KCRag Forum

flyingember wrote:

missingkc wrote:Hasn't Birt mentioned plans for another project just north of River Market West? Maybe this sale will move that project forward.

just south of, along Indep Ave. just north of is Market Station

All the empty land including the alley/former rr row is owned by rmwest llc but with a different address than the existing building.

Yes, south. Not north. Thanks.

KCtoBrooklyn wrote:

ldai_phs wrote:RM sold to GFI Capital of NYC. They say they are also in early stages of development of two other kc projects with 1,800 housing units within 18 months.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 23060.html

1,800 is a whole lot of units for two projects. That is almost 6 times One Light. I wonder if that Star put an extra zero on there.

It looks like GFI has developed 3 residential projects, all in Brooklyn. Two of the projects are relatively small at 31 and 41 units. The third is larger at 366 units and that one looks like it is still in the planning stages.

This company appears to deal mostly with urban properties (although they also purchased a complex at Shoal Creek), but I have to wonder if these two 900 unit projects would be massive, sprawling suburban complexes.

The article doesn't mention where in the KC Metro that GFI Capital is planning these two projects. For all we know, it could be a sprawling apartment complex in the Northland. They already own one at NE. 87th and Flintrock Road in Shoal Creek, and there are several large vacant parcels around it.

On the other hand, they could be planning on doing something in the East Village development, if they plan to do more urban development. Past reports planned for 1000 to 1200 new housing units in the East Village. So, one of their planned projects could be going there. That might account for a large part of their projected units. Then they could also be doing a large suburban complex.

Another area might be around Crown Center. When Crown Center sold off the lots around 27th and McGee for development to Milhaus and UC-B Properties, this indicated a willingness on their part to allow other companies develop parcels they own. There are several other large parcels that Crown Center could still sell off. A couple of the parcels are large enough that one could do some fairly big buildings with a lot of units, and if one assembled all the remaining vacant Crown Center parcels en masse, it is conceivable that the second GFI project could be fairly large there as well.

Both of these aforementioned sites are ready for development now, so GFI could get these units built within the next 18 months. Especially if they take over plans that have already been drawn up by former parties in the past. Crown Center surely has commissioned plans for their parcels, and there were also some done by Swope Community Builders for the East Village.

Another large parcel that is ready for development is the former Colonial Courts site on the north edge of the Plaza. Those have been demoed for what - around 18 months now? And I still haven't heard any plan for it. Price Brothers has had a sign up on the land like they are interested in selling it. Maybe they decided to focus on demoing the Nelle Peters apartments and are letting the other site go. GFI has purchased an apartment building in West Plaza, so they do apparently have interest in that area.

So 1200 units in East Village and 600 units either in North Plaza or Crown Center? Sounds good to me.

Since Highwoods is selling all its' properties now, the triangle parcel at W. 47th and Madison might also be in play, and well as that narrow strip of land along W. 46th Terrace between Broadway and Pennsylvania. Those are prime spots for new housing.

The website is advertising that units are now open.

http://rmwest.com/

Found a rezoning permit for a development called "RM West II". I'm assuming this is the rumored building to the south of the current River Market West.

KCDowntown

Hopefully the design is at least slightly more inspired than the current building.

Let's just say, it's not looking great.

Here are the final development plans, including elevations: http://maps.kcmo.org/kcgis/rest/service ... ments/8323

It looks like the outside is if you take RM West existing and then add mix and match herford/Midwest hotel block project

4-5 stories will be decent but no street level impact. I can't tell exactly but it looks like only apartments, that amenities will be in the existing buildings.

Why put two driveways on fourth street? remove the fourth street garage entrance and put an entrance into the covered garage from the interior parking lot.

Shorter than I was hoping for. I thought I remember a KC Biz Journal article (or was it a comment in this thread?) that mentioned a 9-story residential bldg was being considered for this land.

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pash wrote:

Eon Blue wrote:Here are the final development plans, including elevations: http://maps.kcmo.org/kcgis/rest/service ... ments/8323

It's astounding how well the client's overarching vision of the cheapest pile of sticks possible, artlessly made real by hack architects, shines through in the building's design. Its aesthetic of mindless variety reminds one somehow of the way a Chili's sampler-platter, enthusiastically combined with two pitchers of Bud Light and six shots of José Cuervo, looks after it has been vomited all over the sidewalk.

I thought the plant and tree renderings were very nice.

Well....

http://www.nspjarch.com/

pash wrote:

Eon Blue wrote:Here are the final development plans, including elevations: http://maps.kcmo.org/kcgis/rest/service ... ments/8323

It's astounding how well the client's overarching vision of the cheapest pile of sticks possible, artlessly made real by hack architects, shines through in the building's design. Its aesthetic of mindless variety reminds one somehow of the way a Chili's sampler-platter, enthusiastically combined with two pitchers of Bud Light and six shots of José Cuervo, looks after it has been vomited all over the sidewalk.

Who says architectural criticism is dead?

I don't see tequila anywhere. Are we looking at the same project?

It's astounding how well the client's overarching vision of the cheapest pile of sticks possible, artlessly made real by hack architects, shines through in the building's design. Its aesthetic of mindless variety reminds one somehow of the way a Chili's sampler-platter, enthusiastically combined with two pitchers of Bud Light and six shots of José Cuervo, looks after it has been vomited all over the sidewalk.

Bravo. And I haven't even looked at the images yet.

And lets not forget that this is the developer that received $2 million in cash subsidies for the last blah development it did. Not $2 million in abatements or TIF, $2 million in straight cash. What a raw deal that was.

The $2m was a loan...to be repaid (8 years out if i recall).