KCRag Forum

Posted: **Wed Mar 21, 2018 9:28 pm**

GRID wrote:
KCPowercat wrote: I get that. But I still think something near the streetcar line closer to the center of the downtown region such as near union station that would compliment this east side of downtown transit center would be good for kc transit.

Posted: **Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:58 pm**

flyingember wrote:
GRID wrote:
KCPowercat wrote: I get that. But I still think something near the streetcar line closer to the center of the downtown region such as near union station that would compliment this east side of downtown transit center would be good for kc transit.

still a better idea than hyperloop

Posted: **Sat Apr 28, 2018 2:33 pm**

Guess they do not plan to bulldoze everything for a future East Village. An aquaitance purchased a 6,000 sq ft bldng at NE corner Charlotte and 10th for less than $600K for a medical clinic. Even has some surface parking.

Posted: **Mon Aug 20, 2018 5:32 pm**

VanTrust has purchased two surface parking lots on Block 66 in the East Village. This is the block bounded by 11th, 12th, Cherry, and Holmes. The City owns the remainder of the block.

The Parking REIT Sells Two Adjacent Surface Lots in Kansas City, Missouri for $4 Million

...
The surface parking lots were sold to Block 66, LLC.

The sale included:

1130 Holmes St., a 1.18-acre surface lot striped with 164 spaces, and
1101 Cherry St., a 0.6-acre surface parking lot striped with 84 spaces.
...

https://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/ ... 20/LA83098

East Village, Blocks 49, 66 and 82
Kansas City, MO.

https://tinyurl.com/y9s83gte

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2018 9:14 am**

$50 per square foot.
A good buy for VanTrust.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:38 pm**

I am deeply worried that VanTrust is going to propose single-use low-rise JoCo style office blocks for East Village to "attract jobs" instead of building the modern mixed-use walkable neighborhood that we could really use as originally proposed for East Village.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:41 pm**

Isn't VanTrust currently the group in charge of redevelopment? I'm also worried that they have something in their bag o' tricks that will benefit them but with no regard to the potential for the East Village.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:43 pm**

VanTrust is the master developer for the East Village. I have a feeling they are working on a completely new master plan, and that all the previous plans are moot.

Keep in mind that when Swope Community Builders was the lead master developer, they had reduced the number of apartment units in the neighborhood significantly from the earlier announced number. I think by half. I was never comfortable with Swope as the master planner, since they didn't have the experience doing high density mixed use developments.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:11 pm**

East Village could be our Pearl District (just to make a comparison). To build it as anything other than a walkable, pedestrian and transit focused neighborhood is a massive disservice to the future of KC

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:29 pm**

Developers seem to always want to ‘fill the space’, so when they have enough tenants to fill four full blocks, they will build eight if they have it. Developments should be kept smaller so that density happens organically.

Posted: **Tue Aug 21, 2018 8:53 pm**

FangKC wrote: ↑Tue Aug 21, 2018 2:43 pm VanTrust is the master developer for the East Village. I have a feeling they are working on a completely new master plan, and that all the previous plans are moot.

The market has changed. New building sizes are easily up 50% from a few years ago and costs are up as well.

If they didn’t redo the plan I would see it as trouble

Posted: **Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:24 am**

This is the problem with delays that occur when the master developer is not appropriate, or experienced in what the City hopes to achieve. The years of delay have now made creating new buildings in this neighborhood much more expensive. I don't criticize the drawings and plans that Swope had made--the second set. The first set were hideous though.

I just don't think they were ever capable of pulling together the capital and financing mechanisms to pull it all off.

It is sort of ridiculous that Swope didn't even accomplish getting the Blackstone Hotel renovation done.That should have been done years ago.

This was the second rendering I believe.

Posted: **Wed Aug 22, 2018 8:21 am**

I don't understand why east village is having such a hard time. The location is great. It might be on the more depressed side of downtown, but you basically have a blank canvas to work once done it would just flow with the rest of downtown. It's not like they are trying to build this east of the loop. It seems like the city is willing to hand out plenty of incentives and much of the land is assembled. I don't get it.

Posted: **Wed Aug 22, 2018 1:21 pm**

GRID wrote: ↑Wed Aug 22, 2018 8:21 am I don't understand why east village is having such a hard time. The location is great. It might be on the more depressed side of downtown, but you basically have a blank canvas to work once done it would just flow with the rest of downtown. It's not like they are trying to build this east of the loop. It seems like the city is willing to hand out plenty of incentives and much of the land is assembled. I don't get it.

The street grid still being full of one-ways, the horrible freeway ramps in and out, disconnects in the grid (Cherry and Holmes don't go from Columbus park to crossroads), all make for a poor environment.

It can be better but today it's not designed to be conductive for development. Redoing the street grid to be all 2-way would help a lot. There's a number of spots it's hard to get to.

Posted: **Wed Aug 22, 2018 3:47 pm**

Alternative explanation: The entire area is wrapped up in a major master plan like the South Loop, so if you're not the South Loop developer you would not invest in your properties or new development for fear of being condemned.

Posted: **Fri Nov 16, 2018 11:23 pm**

East Village transit center should start construction in December.

Posted: **Mon Dec 17, 2018 4:05 pm**

Van Trust has a contract to purchase the apartment building at 10th and Holmes and plans to tear it down.

This is from the minutes for last month's LCRA meeting:

8. Eastside Urban Renewal Area - Consideration of Termination and Release of
Conservation Agreement (Brian Engel) (Ex. 8A-8C)

 Van Trust has contracted to purchase the site and requests that the LCRA clear the
property’s title of a 1962 LCRA Conservation Agreement (Engel)

 Van Trust’s intent is to demolish the property for future redevelopment in the 7-
block area around the site (Okafor/McGee)

- Building is on the national historic register but can be demolished if no federal
funds are involved (McGee)

- Van Trust has been named master developer for the area by the City (McGee)

ACTION TAKEN: APPROVED TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF
CONSERVATION AGREEMENT. MOTION MADE BY MR.
OKAFOR, SECONDED BY MR. CONTRERAS, AND CARRIED.
(RES. NO. 11-5-18)

Posted: **Mon Dec 17, 2018 4:31 pm**

If our council is worried about affordable housing, these are the types of buildings they should be working to save, not trying to attach affordable housing to new construction along the streetcar line.

Posted: **Mon Dec 17, 2018 4:44 pm**

You've gotta be kidding me. I can guarantee it's going to be a surface lot for at least a decade after its demolished.

Posted: **Mon Dec 17, 2018 6:43 pm**

Yeah, I'm not surprised about the Wiltshire Apartments demolition. They will wait 2-5 years, and probably ask for some type of federal funding to build something there. Once it's already torn down, the federal funding rule on demolishing historic properties no longer applies. HUD funds were used to redevelop Quality Hill.

I worry the Blackstone Hotel will meet the same fate.

Wiltshire Apartments

Blackstone Hotel, NE corner of 9th and Cherry.

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