KCRag Forum

*if* there's a parking issue, it's cost of structured parking (and the lack of interest by the city in subsidizing more of them).

flyingember wrote:any sign that the office occupancy rate will jump is way more important than building residential.

A highly arguable sentiment.

loftguy wrote:

flyingember wrote:any sign that the office occupancy rate will jump is way more important than building residential.

A highly arguable sentiment.

except that's exactly the city's goal

there's already plenty of people that live downtown and drive to work. the streetcar phase 2 and commuter rail of course expands the number of people and office buildings one can not have drive to, expanding the places the businesses can locate at and serve car-less households, which we know is increasing in numbers. (In KC I'm expecting plenty of reverse commuter rail, like into Tiffany Springs and Bannister)

the goal right now is to drive so much residential development that businesses almost have to open offices along the line and get these people to work for them lest their competitor do so.

so if the city is successful we'll start to see occupancy rates drop on office space. which hopefully will cause a service industry ripple effect to fill in the West Bottoms, Paseo Industrial, NKC, etc

meaning if the Commerce Tower developers announce they changed their mind and will keep the space 100% office that it's a much bigger deal than doing a residential conversion.

flyingember wrote:
except that's exactly the city's goal

Although desirable, I have not heard that stated as a collective goal.

The 'goal of the city', with regard to downtown kcmo, is to double the number of residential dwellings from 10,000 counted at the inception of the effort four years ago, to a desired 20,000 homes. The boundaries being State Line to Bruce R. Watkins, the river to 31st Street.

and more generically, but specific to streetcar, the city has a stated goal to "repopulate the urban core".

I would guess the city would take either one and if they can get both segments wanting in the core, then it's a homerun. Properties are all the more valuable if they have more than 1 use and strong demand in both segments (residential and commercial) will cause property values to soar.

loftguy wrote:

flyingember wrote:
except that's exactly the city's goal

Although desirable, I have not heard that stated as a collective goal.

jobs are ALWAYS the collective goal, even when not stated. If you asked 100 people, 50 each from both parties what they wished congress would do I bet the only common majority would be to focus on jobs. It's no different at the city level.

Case in point, College Blvd was developed to drive business, they used affordable residential with tons of shopping and amenities as a platform to get the jobs to locate in the area. It wouldn't be anywhere near that developed if it had been empty fields a few blocks to the south 10 years later. Which the east side might as well be today.

So now KC is doing the same thing. Residential drives jobs which drives fully occupied residential.

It's last major hole is the schools, and that's going to take a district full of residents that care enough to have people run for the school board. More residential will only help here.

For the record:

The number one goal for downtown Kansas City, (as stated by The Downtown Council), is to increase the number of households to 20,000. We are currently at about 12-13,000.

It is anticipated that retail and employers will follow a population of educated urban dwellers.

loftguy wrote:For the record:

The number one goal for downtown Kansas City, (as stated by The Downtown Council), is to increase the number of households to 20,000. We are currently at about 12-13,000.

It is anticipated that retail and employers will follow a population of educated urban dwellers.

that's not their stated goal nor their stated efforts. it may be the efforts of part of the group but they have a very specific mission, and that has jobs equal to residential.
http://www.downtownkc.org/about/downtown-council/

An economically sustainable Downtown is the end goal. In order for Downtown to work at its best, the DTC focuses its efforts on building the numbers of people who live, work and play in the neighborhoods that make up our greater Downtown. Population and employee density are the keys to making Downtown work at its most efficient.

you should stop while you're ahead.

back to the corrigan...

they're doing some visible interior work on 2nd and top floors. kiva shows an active permit: http://kivaweb.kcmo.org/kivanet/2/permi ... 1&jur=KCMO

From MetroWireMedia on Twitter: "Bucky Brooks of @CopakenBrooks to do joint venture with Vince Bryant to gut, renovate 144K SF Corrigan Building."

I'm on my phone and can't tell- is that a new construction building in what is currently an adjacent parking lot???

kboish wrote:I'm on my phone and can't tell- is that a new construction building in what is currently an adjacent parking lot???

yes, and that is still the plan.

kboish wrote:I'm on my phone and can't tell- is that a new construction building in what is currently an adjacent parking lot???

......and a five story parking garage with streetfront retail will be built across Walnut to the east. Retail is being proposed at ground level throughout the development. Good for them.

Could a mod change this thread to remove the apartments reference?

Thank god they are putting something on that corner instead of a surface lot. I wish they controlled the building to the north on Main, and could park those tenants in the new garage and put a building on that building's lot too.

FangKC wrote:Thank god they are putting something on that corner instead of a surface lot. I wish they controlled the building to the north on Main, and could park those tenants in the new garage and put a building on that building's lot too.

Who knows what is to come? (no inside news on that)

Thank you to the good forum fairy for the name change on the thread. Much more sleek and clean....

loftguy wrote:Thank you to the good forum fairy for the name change on the thread. Much more sleek and clean....

you're welcome! got a little extra time these days...

Another image I found googling around. Pretty much the same as the one as the slide but the streetcar is placed a little further ahead.

I'm extremely impressed. that's not huge but it has character

they even put rails in the street which shows an attention to detail