This building can be renovated. It just needs the right developer. This is why historic tax credits exist.

The problem is the City allowing the property owner to not at least cover the windows to protect the building from the elements.
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Highlander
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by Highlander »

Wow - hate to lose the Hawthorn. It (and the adjacent building) kind of sets the visual tone for the area as a higher density node even though it's been unused for some time. So much of midtown has been semi-suburbanized in the past 25 years, the entire ambience would change without something rising above just a couple of floors there.
mgh7676
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by mgh7676 »

I wonder if the possibility of the streetcar going down Main could help with the eventual renovations of these buildings. Seems like a great location, with the proximity to Plaza, Westport, and a short streetcar ride away from DT.
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Highlander
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by Highlander »

mgh7676 wrote:I wonder if the possibility of the streetcar going down Main could help with the eventual renovations of these buildings. Seems like a great location, with the proximity to Plaza, Westport, and a short streetcar ride away from DT.
Sounds like that may be too far off into the future to save the Hawthorne.
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by loftguy »

Highlander wrote:
mgh7676 wrote:I wonder if the possibility of the streetcar going down Main could help with the eventual renovations of these buildings. Seems like a great location, with the proximity to Plaza, Westport, and a short streetcar ride away from DT.
Sounds like that may be too far off into the future to save the Hawthorne.

Two years and a couple months. This building has waited this long for attention, it's not going to change significantly by the time the streetcar deploys....unless somebody in a position of power stands to make money off of its demolition.
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by beautyfromashes »

It should have already been done by now and it's going to cost a lot more money to fix it up now that the facade has been allowed to crumble and windows removed.
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by brewcrew1000 »

KCMax wrote:The troubling trend continues. I thought Westport was getting a lot safer, and maybe these are just isolated incidents, but the perception has to be damaged a bit I would think.

Woman shot in robbery outside midtown Kansas City pizza shop
Armed robbers shot a woman outside a midtown Kansas City pizza shop early Wednesday and fled with purses as the restaurant manager fired at them.

The women were outside Santora’s Pizza at 3834 Main Street about 2 a.m. when two men approached them, said Sgt. Marisa Barnes, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.
Well it looks like the person that was shot and robbed at the santoras a couple weeks ago took it to Yelp. I remember hearing that it was a person from Oklahoma here for a conference
http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid ... WlntqpvK-A

If its taken down, here is what she wrote

A Letter To My Muggers,

Have you ever been to Santora's Pizza before? Did you ever eat the food there? Have you tasted the cheesy bread, and the so carefully fried and stuffed jalapeno poppers?

Did you walk into the storefront, and order from the lovely owner, who used to be a Political Science professor, and is now a gun-toting conservative, who is just trying to bring business back into the urban areas of Kansas City? Were you struck by the charm of the place, local and hole-in-the-wall-ish? Have you ever sat in the booths across from the counter, and laughed with your friends about vaguely inappropriate jokes? And have you ever been annoyed that they charge 50 cents per ranch dressing?

Or did you go when they didn't used to charge for ranch?

Have you ever walked down main street past midnight and been afraid? Ever in your life, did you sit outside a unfamiliar restaurant and feel safe- only to have that feeling ripped from your grease-soaked-pizza fingers? Were you ever there, just waiting for a taxi to take you back home? Have you ever been mugged at gunpoint? Have you ever had a gun in your face?

Have you ever had your purse stolen? You know, the one with your cell phone, your wallet with all of your favorite fortune cookie fortunes? And with your hotel key, house key, driver's license, library card, staff ID, and Godiva Chocolate rewards card? How much did you get for that Android, anyway? Like, $20? While it was still working, did you SnapChat any of my friends? Were you surprised when you realized there was only $30 cash in my purse? Did it amuse you when you tried to use my credit card and the charges were denied? Did it ever occur to you that AS A RESULT of you stealing my ID, I took the WORST PICTURE OF ALL TIME on my replacement ID? Or did you dump my FAVORITE BLACK PURSE in the dumpster, taking your prized $30 and old cellphone before you carjacked some poor guy at a stoplight?

Did you ever ask for a complementary cup of water while you waited for the police to show up?

Have you ever comforted the owner while he worried about how his business was going to suffer?

Have you ever seen your friend get shot? Have you ever held their hand while you waited for the ambulance to come?

