Westport

[TheBigChuckbowski]

I don't find it to be all that strange. I think it's a great location to help continue Westport's momentum east.

[brewcrew1000]

I don't find it to be all that strange. I think it's a great location to help continue Westport's momentum east.

I find it pretty strange, that area is like a dead zone, i'd be afraid of walking around there at night after a night at the bars. The thing that kind of sucks about Westport East is nutterville. The area is a ghost town at night but it appears to look like people live there but its all just offices. Maybe they should consider selling or converting some of these houses back into housing or make the entire nutterville homes into some kind of UMKC greek village or something. Let them start a new nutterville in another area of midtown.

[FangKC]

I imagine that Nutterville will get sold off after James B. Nutter dies. His company will probably be sold, and the new owners will probably move the offices to a consolidated building.

[DaveKCMO]

I imagine that Nutterville will get sold off after James B. Nutter dies. His company will probably be sold, and the new owners will probably move the offices to a consolidated building.

a transition of all westport property ownership would be beneficial.

[earthling]

The hotel project could be a good kickstart for E Westport and hopefully generate more interest. The hotel should also help that restaurant strip stay alive, which has history of not succeeding long term. To SE at 43rd/Main, the old Berbiglia spot also getting new residential building (I hope it's similar to Centropolis at 5th/Grand, but with retail on street level floor). There is a lot of opportunity for projects in between (Nutterville).

The old Keith Coldsnow art shop in E Westport could also be torn down for a nice market rate apt project. Not an appealing building anyway. And being next to library, post office, near a market, bike station and MAX stop would be an incentive. Probably has among highest Walkscore in city (just checked, scores 94). Is perplexing residential developers not seeing opportunity of E Westport. Also have noticed the demographics change of 39th/Main MAX stop. Used to be too many drug dealing thugs, now is a mix of everything.

[KCtoBrooklyn]

the old Berbiglia spot also getting new residential building (I hope it's similar to Centropolis at 5th/Grand, but with retail on street level floor).

Is this something you have heard, or just something you are wishing for?

Last I heard, the plan is for a parking lot for now, but eventually office over retail. If it does go office, I think it would be a great spot to consolidate the Nutter offices and allow for redevelopment of Nutterville and their other buildings on Broadway.

[earthling]

Yeah, I heard apts from a Southmoreland resident, just hearsay (though I think he said it was in Southmoreland newsletter). I agree that it would be also good for office for Nutter to consolidate, opening up Nutterville for conversion to residential. Anything going at 43rd/Main would be good as long as streetfront - the 60's Berbiglia setback building was crap.

[kboish]

Alot of real estate activity is occurring up and down main right now through midtown in anticipation of the streetcar expansion.

[earthling]

Would like to see MAX stops/shelters along Midtown to Plaza converted to same as downtown streetcar stops in anticipation, with level boarding. It would at least raise the profile of MAX and visitors/transit timid who get to know the downtown streetcar stops may be more comfortable taking MAX between downtown/Plaza given it would the same familiar stop format. The old MAX stop shelters can be moved to a new MAX line elsewhere in city. But given KC ATA isn't associated with streetcar, might be more complicated than that.

edit: I moved this over to Transportation forum, reply over there...

[FangKC]

Also have noticed the demographics change of 39th/Main MAX stop. Used to be too many drug dealing thugs, now is a mix of everything.

This is why I find it surprising that there has not been a plan put forth to redevelop the Hawthorne Plaza apartments near 39th and Main--especially from MAC. That building seems right up their alley.

[beautyfromashes]

Someone should really start a documentary about Main St in Midtown. It will look so different in a decade.

[earthling]

^And compare to 70s/80s when a red light district with Dove Theater, Pink Garter, Newsroom, Ray's Playpen, Milton's, etc.

The MainCor CID has done a pretty good job cleaning up Main St through Midtown (mostly). 39th/Main is better but they just pushed the drug dealers over to 39th/Broadway. The 39th to Armour stretch from Bway to Main is better but still seems to be most problem area of Midtown. As downtown rents go up, developers might focus on that part of Midtown with more mix of market rate. Happened along Armour stretch and can see more of Midtown happening sooner than later.

Midtown/Westport could use a couple more MAC type urban rehab developers.

[DaveKCMO]

Also have noticed the demographics change of 39th/Main MAX stop. Used to be too many drug dealing thugs, now is a mix of everything.

This is why I find it surprising that there has not been a plan put forth to redevelop the Hawthorne Plaza apartments near 39th and Main--especially from MAC. That building seems right up their alley.

everyone has been trying to get that one going. i'm told it's been trickier than most due to the current ownership.

