Katz on Main

[The Newbern]

Wow, the scale of the new addition is a bit overwhelming. It certainly changes the look of the intersection of Westport and Baltimore! I'm eager to see the work on what is left of the Katz building. It looks like there are some guys working on the Westport Road facade. Hope that is a good sign.

[herrfrank]

It really was a facade-ectomy. I wonder what Clarence Kivett's successors think about it. Of course, besides the interior mezzanine there wasn't much else to this structure besides its interesting facade.

His firm eventually went on to do the Truman Sports Complex and the 1970 airport plus my favorite, the Alameda Plaza hotel (which really needs a refresh now with its overloaded pool deck and under-utilized lobby). Kivett & Myers eventually begat Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendorf aka HNTB and then HOK, their "sports" practice.

But it all started in 1934 with this Katz Drug at Westport & Main.

[moderne]

What's with that hole where the stairs to the lower level(housewares and hardware) was. Was the basement even accessible at all all those years the stairs were covered up?

[The Newbern]

What's with that hole where the stairs to the lower level(housewares and hardware) was. Was the basement even accessible at all all those years the stairs were covered up?

If I remember correctly there was non-retail space west of and behind the stairs--storage--but I don't know the size. When you came down the west stairs the check out counter was immediately to the left (so along the Westport Road side of the basement). Immediately west of this counter was an entrance to the storage area in question. It's worth noting that the basement sales floor did not take up the same floor space as the main floor. I believe there was non-retail space all around the basement.

Long ago there was a double wide staircase to the basement immediately as you entered the store from the corner entrance at Main and Westport. When Osco renovated the store in the 1980s and added the addition to the west (which then became the "main" entrance of the store) they put down a new floor throughout the store (covering up the original terrazzo floor in the old part of the building) and as they were working in the area of the larger "Main Street" stairs you could see where it had been covered up by a poured concrete slab at some point in the past.

In the early 1980's (around 1982 or 1983 for sure) Skaggs still had a lunch counter in the store running along the Westport Road side. They closed that not long after and that space was then occupied by their self assemble furniture department (the Sauder-type stuff).

[bspecht]

[Sirius_Blue]

They're working on restoring the clock tower today.

[The Newbern]

Excellent!

[Anthony_Hugo98]

They're working on restoring the clock tower today.

I was worried about this, good to see they’re focusing on this now!

[moderne]

Please restore the clock tower lighting to resemble the historical, not a poor anachronism like the P&L.

[The Newbern]

Yes, absolutely. Let's hope they do it right not cheep. I've been wanting to see the stripes lit up with the orange neon glow for decades. When Osco renovated (and expanded) the building in the 1980s they did fix the clock (for a while) but didn't relight the stripes. Hope that is in the plan.

[bspecht]

Latest from last week.

[BigDonkus]

[The Newbern]

Holy cow! From this angle the new building (or do we call it an addition??) really dominates. Does it overpower the original building as much from the Main Street side?

[Cratedigger]

Holy cow! From this angle the new building (or do we call it an addition??) really dominates. Does it overpower the original building as much from the Main Street side?

I took this a while back from the 39th st Plexpod roof. Not the best photo but shows the scale. The new build really makes an impact on the view towards main

[TheUrbanRoo]

I noticed that work is progressing on this still, moving along

[im2kull]

KC Tenants will just move to rent control and putting councilpeople in place who are either weak and scared, like we’re seeing here, or put their own people in office. They’ll push it through. It takes so few votes to win and getting rid of at-large candidates makes it even easier.

Alright, where'd you get the time machine from? Couldn't have called this any better.

[beautyfromashes]

Alright, where'd you get the time machine from? Couldn't have called this any better.

It will only get worse until people start asking the question, "Do you support KC Tenants?" and if they say yes, "I'm sorry I can't support you(.)" Of course, the candidates that come out against KC Tenants will face untold harassment, belligerence and intimidation. Not many people will subject themselves to that level of pain.

[im2kull]

Alright, where'd you get the time machine from? Couldn't have called this any better.

It will only get worse until people start asking the question, "Do you support KC Tenants?" and if they say yes, "I'm sorry I can't support you(.)" Of course, the candidates that come out against KC Tenants will face untold harassment, belligerence and intimidation. Not many people will subject themselves to that level of pain.

Agreed.

Lucas shouldn't have let his proposal to give the City Manager the approving authority get shut down so quickly. It's unfortunate he's made his bed with KCT. They've become a massive roadblock to development.

[beautyfromashes]

Lucas shouldn't have let his proposal to give the City Manager the approving authority get shut down so quickly. It's unfortunate he's made his bed with KCT. They've become a massive roadblock to development.

But no one ever asks them about why they've become an impediment to development. For KC Tenants faults, they've become experts at playing to the media and having an annoyance level that scares councilpeople into giving in to avoid being stuck in the mud. I'm not sure I've seen any media personality, group or individual ask, "Why did you kill the US Bank development? How is the city better not having a development that met a good piece of the affordable housing requirement? Has the affordable housing requirements killed development as it appears and when are you going to change it?" The development side needs to take the bullhorn example from KCT and use it for their side.

So, just about Bunch: He's a pleasant nice guy, family man, I'm sure a good neighbor. But, he is part of the young Progressive demographic that seems to constantly get stuck doing nothing because there is always something wrong to find with a project. They don't understand 'Don't let perfect be the enemy of good." or "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Basic, basic negotiation tactics, idealistic to a fault, accomplish absolutely nothing because it's better than giving a marginal imperfection. And the main problem is not that they are even hurting development brought to them. If you really want to grow the city, you should be meeting with developers on a weekly basis. Have them on speedail. Councilpeople shouldn't just be gatekeepers, they should be business drivers, attracting business, meeting with groups that might want to come here, growing the tax base. I've seen none of it. This is why you have to get away from political activists or neighborhood advocate-types as our city representatives. Getting bogged down in changing street names and national political issues, political psychological emotional handholding groups trying to make people feel better, virtue signaling. The closest you could call this city trying to actually attract a business downtown would be H&R Block and that was probably two miles and over 20 years ago.

[Sirius_Blue]

Regarding KC Tenants, I'm reminded of a G.K. Chesterton quote: "He could not help falling into that besetting sin or weakness of the modern progressive, the habit of regarding contemporary questions as eternal questions and the latest words as the last."