West Bottoms Redevelopment

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Development in the West Bottoms, along with Berkley Park, will help finally return KC to a river city. Also, the connection to KCK's Strawberry Hill, new Kaw River levees, and the Rock Island Bridge conversion will help connect the two cities along the two rivers.

The empty lots between the River Market and the 9th and Baltimore area should be a more pressing concern than anywhere in the Crossroads.

Nashville has a bunch of pockets of development that are only just now starting to run into each other. Our goal should always be growing the size of the pie.

KC can support development in multiple urban neighborhoods at once!

I agree but the city should prioritize developing the vacant land between the River Market, 9th & Baltimore and the Garment district ahead of anything to the south. Not only is this the most embarrassing empty space in our city but the potential here is enormous. Every existing building in the area has been restored and retrofitted in the last 20 years and yet nothing new has been built. This area is far more historic and architecturally significant than anywhere in the Crossroads.

Blame Commerce bank and the other entities that refuse to relinquish the land for anything other than absolutely brain dead prices

[Rabble]

Nashville has a bunch of pockets of development that are only just now starting to run into each other. Our goal should always be growing the size of the pie.

KC can support development in multiple urban neighborhoods at once!

I agree but the city should prioritize developing the vacant land between the River Market, 9th & Baltimore and the Garment district ahead of anything to the south. Not only is this the most embarrassing empty space in our city but the potential here is enormous. Every existing building in the area has been restored and retrofitted in the last 20 years and yet nothing new has been built. This area is far more historic and architecturally significant than anywhere in the Crossroads.

Blame Commerce bank and the other entities that refuse to relinquish the land for anything other than absolutely brain dead prices

I think the area is prime for some creative "taxpayers". The block to the NE of the 21c was on the market recently and another hotel was planned directly east before Covid. Some young hotshot developer, who will be around for a while, could get control of both lots and develop them in two phases.

The first phase would 1-2 story urban strip malls, built right to sidewalk. On the north lot, build a U shape building (or buildings) along Central, 9th and Wyandotte. Leave the north open since there is nothing there to face. On the lot east of 21c build an L shape building along 9th and Wyandotte. Fill these up with bars, restaurants, bookstores, barbers, drycleaners, etc. and create a real urban neighborhood. You would be able to walk from the Phoenix to John's with buildings on both sides of you. There would be a direct urban connection between the Garment District and 9th and Baltimore.

Phase 2 would be the 10-20 story buildings this area deserves. Until then, the rent has paid for the taxes on your land investment and you've created some retail spaces a lot cheaper than the P&L district. And of course all your tenants could relocate into the first floor of the new buildings. The steel and sheet metal of the strip malls would be recycled.

[langosta]

I agree but the city should prioritize developing the vacant land between the River Market, 9th & Baltimore and the Garment district ahead of anything to the south. Not only is this the most embarrassing empty space in our city but the potential here is enormous. Every existing building in the area has been restored and retrofitted in the last 20 years and yet nothing new has been built. This area is far more historic and architecturally significant than anywhere in the Crossroads.

Blame Commerce bank and the other entities that refuse to relinquish the land for anything other than absolutely brain dead prices

I think the area is prime for some creative "taxpayers". The block to the NE of the 21c was on the market recently and another hotel was planned directly east before Covid. Some young hotshot developer, who will be around for a while, could get control of both lots and develop them in two phases.

The first phase would 1-2 story urban strip malls, built right to sidewalk. On the north lot, build a U shape building (or buildings) along Central, 9th and Wyandotte. Leave the north open since there is nothing there to face. On the lot east of 21c build an L shape building along 9th and Wyandotte. Fill these up with bars, restaurants, bookstores, barbers, drycleaners, etc. and create a real urban neighborhood. You would be able to walk from the Phoenix to John's with buildings on both sides of you. There would be a direct urban connection between the Garment District and 9th and Baltimore.

Phase 2 would be the 10-20 story buildings this area deserves. Until then, the rent has paid for the taxes on your land investment and you've created some retail spaces a lot cheaper than the P&L district. And of course all your tenants could relocate into the first floor of the new buildings. The steel and sheet metal of the strip malls would be recycled.

I think the issue is that the high price of land results in a 1-2 floor retail development not covering Land Cost + Building Cost + Taxes.

[Rabble]

However, it’s successful elsewhere.

[Cratedigger]

Manor Records moving to 12th street post. Two super cool spots - looking forward to checking it out October 6th

[FangKC]

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=105 ... 2947899639

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1400-W ... d1%26e%3dv

[FangKC]

Manor Records Spinning to West Bottoms in October

Shaun Crowley’s effort to help promote the local live music scene is landing in the West Bottoms where he plans to open a new Manor Records shop this October.

