KCRag Forum

AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 10:37 pm My goal on Main in Midtown is to destroy the abomination of that suburban Home Depot

Google "Warner Plaza" for a depressing read on the more-or-less intact 1920s multifamily development that occupied much of this land. The complex was standing until 1990, which goes to show how late it was that the historic preservationists got any traction in KC.

Then again those beautiful apartment buildings near Richard Block Cancer Survivor Park got demolished, what was it, five years ago? And the Knickerbocker debacle happened since the pandemic began.

Warner Plaza had transient residents in the 1970s and 1980s (midtown used to be the poor part of town), so the buildings got blamed for the resident's problems and demolished. A wonderful jazz club, Jimmy's, also got levelled in that whirlwind of destruction. A totally authentic 1920s boite that the world will never know again.

BTW, Warner Plaza's 10 low-rise apartment buildings had I recall eight apartments each, plus another 20 in the five-story structures; Knickerbocker had at least 30, and the 20 units on the Plaza makes 150 units total. All of which could have been redeveloped as mixed-rate-plus-affordable housing.

That's the kind of thing that KC Tenants should be outraged about -- the vanishing of viable housing, not the fancy nature of new housing.

http://midtownkcpost.com/current-home-d ... ment-city/
Link to some pictures of Warner Plaza in the 80s

herrfrank wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:34 pm BTW, Warner Plaza's 10 low-rise apartment buildings had I recall eight apartments each, plus another 20 in the five-story structures; Knickerbocker had at least 30, and the 20 units on the Plaza makes 150 units total. All of which could have been redeveloped as mixed-rate-plus-affordable housing.

That's the kind of thing that KC Tenants should be outraged about -- the vanishing of viable housing, not the fancy nature of new housing.

Yes. 100%

herrfrank wrote: ↑Thu Feb 24, 2022 2:34 pm BTW, Warner Plaza's 10 low-rise apartment buildings had I recall eight apartments each, plus another 20 in the five-story structures; Knickerbocker had at least 30, and the 20 units on the Plaza makes 150 units total. All of which could have been redeveloped as mixed-rate-plus-affordable housing.

That's the kind of thing that KC Tenants should be outraged about -- the vanishing of viable housing, not the fancy nature of new housing.

Add to that the destruction of Colonial Court by KCUMB and the apartment building on Paseo at 33rd.

Not to mention the countless buildings lost on the Eastside of the city as well as what's now East Village. No one bats an eye when we've lost so much of our history and housing stock but there are plenty of people willing to fight re because for a number of reasons.

Interior demo permits requested 3/1

I saw a TON of contractor pickups and one of those ride-on tile scraper thingies there yesterday. Progress!

Was surprised that the Historic Preservation Commission did not include this building in their second edition of Kansas City: A Place in Time.

Inside looks to be pretty close to gutted. And I don't think that hole in the floor was there before. https://imgur.com/a/HS0b6WN

Looks like where the stairs to the basement were.

Housewares and hardware.

So has it started?

Yes, Alkali, I believe they're working on gutting it right now. I've seen tons of contractor pickups there over the past couple weeks.

I peaked inside last night on my way to dinner at Tailleur (great meal btw.) Looked pretty much fully gutted and cleaned out.

Really excited to see how this turns out. Renders are on thing, final results are another.

"Light pollution is violence to me."

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/c31316d1- ... a14c3331bd

That Katz photo is a very long exposure. No way it was that bright in person.

shinatoo wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 8:34 am That Katz photo is a very long exposure. No way it was that bright in person.

you can tell by the floating light beams in the street

Best thing was that both street sides were entirely glass. Such inviting visibility!