West Bottoms Redevelopment

[FangKC]

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

I would rather see deep-pocketed investors focus more inside the Loop and adjacent areas not at risk of flooding.

[TheLastGentleman]

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

I would rather see deep-pocketed investors focus more inside the Loop and adjacent areas not at risk of flooding.

I don’t think an area being at a flood risk has anything to do with whether is should be invested in

[moderne]

Is that a Gov DeSantis quote?

[langosta]

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

I would rather see deep-pocketed investors focus more inside the Loop and adjacent areas not at risk of flooding.

I don’t think an area being at a flood risk has anything to do with whether is should be invested in

Its also not particularly at risk. IIRC, towns like Parkville would go first

[KC_Ari]

Is that not what the decade long levee modernization by the Army Corp of Engineers was meant to minimize the risk for?

[FangKC]

The West Bottoms sits in a flood plain at the convergence of two rivers. Turkey Creek overflows and it's behind the levee. There is no levee or pump system that cannot fail. All they do is lower the risk. They don't remove it.

[langosta]

The West Bottoms sits in a flood plain at the convergence of two rivers. Turkey Creek overflows and it's behind the levee. There is no levee or pump system that cannot fail. All they do is lower the risk. They don't remove it.

so we should only build on hill tops or mountains? The Crossroads floods too..... and the Plaza..... now that I think of it those two places have flooded more recently than West Bottoms.


I do agree coastal towns in ie. Florida are not a smart climate conscious investment.

[FangKC]

When the City has plenty of surface lots and other vacant parcels on higher ground, yes, those should be developed first.

[TheLastGentleman]

When the City has plenty of surface lots and other vacant parcels on higher ground, yes, those should be developed first.

Fang, I’m sorry but it feels like you’re moving the goalposts here….I don’t think anyone on here would prioritize the west bottoms over downtown, but treating the west bottoms like it’s a bomb about to go off feels unnecessary

[FangKC]

I'm sorry. I don't understand why any developer would spend millions building new residential buildings in a flood plain crisscrossed by railroad tracks and noisy moving trains outside the windows when they could build on higher ground with no trains outside the windows. Especially when there are plenty of more desirable parcels available.

It would be different if we were New York City or Tokyo and available land was at a premium and harder to find.

[GRID]

I agree with fang. I mean the only reason I'm happy to see the west bottoms developing is because it should end the destruction what's left of the building stock down there. But it will be silly to see that area fill up with 5 over ones when there are so many empty lots in the River to Plaza corridor still, especially east of Grand. Not only is it a flood risk, but it's just spreading everything too thin.

Even the bridge over the Kaw river project is weird. It's so disconnected from literally everything. Would have been amazing if that were happening with the old Broadway Bridge instead.

Once it really takes off down there, it's going to take away from areas that need it more because land will always be cheaper down there. There is only so much development to go around in KC.

It's happening though, so may as well embrace it I guess. I'm glad buildings are being saved although I still think the weld wheel building could have been saved.

[FangKC]

I grew up in a county in NW Missouri that's had three devastating floods since 1993 where levees failed and the entire bottom flooded. The water remained there for months. The residents of small towns there had to find other places to live while it all got sorted out.

The Corps of Engineers is a joke to them. Levees were rebuilt and then they failed again elsewhere, but the same result.

Not too many years ago, the Corps was worried about unusually high snow melt in the Rockies combined with historic heavy rainfalls in the Upper Midwest. The Corps had miscalculated and held back too much water in the lakes behind the dams on the Upper Missouri. The tributaries on the Missouri left their banks and filled the Missouri with prolonged flood waters against the levees -- essentially soaking them. The Corps told local residents that several dams on the Upper Missouri were at risk of topping and possible collapse. One collapse on the upper end of the series of dams would likely take out all of them. The Corps could not predict how devastating that might be to downriver communities.

There are four earth dams holding back lakes that drain into the Kansas River. Any one of them collapsing could have serious implications on the West Bottoms -- especially if it happened when the Missouri was at flood stage.

The Turkey Creek pumps would be useless if at capacity when the Kansas River is near topping the levee. They might be able to pump the water into the Kansas River but it might only throw more water into the channel and cause water to go over the levee and back into the Bottoms. If they don't pump the water, then it backs up into the West Bottoms anyway.

[taxi]

I'm surprised so many of these new developments in the WB are able to get insurance while located in a flood plain.

[langosta]

I'm surprised so many of these new developments in the WB are able to get insurance while located in a flood plain.

because of the flood wall and pumping stations?¿

[moderne]

I grew up around adults who told tales of the '51 flood. The only thing we learn from history is that we never learn from history.

[Jblanco]

51 was a bad flood, so was 93. I remember the entire area from the Kaw to the levees was water. Looked like Lake Michigan. The water was all the way to the top of the levee.
https://youtu.be/RsF8yzVUZUI?si=hqislJAQBCKWmC0N

[langosta]

I grew up around adults who told tales of the '53 flood. The only thing we learn from history is that we never learn from history.

*And to make the walls stronger/taller and the pumps bigger*

[FangKC]

It doesn't matter how big you make a levee. Levees are only a solution if the water against them is only for a short period. Prolonged floods that hold water up against the levee can weaken it, and water can percolate and bubble up on the other side of the levee in what is called a sand boil.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_boil

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levee_breach

A flooded river is also different from a lake. Earthen dams with lakes behind them have a different level of pressure than a flooded river with a strong current pushing against it while wet.

Pumps fail. Ask New Orleans about that.

[FangKC]

I'm not saying that the existing old buildings in the West Bottoms shouldn't be repurposed.

I'm just dubious about building new residential buildings there.

[Chris Stritzel]

I'd love to see all the old buildings renovated first before new stuff is proposed. The Weld Wheel replacement is one of the most dull replacements down there and, to me, will take away a large amount of character from the area.

Redeveloping the existing buildings will create a vibrant neighborhood on its own. Somera should honestly change their phasing and move all new construction to the end in order to create better products that'll stand the test of time.

Flooding will always be an issue that will have to be dealt with when the time comes. It's one of those things you take risks on when developing in a floodplain. Similar risks are had when you develop in areas prone to tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes. You need to understand the risks and if you're ok with them, have at it.