OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by FangKC »

I've been looking for a photo that I've seen before where the sign read Hotel Kansas Citian. Haven't been able to find it. It could have been in one of the Wilborn books.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by moderne »

Wish there was a night photo of the rooftop sign. It really was a landmark from the old airport and coming up the river when they had the riverboat dinner excursions.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by smh »

These are great, thanks!
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Eon Blue
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by Eon Blue »

I'm so thankful that this new plan does not involve lobotomizing the ground floors to add parking and new car holes. #NeverForget
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by TheLastGentleman »

Eon Blue wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:16 pm I'm so thankful that this new plan does not involve lobotomizing the ground floors to add parking and new car holes. #NeverForget
What project did that?
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by KCPowercat »

The one directly proceeding this one wanted to cut at least one hole in the ground level for some parking levels.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by FangKC »

I think they wanted to gut the first four floors for parking. However, it you study the plans for the building on the previous page, and see all the structural columns, it makes one wonder what a cluster@#$% it would have been, and how many cars would have been able to park under that constricted situation and given that one also has to add entrance/exit ramps to each floor.

Plus, the building would have lost the space that used to be the hotel lobby. I know it doesn't look this way now, but that space has potential.

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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by TheLastGentleman »

I wish more of the historic interior had survived. I assume most of it was probably torn out when it was converted into an office building?
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by alejandro46 »

As this is right along Main, no minimum parking requirements, correct?

I don't recall if they have an off-site lot or parking garage or no parking?
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by mean »

There are at least three large parking garages within a block, which I have never seen full, but I have no idea if they're planning to lease spots in one. I can't imagine that building has any parking at the moment, but I have no idea. Surely someone around here knows more than I do.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by FangKC »

If I recall, they made a deal to lease parking in the parking garage next door on the north.

I think the lobby area was reconfigured when they converted the building from a hotel to an office building.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by DaveKCMO »

alejandro46 wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:58 pm As this is right along Main, no minimum parking requirements, correct?

I don't recall if they have an off-site lot or parking garage or no parking?
There are no parking requirements in the entire downtown loop.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by TheLastGentleman »

mean wrote: Thu Jan 16, 2020 5:32 pm There are at least three large parking garages within a block, which I have never seen full, but I have no idea if they're planning to lease spots in one. I can't imagine that building has any parking at the moment, but I have no idea. Surely someone around here knows more than I do.
It features no internal parking
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by normalthings »

Subcontractor bids were just received. Hoping to start work in Feb. or March.

https://www.construction.com/projects/a ... ain-tower/
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by WSPanic »

When I worked there the lobby connected directly to the parking garage to the North and that's where everyone leased spots from. It was functionally the same as having internal parking. I can't imagine they changed that, but I could be wrong.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by DaveKCMO »

WSPanic wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2020 9:42 am When I worked there the lobby connected directly to the parking garage to the North and that's where everyone leased spots from. It was functionally the same as having internal parking. I can't imagine they changed that, but I could be wrong.
I suspect that garage has leased up as Mark Twain became vacant? Either way, good to not have a car hole.
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by TheLastGentleman »

Weird old door handles. Note the steam from the K's smokestack.

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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by TheLastGentleman »

Does anyone know if the garage next door was meant to be built on? I noticed that, from the air, it has a very similar grid to the 1034 Main garage, which we know was engineered for a tower. They are also both block-wide garages.

Image

It just really looks like it was supposed to be the base of something.

Image

Image
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by TheLastGentleman »

Image

Image

Image
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Re: OFFICIAL - The Continental Apartments (former Mark Twain Tower)

Post by DaveKCMO »

Bernstein Companies requesting a loading zone for this development to support "retail and a mix of tenants". Plans to open in 2021.
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