UMKC Conservatory of Music considers move to downtown

[smh]

From the Star:

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/22/33 ... ntown.html

[FangKC]

I was thinking this morning that the Midland Office Tower might be a good repurpose for the Conservatory of Music and Dance faculty offices and perhaps some apartments for students.

The vacant hotel rooms in the old Muehlebach, and the vacant Brookfield Building, at W. 11th and Baltimore, would also be good candidates for this purpose.

[KC-wildcat]

3 Sites selected....

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/02/36 ... -umkc.html

[kcjak]

I don't understand the Barney Allis Plaza site. It may not be completely user-friendly as a downtown plaza, with it being cut off from street-level activity, but for the city to offer that location without any community input seems wrong. There are way too many vacant lots/buildings in the area to turn public 'green space' into a building.

[smh]

I don't understand the Barney Allis Plaza site. It may not be completely user-friendly as a downtown plaza, with it being cut off from street-level activity, but for the city to offer that location without any community input seems wrong. There are way too many vacant lots/buildings in the area to turn public 'green space' into a building.

Agreed. It isn't the greatest, but add a couple of trees and you've got yourself a nice place. Seems odd to just eliminate it--plus a building would ruin views of the Marriott lights and Municipal auditorium... I don't know, just seems like a weak candidate.

[KCMax]

I've always really liked the BAP. Could be a wonderful public space if used correctly.

[KC-wildcat]

Only BAP attribute is proximity. short walk to Folly, Music Hall, Municipal, Playhouse, PAC, Rep, etc.

But, the X-Roads campus locations are only marginally further away from these locations. X-Roads are so much better than BAP that it's almost a waste of time advocating for them.

[Midtownkid]

They should definitely use the X-Roads site South of the Kauffman. Preserve the site east of the Kauffman for a bigger institution or museum. (Future Kemper Museum expansion?!)

I do think they should build high-end, boutique condos with small retail/gallery spaces along 17th. School could be pushed back to 18th...restore other deco film row buildings in the process.

[Pork Chop]

Out of the three sites listed below I like the Crossroads East location the best until I hear more about what will happen to the building stock. If they ever get the streetcar going and expanded to the campus, that would be another good way to get to campus and back.

Also, according to the plans UMKC is looking at building a 500 seat theater for the campus. I was hoping to see the revival of the plan to build the 500 seat theater at the Kauffman Center. I am not sure if it's even possible now (financially as well physically), but it would be great to see the orginal PAC plan come together. It would especially be fitting if they did decide to locate the campus on the Crossroads East location, not only would the theater be right across the street, but it would be a nice view of the PAC and the smaller theater.

Also, I am just throwing this out there, but I would hope the Helzberg's throw enought money at this concept to have the campus named after them. The Helzberg campus has a nice ring to it.

• Barney Allis Plaza. The one block public plaza northwest of 13th and Wyandotte streets is owned by the city and sits atop a 900-space underground garage. It is already publicly owned, and close to venues students could use, including the Folly Theater, Municipal Auditorium and the Copaken Stage at the H&R Block building. A campus there would be all new construction.

• Crossroads/Kauffman East. This site covers two blocks directly east of the performing arts center roughly between Wyandotte and Main streets from 16th to 17th streets. It would link the arts campus directly with the Kauffman Center and the Crossroads District. It also would be served by Main Street, a major road.

The site could be developed as a blend of new construction and renovation of existing buildings. Although it would be more difficult to assemble the properties, the bulk of them belong to sympathetic owners, including arts patron Shirley Helzberg and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

• Crossroads/Kauffman Southwest. This “corner campus” site would include sections of the blocks at the northwest and southeast corners of 17th Street and Broadway, also next to the Kaufman Center and in the Crossroads District. It too would involve new construction and renovation.

There would be room to expand to the south on land owned by DST Realty that’s now used as a community garden. And although multiple properties are involved, the bulk are controlled by interests favorable to the arts campus, including the real estate firm Copaken Brooks.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/02/36 ... rylink=cpy

[kboish]

no brainer. crossroads east site. can put student housing on the lot to the north if they needed/wanted it. plus helzberg owns the land already? slam dunk. now just scrounge up $100mil or so.

[FangKC]

I was hoping that the Lyric Theater building would be reused as part of the campus, and they would build a new building on the adjacent parking lot and other buildings along Wyandotte north of John's Big Deck. I'm against using Barney Allis Plaza as a site. I think since it's a City-owned park space, that it would require a public vote anyway.

My preference is the Crossroads East site.

[aknowledgeableperson]

I'm against using Barney Allis Plaza as a site. I think since it's a City-owned park space, that it would require a public vote anyway.

Don't believe it is "dedicated" park space. Unless things have changed through the years the Parks Dept doesn't control the space. The people at Bartle control the space.

Anyway, with you. Not a good place for the Conservatory.

[Highlander]

I'm against using Barney Allis Plaza as a site. I think since it's a City-owned park space, that it would require a public vote anyway.

Don't believe it is "dedicated" park space. Unless things have changed through the years the Parks Dept doesn't control the space. The people at Bartle control the space.

Anyway, with you. Not a good place for the Conservatory.

Definitely not a good place for the Conservatory but the current space could be vastly improved upon. Like many public spaces in KC, there's nothing to draw you into the Plaza.

Do they still play tennis in the Plaza?

[KC-wildcat]

I'm against using Barney Allis Plaza as a site. I think since it's a City-owned park space, that it would require a public vote anyway.

Don't believe it is "dedicated" park space. Unless things have changed through the years the Parks Dept doesn't control the space. The people at Bartle control the space.

Anyway, with you. Not a good place for the Conservatory.

Definitely not a good place for the Conservatory but the current space could be vastly improved upon. Like many public spaces in KC, there's nothing to draw you into the Plaza.

Do they still play tennis in the Plaza?

Yes.

[DaveKCMO]

saw the dean give a presentation on this last night. amazing guy. totally gets that demographics are shifting in favor of urban core. the "east" option in the crossroads is clearly the winner. it has the same issue as the "west" site (assembling properties), but is right on the streetcar line that will eventually extend to volker campus.

barney allis is DOA.

having UMKC as a major property owner in the crossroads would be a huge boost to a CID, too.

[KCMax]

Vision of a Downtown Arts Campus in Kansas City

http://youtu.be/No1uItijeuE

[flyingember]

glad to see Barney Allis is dead. it had a space problem before anything else.

this is one of the few projects that I think is worth doing with as much help as can be given simply because of what it puts on the ground.

it gives UMKC with the model to stop expanding into the neighborhood south of it and instead to move into the redevelopment of the urban core.

An urban university would be a selling point for KC. I got my degree in Warrensburg and although I enjoyed the school the location left a lot to desire. Now I would never pick a school in a town so small.

And it helps with the needs downtown. a young, urban living center will drive more retail. you need an electronics store to support all the laptops, you need a copy center that's open on weekends and so on.

[FangKC]

A discussion about this plan is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 6:30 pm at the Central Public Library.

http://www.kclibrary.org/event/vision-d ... rts-campus

[FangKC]

I just hope this plan can incorporate some of the existing historic buildings in the area like the Lyric Theater for some use on the campus as well as this building along W. 18th Street and Central.





https://maps.google.com/maps?q=18th+and ... du6ydyqUYA

[DaveKCMO]

that building is a sore point. the owner refuses to keep it up and also refuses to sell.