Office project at 27th & Main

[normalthings]

There will be another open house with the developer Tuesday, October 12 - relevant bits from the RSVP email:

"We appreciate everyone's interest in this project and attendance at the last meeting which was held on April 13. Since that time, the developer has been working with various departments within the City and has made changes to the project. We do not have details on the changes nor to what extent the proposed development is different from the information we had in April. This meeting will be the neighborhood's chance to hear directly from the developer and to see its presentation."

Hopefully the developer comes to the table with some changes in hand. Wish this was virtual or the slides recorded for those of us who work late.

[swid]

In advance of tonight's meeting, the Union Hill neighborhood association board met with the developers last week. Based on this summary, it doesn't sound like much of substance has changed since April (and just about every question/complaint mentioned in this thread has already been brought up).

[normalthings]

^^^The existing surface lots are on the market or will be on the market in the next few years. 27Main can not plan on their forever existence as a parking solution. Viewshed analysis is silly, you aren't entitled to a certain view forever.

[alejandro46]

Agree on the $45 psf rents; why should those artifically high rents be charged and subsidized by the city? Go rent the W&R building if you want to pay top dollar.

I consider myself a YIMBY or whatever, and absolutely think that TIFs can be a strong form of government provided incentive to get more dense developments that may not be completely feasible without such incentives.

In this instance, the developer and tenant want a specific building, and the no where in the comments do the neighbors say "you can't build this" or "we don't want you to build this." They are 100% correct - this is not the best designed building for that parcel, it's single use with no street activation. There is already excess office space in the urban core.

If the developer came back with a mixed use development that was pedestrian focused and minimal setbacks up right to the $300M streetcar line being built right out their front door instead of this project that looks like something that came in the vanilla version of Sim City 4, I think it would be worthy of the level of incentives being requested. If they don't want to, then they can build whatever they want without an abatement.

[DaveKCMO]

Agree on the $45 psf rents; why should those artifically high rents be charged and subsidized by the city? Go rent the W&R building if you want to pay top dollar.

I consider myself a YIMBY or whatever, and absolutely think that TIFs can be a strong form of government provided incentive to get more dense developments that may not be completely feasible without such incentives.

In this instance, the developer and tenant want a specific building, and the no where in the comments do the neighbors say "you can't build this" or "we don't want you to build this." They are 100% correct - this is not the best designed building for that parcel, it's single use with no street activation. There is already excess office space in the urban core.

If the developer came back with a mixed use development that was pedestrian focused and minimal setbacks up right to the $300M streetcar line being built right out their front door instead of this project that looks like something that came in the vanilla version of Sim City 4, I think it would be worthy of the level of incentives being requested. If they don't want to, then they can build whatever they want without an abatement.

Exactly. I count "meeting TOD and walkability standards" as a public use worthy of incentives since the market is clearly incapable of penciling that out in KC on their own.

[beautyfromashes]

Exactly. I count "meeting TOD and walkability standards" as a public use worthy of incentives since the market is clearly incapable of penciling that out in KC on their own.

Even with all it's faults, this project is still better than the McCown Gordon building. Both on the streetcar line, but at least this one fills an empty lot and provides some height instead of taking down an existing building and building back at three stories.

[CorneliusFB]

Exactly. I count "meeting TOD and walkability standards" as a public use worthy of incentives since the market is clearly incapable of penciling that out in KC on their own.

Even with all it's faults, this project is still better than the McCown Gordon building. Both on the streetcar line, but at least this one fills an empty lot and provides some height instead of taking down an existing building and building back at three stories.

McCown Gordon didn’t demolish the previous building. The replaced the facade and added an additional story.

[beautyfromashes]

McCown Gordon didn’t demolish the previous building. The replaced the facade and added an additional story.

They got money to tear an existing building in a prominent location on the streetcar line down to the concrete and add a rooftop level. This coming from a construction company that did most of the work themselves. While I don’t like the building on 27th, at least they’re adding new construction on an empty lot and with some height and might attract some new tenants to the edge of DT. To me, I’d take the latter in a heart beat.

[CorneliusFB]

[/quote]
They got money to tear an existing building in a prominent location on the streetcar line down to the concrete and add a rooftop level. This coming from a construction company that did most of the work themselves. While I don’t like the building on 27th, at least they’re adding new construction on an empty lot and with some height and might attract some new tenants to the edge of DT. To me, I’d take the latter in a heart beat.
[/quote]

This is a single tenant building that will house a group moving from 31st and Broadway. I guess it’s fine if you like the current suburban office park that is the south side of crown center.

