Grand Opera House, 710 and 711 Main to be razed.

[FangKC]

I've decided today to put together an email to council members and the mayor asking questions about this project, and specifically asking them to explain their support for demolition of a 115-year-old historic building.

Once could make an argument that the building looks better now that it did decades ago when it was in operation -- even in its current condition.

[voltopt]

Good.  Let's do our best to get some answers for these important questions.  Or at least get them to pay us lip service!

[kard]

Awe, crap.  I've always liked that building.  Not the parking garage part, but the outside facade is very cool.  UN-Retrofitting it in to anything but a garage would be really expensive, though. 

[DaveKCMO]

i haven't received any responses from my email to the mayor, city manager, and full council yesterday.

[voltopt]

neither have i - although i only sent it to jim glover, my councilman.

i guess i'll have to not vote for and campaign against all of the people currently on the council or in the position of mayor right now.  arn't they there to represent me?

[kard]

neither have i - although i only sent it to jim glover, my councilman.

i guess i'll have to not vote for and campaign against all of the people currently on the council or in the position of mayor right now.  arn't they there to represent me?

No.

They're there to get elected.

[FangKC]

Awe, crap.  I've always liked that building.  Not the parking garage part, but the outside facade is very cool.  UN-Retrofitting it in to anything but a garage would be really expensive, though. 

Yes, it is a cool-looking old building.  Sort of fortress-like in its appearance. Commanding is a similar way to that of Windsor Castle in the UK with its mast-like cornice.

Yes, it will be expensive to salvage it and remove the parking garage. I don't know if the parking garage portion could even be saved, or if one would want to.  But some things are just worth doing. It can be done.

The parking decks can be cut apart and lifted through the roof.  Old highway bridges are salvaged this way by cutting them into pieces. I saw a show on PBS this week (Dec. 26) where they take salvaged pieces of highway bridges and make new buildings out of them.  I was sort of amazed how attractive the end result was.  Perhaps they could reuse the parking deck pieces in a new design on that block. 

I'd be happy if they just saved the front facade and reincorporated it into another project.  I envision the entrance replaced with carriage house arts and craft-type doors similar to what was done on the Soho South Lofts (Emery, Bird & Thayer warehouse).  The windows could have cloth awnings put over them too.  I'd love to see the old roof structure recreated as well. It would enhance the architecture.



While it may be expensive, keep in mind that federal and state historic tax credits can pay for up to 45 percent of the cost of renovating the building (federal 25%, state 20%).  Combine that with MODESA money, and if a portion of low-income housing is included, some HUD funds.  The City could also grant TIF on any associated project to reuse it.  Then there are always private foundation grants.

The other thing that has not been tried in a situation like this --for a long time (probably since the Folly renovation)-- is a public fundraising campaign.  One more source of renovation income, and publicity for historic tourism afterwards, could come from producing a documentary for PBS, TLC, A&E, or H&G Channel (on shows like Restore America) on the techniques of saving and restoring such a structure. It would be a fascinating program.

The other thing to consider is taking Grand Opera and using it as a green demonstration adaptive re-use project. Get some firm like BNIM or HOK to do it, and they can use it as a field laboratory. Once completed, it's a project they can take future clients to see.  It could be useful as a marketing tool for them.  It is also a opportunity for leadership by City leaders.  It could be the first step in green adaptive re-use as the City takes steps to become a greener city.  What better example than using a pre-1900 building.  Visitors could tour for the historic aspects and learn about green architecture as well.  Barnes needs to step up and be more like Mayor Daley in Chicago with his green movement.  She would be viewed later as a visionary leader.

Doing a green adaptive re-use project might also create a situation where the federal government might fund a greater portion of the demonstration project.  The EPA for example might use it as an example.

[JDluu]

Goodbye Operahouse?

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/16455675.htm

From the star 1/14/07

Fat lady sings for former opera house

Goner: One of downtown’s oldest buildings, a former 19th-century opera house, is slated for demolition. The former Grand Opera House, at 700 Walnut St., spent most of the last 80 years as a parking garage.

Why? Tower Properties, the real estate affiliate of Commerce Bancshares Inc., owns the building and has designated it and two nearby structures on Main Street for razing. Redevelopment plans for the 2.5-acre site have not been announced.

[KCPowercat]

Although I hate the building as it currently sits (it's in my top 5 downtown problems), I would love for it to be rehabbed.  Although, I can't imagine a building built at the turn of the century, that has been exposed to outside elements for decades can be in very good shape that it could be saved.

[schugg]

knock that gawd awful thing down. there is no hope for it.

[Czar]

I think they bought the building for around $350K about two years ago.  I also  saw a study that showed the building as viable to remove the interior while supporting the exterior and thus saving.  Tower property is the KING of surface parking in the loop.

[tat2kc]

I saw an artilce in the paper saying that the parking structure is the only thing holding up the exterior. Rehabbing that space with no tenant would be foolish in economic terms.

[zonk]

but tearing it down would be equally, if not more foolish.

[lock+load]

So much focus is being placed on the East Village area and it's sea of parking, yet Commerce / Tower have managed to assemble a similarally sized surface parking sea in the North Loop. 

[voltopt]

the exterior walls could be easily braced, and the interior rebuilt in a simple steel frame or even concrete block masonry system.  the building could become affordable apartments and they could have an interior courtyard to allow for daylight and the like.  with the historic tax credits that would be available if they rehabbed the outer wall, it would be just as probable as the work that was recently done on the completely frozen and no window building that is the cold storage building, or the professional building, which sat soaking in water flooded from a ruptured rooftop tank 14 years ago.

it is entirely feasable to save and rehabilitate this building.
but when the owner is Tower Properties (Commerce Bank) and they have an agenda for the land (parking) they will make sure that we understand the building as "unsavable". 

its too bad they are not creative and have only parking on their mind.  it would seem possible for them to renovate both buildings (including the prom motor hotel) into a unique hotel/apartment complex.  and it would seem possible to do this within the current market and at a profit.  look at the View - that hulk was exposed to the elements for a decade yet was salvaged. 

[phxcat]

Does anybody remember an episode of the Monkeys when the villain was a company who was buying up all of the properties around San Diego so that they could surroundthe city with patking lots and then charge parking for everyone who entered the city?

[frankthetank]

No....and I can't believe you do.

[tat2kc]

Why would you assume that simply because a building looks reasonably sound on the exterior, as you drive by, that is is structurally sound and salvageable? Is anyone who rehabs buildings for a living stepping up to say that the building can be saved? Has the historic commision sent a structural engineer in to assess the building to determine if it can be saved and if so, is it cost effective?

I understand the desire to save all the old buildings, but its not always doable. If someone is willing to pay a structural engineer and an architect to go in, find out if it is salvageable and what kind of reuse it could be converted to, I am sure Tower properties would be more than happy to do something that would generate some income for them. So far, no one other than the forum members are demanding that this happen. Who's got the cash to get the ball rolling?

[KCPowercat]

If anything....we need to be more critical of landowners not keeping up properties that allow them to get to this condition.

[tat2kc]

Aint that the truth! Don't city codes mandate at least some minimal level of maintainence?