Did you realize you were attacking PEOPLE, who work HARD for the things that they have? Whatever happened to you that made you think that was the answer to your problems? Were your parents mean to you? Not there for you at all? Did it occur to you that you GREATLY INCONVENIENCED the people that you mugged? That they would have to get new keys, and phones, and cards, and ways of life?

Did you know that it was our last night in Kansas City? That all of us loved and appreciated the town? But that it was ruined now?

I guess not.
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by Stockton »

^Hm. Sounds like she's trying to get a sociopath to be empathic.
brewcrew1000
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by brewcrew1000 »

New Restaurant opening on the other side of Broadway - Westport and Central to be exact.
http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives ... o-westport
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by earthling »

Westport has been on a roll this year and now eastern side picking up.

A good friend of mine lives in mid-section of Southmoreland hood (to E of Westport) and said the demographics is changing over last few years - apts upgrading or turning to condo, homes being restored. Also said some post/ex Art Institute students stay and are expanding to N end of Southmoreland - lots of UMKC students and older downsizers in his upgraded condo building that used to be crime ridden apts. He said the Thriftway at Westport/Main recently improved and draws more biz than it used to.

It's resulting in a lot more foot traffic than past from Southmoreland to Westport, so that may boost biz on E side of Westport w/out needing parking.

What's the latest with the new apt building near NE corner of Westport/Bway where old XO club is.
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slimwhitman
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by slimwhitman »

I noticed work going on in the America's Pub space. Anyone got the scoop?
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by TheBigChuckbowski »

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/21/44 ... s-pub.html

New owners are taking over the former America’s Pub spot in Westport.

Aaron Beatty, Eric Flanagan and Philip Thies of Off Key Entertainment LLC plan to open two new bar concepts in the space at 510 Westport Road. Construction has already begun on the 9,000-square-foot space and the bars are expected to open before the end of the year.

“You won’t be able to recognize the place,” Beatty said. “Both of the concepts are pretty unique and we think they will pull from a wider geographic area.”

The partners plan to release more details on the concepts at a later date.

America's Pub closed in late 2011 when its lease expired.
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by kboish »

Cliffhanger!

Who has the scoop?
brewcrew1000
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by brewcrew1000 »

Another bakery/restaurant is going into the former Napoleon bakery spot on westport rd by the holiday inn.
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by kcjak »

kboish wrote:Cliffhanger!

Who has the scoop?
America's Bar and America's Ultra Lounge!!
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by KCMax »

brewcrew1000 wrote:Another bakery/restaurant is going into the former Napoleon bakery spot on westport rd by the holiday inn.
Baked in Kansas City opens in Westport this autumn
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by TheBigChuckbowski »

http://www.kcconfidential.com/2013/08/2 ... beer-deli/
About those twin bars slated to open in the former America’s Pub in Westport…

Mum’s the word on what the partners concept will be, but Westport sources say the owners have been scouting a space for the twin concepts for the past year.

“I don’t know much about it, other than what I’ve heard,” says one source. “But I’ve heard they’re going to divide one part of the space into a bunch of individual rooms – like multiple little rooms that you can rent out and have your own private party with karaoke or whatever.

“And the other part of the space is going to be like an upscale deli that you can go in and pick from a huge selection of all kinds of beer and eat deli sandwiches. And if you like one of their beers, you can buy a six pack of it to go.”

Kinda like Pennylvania’s Beer Deli that serves “over 200 different beers from around the world” with daily food specials.

“They have talked about the same concept for almost a year,” the source adds. “They’ve been shopping for a location in Westport for the same concept.”
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by KCMax »

One side of the bar will be for Ed Hardy-wearing d-bags, the other side will be for striped shirt-wearing d-bags.
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grovester
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by grovester »

I smell a big fat fail.
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Re: Westport's fate post-P&L

Post by bobbyhawks »

KCMax wrote:One side of the bar will be for Ed Hardy-wearing d-bags, the other side will be for striped shirt-wearing d-bags.
I don't know where you get that vibe at all. Have you ever been to a karaoke bar with the private rooms? They are awesome.

The other part sounds like a better version of Bier Station. I mentioned Beer Revolution in Oakland as an example of a great version of this. It was hipsters out the yin yang there, so I don't see where you get the image of Ed Hardy folks, especially at a place that doesn't serve Bud Light Lime. However, if the owners are Ed Hardy, Aflliction types, then I have little faith in the plan.
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