[beautyfromashes]

This is a single tenant building that will house a group moving from 31st and Broadway. I guess it’s fine if you like the current suburban office park that is the south side of crown center.

I want people, so that means building on empty lots. I want increased office workers that bring vibrancy (and money) that is really missing DT right now. I walk it; it’s really quiet right now. Do I like the layout on the lot or the street front? No. Should it stay grass because I don’t like it? Absolutely not.

[normalthings]

They got money to tear an existing building in a prominent location on the streetcar line down to the concrete and add a rooftop level. This coming from a construction company that did most of the work themselves. While I don’t like the building on 27th, at least they’re adding new construction on an empty lot and with some height and might attract some new tenants to the edge of DT. To me, I’d take the latter in a heart beat.
[/quote]

This is a single tenant building that will house a group moving from 31st and Broadway. I guess it’s fine if you like the current suburban office park that is the south side of crown center.
[/quote]

2/3 owner occupied. 1/3 open

[normalthings]

Well below average parking ratio. Article indicates they may have improved the pedestrian experience. Anyone at the meeting last night care to share?

[swid]

I was there; the updated renderings have the edges of the building closer to both Main and Grand (particularly for the former). The developer made a big deal about how there would be improved pedestrian access along the south side of the building and that there would be a public amenity (a coffee shop) inside. The renderings still have a large glass wall of generic office building frontage right along the streetcar stop. They were also making a very big deal about this being the first new building in greater downtown built with a large amount of spec space since the early 90s (and completely ignoring the existence of Waddell & Reed 1400KC).

Depressingly - yet unsurprisingly - many of the questions while I was there (I had to leave early) revolved around how the building would impact current views from their homes. I was also able to mark off "this will affect my property values!" and "TIF is just stealing money from schools!" from my hypothetical bingo card while there, though.

That was the first neighborhood association meeting that I've attended in Union Hill and the vibe is *very* different from all the DNA ones I went to.

[LCDSI]

Here's the latest update for this project. It seems like Fidelity Security Life would like some incentives for this 11 story tower.

Sorry if you can't access the article because of the paywall.

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... enter.html

[CorneliusFB]

The Main Street Overlay gives them the opportunity to do a great project on the site. Glad to hear they are getting away from the suburban set backs. I have no problem with incentives for the project if it meets the major tenants of the overlay.

[FangKC]

$79 million office tower
165,000 sq. feet
11 stories
Developer: Van Trust
Owner: Fidelity Security Life Insurance Co
300 to 320 employees.

KC insurance company eyes incentives for $79M office tower near Crown Center

...
The insurance company anticipates occupying 100,000 square feet of the new offices with an expected 300 to 320 employees.

The remaining 54,000 leasable square feet would be rented for $45 a square foot, thought to be a new market high. By comparison, office space in 1400KC, formerly intended for Waddell & Reed Financial Inc. at 1400 Baltimore Ave., is available for sublease at $38.50 a square foot.
...
The building, a preliminary concept of which was submitted to the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City in the spring, is shaped to curve toward Liberty Memorial and Downtown. Its ground-level spaces intend to foster pedestrian connections and activate the surrounding streets. These include a covered front porch, accessible for customers at a lobby coffee shop; a fitness center and yoga studio; and a south plaza with green space.

The coffee shop's operating hours and whether memberships will be available for the fitness center have not yet been determined, officials said.
...
Others questioned the project's inclusion of a 400-space parking garage on its first five stories. The offices would sit near a future streetcar stop at 27th and Main. VanTrust Vice President David Rezac said at the meeting that the building's parking ratio is 2.6 spaces per 1,000 square feet, versus a typical 3.5 to four-space parking ratio for urban-core offices.
...
Developers aim to complete city incentive and plan approvals by the summer and begin construction a couple months afterward. The estimated 22-month construction period could wrap up months before the southern streetcar extension's operations begin in 2025.
...

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... enter.html

[alejandro46]

Looks significantly better, not perfect, but better. Sounds like additional revisions to come.

[beautyfromashes]

Wrestled with the statement myself, but here goes-- "It's as good as 1400KC."

[normalthings]

So they pushed it all the way south allowing for another building or 2 to be built to the north.

[AlkaliAxel]

How is this able to go up but not Strata?