[earthling]

Man, Marriott has a monopoly in this area,

Marriott is about to acquire Starwood (Sheraton, Westin, W, and others)..

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-m ... story.html

[flyingember]

Also have noticed the demographics change of 39th/Main MAX stop. Used to be too many drug dealing thugs, now is a mix of everything.

This is why I find it surprising that there has not been a plan put forth to redevelop the Hawthorne Plaza apartments near 39th and Main--especially from MAC. That building seems right up their alley.

everyone has been trying to get that one going. i'm told it's been trickier than most due to the current ownership.

If I'm reading this right it's been on the historic register since 1979, so that's good at least. Don't have to fight that designation

http://kivaweb.kcmo.org/kivanet/2/land/ ... pin=132470

here's a piece from 2005 where renovation was planned
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/s ... ily37.html

their website is circa 2002 so it's hard to say anything based on it
http://frederick-lanell.com/PropertyMenu.html

[brewcrew1000]

^And compare to 70s/80s when a red light district with Dove Theater, Pink Garter, Newsroom, Ray's Playpen, Milton's, etc.

The MainCor CID has done a pretty good job cleaning up Main St through Midtown (mostly). 39th/Main is better but they just pushed the drug dealers over to 39th/Broadway. The 39th to Armour stretch from Bway to Main is better but still seems to be most problem area of Midtown. As downtown rents go up, developers might focus on that part of Midtown with more mix of market rate. Happened along Armour stretch and can see more of Midtown happening sooner than later.

Midtown/Westport could use a couple more MAC type urban rehab developers.

I really think that the Plasma center has a huge influence in the drug dealers on 39th/broadway. If it wasn't for the plasma center, i think that entire area would be greatly improved. The plasma center over on Independence Ave doesn't look as shady as the broadway one

[mean]

Maybe it doesn't look quite as shady, but it's not exactly the plaza either.

[FangKC]

Does Gomer's accept the debit cards--for liquor sales--the Plasma Center gives out?

The Plasma Center on Independence Avenue gives out debit cards instead of cash, and I don't think Price Chopper, and the convenience store up the street, will sell liquor to the plasma center debit card holders. I think I've seen a sign in the convenience store that limits what people can buy there with the cards.

That can cut down a lot on people giving plasma, and then buying liquor afterwards and causing trouble in the area.

I don't know if you can ever totally eliminate the problem though, because people can use the debit card to buy $40 in groceries, and trade it for $10-$20 in cash to then buy liquor or drugs.

Not all the people who donate plasma are bad people. I remember talking to a really well-dressed guy at a bus stop who had just donated plasma. He'd had a job interview earlier that day. He lived in the Northland, and took the bus down to the center on Independence Avenue. He had a family, and had been laid-off from work. The money he made from giving plasma helped buy groceries for his family. He was on unemployment at the time, and he said the plasma money helped them scrape by. I'm sure there are a lot of seniors who donate to augment their Social Security income as well.

When I was in college during the early 80s, a lot of college students donated plasma to have extra spending money.

That said, plasma centers are always going to attract the most desperate elements of society.

[brewcrew1000]

Does Gomer's accept the debit cards--for liquor sales--the Plasma Center gives out?

The Plasma Center on Independence Avenue gives out debit cards instead of cash, and I don't think Price Chopper, and the convenience store up the street, will sell liquor to the plasma center debit card holders. I think I've seen a sign in the convenience store that limits what people can buy there with the cards.

That can cut down a lot on people giving plasma, and then buying liquor afterwards and causing trouble in the area.

I don't know if you can ever totally eliminate the problem though, because people can use the debit card to buy $40 in groceries, and trade it for $10-$20 in cash to then buy liquor or drugs.

Not all the people who donate plasma are bad people. I remember talking to a really well-dressed guy at a bus stop who had just donated plasma. He'd had a job interview earlier that day. He lived in the Northland, and took the bus down to the center on Independence Avenue. He had a family, and had been laid-off from work. The money he made from giving plasma helped buy groceries for his family. He was on unemployment at the time, and he said the plasma money helped them scrape by. I'm sure there are a lot of seniors who donate to augment their Social Security income as well.

When I was in college during the early 80s, a lot of college students donated plasma to have extra spending money.

That said, plasma centers are always going to attract the most desperate elements of society.

These addicts just end up selling the debit cards to the crack dealers now, the drug trade is kind of around 37-38th between Baltimore and Central in the actual neighborhood

[chingon]

the drug trade is kind of around 37-38th between Baltimore and Central in the actual neighborhood

#5. never sell no crack where you rest at