The new Manor Records is planned for the basement of what’s called the 12th Street Post building at 1501 W. 12th St. It’s a continuation of Crowley’s now-defunct record store in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood of KCK.
...
His new place in the Bottoms is joining a group of makers who’ve set up shop at 12th Street Post including the West Bottoms Plant Co. and a coffee shop. The building was a former post office.
...
The grand opening of Manor Records is scheduled for Oct. 6.

https://cityscenekc.com/manor-records-s ... 5Rn0DJDRwU

Location.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1006405 ... ?entry=ttu

[FangKC]

Latina Speakeasy, Bar Bringing Drinks and Tapas to West Bottoms

...
Kerns and her daughter, Alexandria Snavely, are planning a combination bar called Fuego and speakeasy named Trago at 1412 W. 12th St. The new place occupies the corner of an 1880s warehouse at the foot of the 12th Street Viaduct.
...
The Fuego bar area geared for walk-in customers will seat about 50 people and will serve Latin-themed cocktails including Amate Picante, Rocapulco Red, Mezcal Merengue and a Cuban Highball aka a Mojito.

The Trago speakeasy will require reservations and have its own entrance. The room seats about 25 people and will be separate from the adjoining bar.

Live entertainment including Flamenco dancers and music is planned on weekends. An open jam and drink specials aimed at employees in the food and entertainment industry are planned for Sunday nights. \
...
Opening day is scheduled for Sept. 15.

The hours will be Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4 p.m to midnight; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday, 5 p.m. to midnight. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

https://cityscenekc.com/latina-speakeas ... UFzPGcH12s

Location.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1007752 ... ?entry=ttu

[crazywarriorman]

Any date on when the weld building will be torn down?

[Cratedigger]

Tours being offered for the Rock Island Bridge Project: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bridge-tou ... 4865801587

[FangKC]

Who wants to bet drunk people end up in the Kansas River regularly when this place opens?

[langosta]

Who wants to bet drunk people end up in the Kansas River regularly when this place opens?

Drunk people and water exist everywhere without major concerns

[TheSmokinPun]

It's more criminal how little we've used the river since major cleaning projects started. I get on to people when they talk about how nasty the rivers are as if they can't remember how bad it was even 20 years ago.

[FangKC]

Proposed ‘quiet crossings’ could change the sound of the West Bottoms

West Bottom’s business owners and residents may see a major change in the future due to the proposed “quiet train crossing.” According to the Federal Railroad Administration, a “quiet crossing” is “a section of a rail line at least one-half mile in length that contains one or more consecutive public highway-rail grade crossings at which locomotive horns are not routinely sounded when trains are approaching the crossings.”
...

https://www.thepitchkc.com/proposed-qui ... t-bottoms/

[FangKC]

How haunted houses helped develop Kansas City's West Bottoms

https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2022-10- ... st-bottoms

[bspecht]

Somera Road gets FAA approvals for new buildings and those being renovated, don't see any tower crane requests yet.

New:
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769840
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769841
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769842
https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769843

Existing:
Laramie Building https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769849
Moline Building https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769850
Moline Building https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769851
11th & Santa Fe SW https://oeaaa.faa.gov/oeaaa/external/se ... =577769852


Might be helpful if a mod can seperate Somera Road posts into a thread of its own at this point?

[langosta]

PIEA request this week for Somera

[Cratedigger]

PIEA request this week for Somera

Approved on a 9-2 vote

The developers asked for a 20-year tax abatement for phases one and two, 90 percent for 10 years, 70 percent for the remaining 10 years. For phases three through five, the request was for 15 years, 10 years at 70 percent and five years at 30 percent.

Even with the abatement, the project would generate $62 million over 25 years in revenues to local taxing jurisdictions including $37 million to the Kansas City public schools. Without the development, the properties would yield $3 million in revenues during that period.

Donchez said the first phase of the redevelopment was “almost shovel ready.” A schedule shown the PIEA board indicated demolition of the derelict Weld Wheel building could begin next month.

The city would begin work on infrastructure in April in conjunction with the developer beginning construction. A public square called Union Depot that would be the centerpiece of the project would be part of the initial work.

https://cityscenekc.com/big-bottoms-red ... ncentives/

[CrossroadsUrbanApts]

This is very good news and hopefully a sign that the tide is turning back in a more pro-incentive and pro-development direction. Now, if they could fix the PIEA and LCRA incentives by removing the inclusionary requirement (or at least make it negotiable), you could start to see new construction proposals going back to these two groups (LCRA & PIEA) again.

[alejandro46]

Tons of potential in the West Bottoms and good that deep-pocketed investors like Somera see that. Awesome to see this moving forward.