KCRag Forum

UrbanKC wrote:

herrfrank wrote:

earthling wrote:Upgrading 71 Highway to Interstate grade through E Side should maybe be higher priority (understand there are some type of legal restrictions, need to find a way to overturn).

The Bruce Watkins/ US-71 roadway land was cleared in the 1960s (although not built until the late 1980s) and was originally designed to US Interstate Highway specs. However, the design was modified to an at-grade parkway between 55th and 71st, with signaled intersections (per a 1985 consent decree and inkwells of Sturm und Drang in the Star). The change was entirely due to politics, which means any modification of the roadway will be a civic hot potato (at least until that generation has disappeared, maybe 30 years from today)

I think a downgrade would actually be better for US-71. Speaking as a Northlander, the only reason most of us ever take 71 is to get to the Plaza or Midtown. I would imagine it's much the same for those down South. It would still serve that same purpose if we downgraded US-71 to a Parkway, and wouldn't divide Downtown from the East Side as much.

I personally think it would be best to downgrade US-71 to a parkway rather than upgrading it.

I don't disagree with what you're saying, but I think more people out south actually use 71 for commuting. OP, Leawood, Raytown, Grandview and Lee's Summit all commute downtown via 71.

UrbanKC wrote:
I think a downgrade would actually be better for US-71. Speaking as a Northlander, the only reason most of us ever take 71 is to get to the Plaza or Midtown. I would imagine it's much the same for those down South. It would still serve that same purpose if we downgraded US-71 to a Parkway, and wouldn't divide Downtown from the East Side as much.

You should drive US 71 in the morning and at about 4:45pm in the afternoon. Like in the afternoon it backs up from 63th all the way to Cleaver, all three lanes. There's a huge number of people that commute on it.

Also, your only reason to take US 71, to the Plaza, is also one of the major jobs centers in KC. All those tall towers, many of them are offices. I would say southward commuting on it is about 33% of northward commuting but it happens.

the north loop decommissioning is connected to the broadway bridge replacement project in every way, for now.

Rochester, New York has already started doing this very thing.

http://www.rochesterdowntown.com/wp_rdd ... t-fill-in/

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/sto ... /25437481/

23 mil seems pretty reasonable, why aren't we doing this again?

The entire article about the North Loop plan is now available to non-subscribers of the Business Journal of Kansas City.

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/p ... pment.html

One of the big features of this plan also involves lowering the grade from the Heart of America bridge into downtown that divides the River Market and Columbus Park, and removing part of the barrier between the two neighborhoods. It also reconnects Independence Avenue and provides a direct route from the east into the River Market again.

I've always hated that big wall along Cherry Street that divides the two neighborhoods.

But as part of its charge, the ULI panel already has come up with a financing plan for its vision of a 12,750-employee corporate campus that includes 3 million square feet of offices, 1,050 high-end apartments and 100,000 square feet of retail.

I'm less enthusiastic about trying to create one big corporate campus at this site. I think the approach should be to attract a lot of smaller companies spread out over several buildings. The goal could be the same number of employees working there, but not for one corporation. This creates a more dynamic neighborhood. There is less risk of a big corporate downsizing hurting downtown, or that the company would pick up and move altogether at once leaving a lot of empty office space. I'm also dubious about the wisdom of one type of large business being there instead of several different types of companies doing different things. A monolithic business (say one tech company) in one place can cause big problems if they go under, or have a big setback. I'd rather see a variety of business being done, so that we don't put too many eggs in one basket when it comes to the health of the downtown economy.

I would equate it to when the garment district suddenly disappeared downtown. Lot of jobs lost around the same time, and big empty buildings left behind.

I think this is a more wise approach.

black & veatch was selected to do the 'broadway bridge' study phase.

DaveKCMO wrote:black & veatch was selected to do the 'broadway bridge' study phase.

The parameters of that study should be interesting.

DaveKCMO wrote:black & veatch was selected to do the 'broadway bridge' study phase.

(Burns & McDonnell)
http://marc.org/About-MARC/pdf/board-pa ... acket.aspx

Eon Blue wrote:

DaveKCMO wrote:black & veatch was selected to do the 'broadway bridge' study phase.

(Burns & McDonnell)
http://marc.org/About-MARC/pdf/board-pa ... acket.aspx

my bad. why do i get those two confused?

Worst yet, is there is now a firm in town called Black and McDonnell. I see there trucks out in south KC quite a bit.

shinatoo wrote:Worst yet, is there is now a firm in town called Black and McDonnell. I see there trucks out in south KC quite a bit.

Black and McDonald
Burns and McDonnell
Black & Veatch

Anyone can be excused for confusing the three

They opened the KC office in 1997.
http://www.blackandmcdonald.com/media/d ... er2011.pdf

shinatoo wrote:Worst yet, is there is now a firm in town called Black and McDonnell. I see there trucks out in south KC quite a bit.

Black & McDonald is Canadian with US HQ in KC. Their facility is in the East Bottoms. Among other tasks, they maintain the city streetlights for KCP&L.

We could portmanteau the names and just call all of these engineering firms Black, Burns, Veatch, and McDee.

I've heard that MoDot will not be paying for the Broadway Bridge replacement and that the city intends to fund replacement through a GO Bond that would have to go before voters. The bond would include much more infrastructure items that are yet to be determined, but would also be coupled with a property tax increase.

.

kboish wrote:I've heard that MoDot will not be paying for the Broadway Bridge replacement and that the city intends to fund replacement through a GO Bond that would have to go before voters. The bond would include much more infrastructure items that are yet to be determined, but would also be coupled with a property tax increase.

that's one way to get the bridge you actually want. makes sense because KCMO put up the study funds, dragging modot along for the ride. feds would chip in 80% of the cost. combining with a new rail bridge to replace hannibal #2 would be a nice touch, and has been discussed.

remember when modot temporarily cut their maintenance plan down last year the broadway bridge didn't make the cut?

More control over design? And maybe in conjunction with losing the loop?

grovester wrote:More control over design? And maybe in conjunction with losing the loop?

EXACTLY

So does this mean the northloop could be decommissioned much sooner than originally anticipated? Because that would be right.

JBmidtown wrote:So does this mean the northloop could be decommissioned much sooner than originally anticipated? Because that would be right.

that and a southloop cap are on the table, but a final list of projects/uses is far from being determined. And from what i heard there will be no blank check- all projects/uses will be outlined. Transfer of sidewalk construction/maintenance responsibility city wide to the city is also on the table...