Whole Foods mixed-use project @ 51/Oak

[chrizow]

anyone have any intel on this? WF has announced a new store in olathe, but i haven't heard a peep about the oak street store. is the city going to screw this up b/c it can't figure out traffic flow from brookside? are the trolley track goofs going to torpedo this?

[brewcrew1000]

I read somewhere that there are two small buildings on that site that can't be torn down until the lease runs out. The project is still on schedule.

[chrizow]

The project is still on schedule.

what is the schedule?

[earthling]

2015 was the target when first announced. They initially said they hoped to break ground by end of 2013. Doesn't sound like any red flags or delays yet. Olathe could do faster on I'm assuming empty land with no dependencies.

[flyingember]

anyone have any intel on this? WF has announced a new store in olathe, but i haven't heard a peep about the oak street store. is the city going to screw this up b/c it can't figure out traffic flow from brookside? are the trolley track goofs going to torpedo this?

companies announce stores years out.

Hy-Vee announces stores 6-9 months before groundbreaking and takes 12-24 months to complete (they're up to really, really big buildings in some cities)

and those are generally suburban stores where they control the land and have the plan already done

[loftguy]

I may be off base, but I'm suspicious about the details here.

It was my understanding that DST Realty was the developer of this project.

DST the parent company, and all of its subsidiaries are being quietly and methodically dismantled by Russell Glass, the New York Investor/Corporate Raider, who has effectively taken control and is wiping this company off the map.

It's the modern equivalent of mongols at the gates.

A tragedy and travesty.

Heard this real estate is being offered for sale. In a goofy, no price, no detail kind of way. Just a "here it is, wadda ya offer?"

Kevin Collison?

[smh]

Heard this real estate is being offered for sale. In a goofy, no price, no detail kind of way. Just a "here it is, wadda ya offer?"

Kevin Collison?

$1 Bob.

[kboish]

I thought UMKC owned the land?

[earthling]

I've pinged Collison to see if he has a status.

[DaveKCMO]

apparently there is meeting with KCATA coming up re: the request to impede on the CC ROW? i've talked to KCATA about that kind of thing, and they have a policy against selling any part of the ROW.

have heard six stories for the residential component, which i don't think is bad considering there are other six-ish story buildings in the brookside/UMKC area. besides, if the neighborhood doesn't want stuff to spread out, the only place to go is up.

[earthling]

Finally an update but no indication if on schedule for 2015...
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... l?page=all

[DaveKCMO]

apparently their revised plan still wants to borrow some of the trolley trail right of way, but no more curb cut. building still faces an interior parking lot instead of 51st street, which will only encourage more auto trips.

streetcar will be a game-changer on this project, so i hope the people who have issues with the whole foods design will support streetcar for the leverage it brings at city hall.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

Finally an update but no indication if on schedule for 2015...
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... l?page=all

I heard fall of 2016 opening.

[Demosthenes]

apparently their revised plan still wants to borrow some of the trolley trail right of way, but no more curb cut. building still faces an interior parking lot instead of 51st street, which will only encourage more auto trips.

streetcar will be a game-changer on this project, so i hope the people who have issues with the whole foods design will support streetcar for the leverage it brings at city hall.

Building opening up to an interior parking lot is really unacceptable here. What is truly so difficult about orienting this building in an urban fashion? The shops across the street face 51st in an urban fashion, so you would think the Whole Foods entrance being directly across the street would be best for everyone. I think a 51st and Oak corner entrance would be ideal personally, with the apartments entrance being maybe mid block on 51st. All parking should clearly be on the back side (south) of building where a parking lot already is.

Ahhh, please don't botch this design!

[flyingember]

from kcrta twitter feed- image shows lot is now on the south side, small access lot on the west side. no driveway crossing trail but a path to a bus stop will!

combining part of the overflow control work into the project. save time and money.

7 stories tall
40K sq ft whole foots
14K sq ft UMKC medical clinic
140 apartments

440 parking spaces, surface and 7-story garage. looks like the units will wrap the garage . images makes it look like they'll wrap at least three sides of it with the residences! (can't see fourth side)

if this goes in as-is it can be a good model for developments south of Ward Parkway.

[earthling]

[chrizow]

nice! so no access from BKS Blvd? it's hard to tell from those drawings.

[kboish]

Build it!

[flyingember]

nice! so no access from BKS Blvd? it's hard to tell from those drawings.

there's an overhead on twitter that it painfully clear there's no new curb cuts on Brookside Blvd

https://twitter.com/KCRTA/status/451775 ... to/1/large

[smh]

We must have been at the same lunch!