KCRag Forum

Critical_Mass wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 4:55 pm

flyingember wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 4:29 pm Martini Corner is the marketing term for four restaurants along 31st between Oak and Gilham Rd. (was five, one closed) Three have a 31st St address, one a Gilham Rd address. None front Gilham Plaza. They're on three different corners to make it more confusing. Nothing else is part of Martini Corner.

Tower East isn't a neighborhood. It's a marketing name for an undefined area of art galleries around 31st and Cherry

The intersection of Gillham Rd/Plaza and 31st is Union Hill (NW), Longfellow (NE), Broadway Gillham (SW), Hyde Park (SE)

So Martin Corner is in Union Hill and Broadway Gillham. Tower East you could say overlays all four.

So Martini Corner might be inside Tower East. Gilham Plaza might be inside neither.

With this area bordering four neighborhoods, they need to unify the branding in this corridor and make 'E 31st St' a thing much like the 'W 39th St' branding near KU Med.

That's the idea behind the Tower East name.

flyingember wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:07 pm

Critical_Mass wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 4:55 pm

flyingember wrote: ↑Thu Feb 20, 2020 4:29 pm Martini Corner is the marketing term for four restaurants along 31st between Oak and Gilham Rd. (was five, one closed) Three have a 31st St address, one a Gilham Rd address. None front Gilham Plaza. They're on three different corners to make it more confusing. Nothing else is part of Martini Corner.

Tower East isn't a neighborhood. It's a marketing name for an undefined area of art galleries around 31st and Cherry

The intersection of Gillham Rd/Plaza and 31st is Union Hill (NW), Longfellow (NE), Broadway Gillham (SW), Hyde Park (SE)

So Martin Corner is in Union Hill and Broadway Gillham. Tower East you could say overlays all four.

So Martini Corner might be inside Tower East. Gilham Plaza might be inside neither.

With this area bordering four neighborhoods, they need to unify the branding in this corridor and make 'E 31st St' a thing much like the 'W 39th St' branding near KU Med.

That's the idea behind the Tower East name.

I hadn't heard the term applied to 'martini corner' or anything else beyond the 31st and cherry galleries. It sounds like a St. Louis neighborhood anyway.

I prefer Martin Corner.

Not to be confused with Martin Mull.

Great shopping though. At the Martin Mull.

It would make so much more sense for Gillham Rd between 31st and Linwood to be called Gillham Plaza and vice versa. I guess it would take a city wide vote to do that like the Paseo/MLK counterrevolution.

moderne wrote: ↑Fri Feb 21, 2020 3:51 pm It would make so much more sense for Gillham Rd between 31st and Linwood to be called Gillham Plaza and vice versa.

It's a result of changes that couldn't be expected in 1909 that's made that make some sense.

https://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/64501206.pdf
look at the map on file page 51

You can see where Gillham Rd begins on the map at today's hospital hill. It's the one with the SW to NE angle. You can still see this shape in Crown Center today.

It's easy to follow where it goes due south through 31st.
Then it jogs twice. Once to the east, then south again and then a longer jog back west.
The longer jog is clearly where it replaces 34th and GIllham Plaza ends at the intersection of GIllham and Gillham

The northern jog on that map is the weird parking lot road parallel to 31st.

My guess is at some point they renamed the streets and rerouted through traffic onto 31st.

Developer asking for special taxing district to help fund Martini Corner transformation

https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/de ... sformation

Sounds good as long as the tax increase it just within district. But that stretch needs to broaden neighborhood services and create more variety like w39th.

^The CID designation they are seeking is for that building only. No other properties along 31st are included.

^Then um, no.

^agree.....they should have formed up a larger CID. Bigger impact.

Billies Grocery looks to be open

There is an item on the upcoming CPC Docket (although it looks like it is being continued) for a new parking lot to be built for KCPT just south of the tower (where they recently demolished a decent looking brick apartment building).

My only hope for this is that it would allow them to sell their lots on the north side of 31st to a developer (Bob Frye?). It seems like those lots are never full. I'm not sure why they would need more parking.

KCtoBrooklyn wrote: ↑Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:01 pm There is an item on the upcoming CPC Docket (although it looks like it is being continued) for a new parking lot to be built for KCPT just south of the tower (where they recently demolished a decent looking brick apartment building).

My only hope for this is that it would allow them to sell their lots on the north side of 31st to a developer (Bob Frye?). It seems like those lots are never full. I'm not sure why they would need more parking.

We live north of 31st but close enough that we were invited to attend an online meeting about the new lots behind KCPT. The new lot is in addition to planned improvements to the building and grounds, and it seems some current parking along 31st outside the front entrance is being reduced as well. My understanding is the new lot is to replace the old one on the north side of 31st. Reason provided was that it was often dangerous/inconvenient to cross 31st Street at Grand due to the slight slope that hinders visibility and speed of traffic. A couple of residents south of 31st expressed concern about the removal of larger shade trees under the tower and they said they would look into possibly saving some.

I specifically asked if they had intentions to sell the older lots north of 31st for development, and they claimed they had no immediate plans, but if there was any possible change in use the Union Hill neighborhood would need to be notified.

Personally I would hope those lots (and other empty lots along 31st, I think already owned by Union Hill development) would be developed with housing at some point. All those lots on the north side of 31st, btw are technically subject to Union Hill design guidelines in addition to that "overlay" Maincor did. I also hope that 31st Street between Gilham and Main could eventually get a lane reduction and sidewalk expansion. It is currently way scarier than you might suspect to walk along there. Hot with no shade in summer and ice/snow covered in winter. You get splashed by cars driving extra fast in the curbside lanes. Light poles in the middle of the narrow sidewalk. With the streetcar coming, this stretch needs and deserves a major upgrade to connect to activity to the east. I also worry about the Queen Anne style building on the corner of Main; It does not seem to be occupied or maintained, but is such a cool landmark for the area. Are the owners hoping to blight it so they can tear it down?

watcher64110 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 12, 2020 9:00 am I also worry about the Queen Anne style building on the corner of Main; It does not seem to be occupied or maintained, but is such a cool landmark for the area. Are the owners hoping to blight it so they can tear it down?

Yes. I believe it is Price Brothers who own it.

Made in KC Joining New Martini Corner Project, Leaving Crossroads



https://cityscenekc.com/made-in-kc-relo ... velopment/

The Kansas City artisan collective plans to take most of the first floor of the two-story building at 325 E. 31st St. at Martini Corner.

An innovative new co-working space for mental health professionals will occupy the upper floor, according to developer Paul Nagaoka.

Made in KC is planning to relocate its headquarters to the space as well as open a café with a drive-through option, retail space for its artisans and a bar called “Ludo’s” that will feature four, floor shuffleboard lanes.

Not quite Martini Corner, but much of this is adjacent: I just happened to see on the Scott Associates website a Linwood Corridor Development that is dated October 2012. I have no idea who this was created for and why - although it does mention a Linwood Corridor Development task force apparently headed by Jim Glover under the auspices of the PIEA. I don't remember hearing anything about it at the time:

https://www.scottassociateskc.com/linwood-corridor

Normally, I wouldn't put too much stock in these type of area plans as they just seem to be vague aspirational ideas, but this one does get into a few interesting specifics. One thing that caught my eye is the proposal for 36-45 townhouses to the south of the Made in KC project, to be built by Sunflower Development. I found it interesting that specific developer was cited.

It says Superior Linens was interested in getting into development

If only they would sell those buildings, so they can be saved

That west side of Oak south of 31st has been ripe for redevelopment for years. No standing structures, and completely level, almost an entire block length.

Yeah, it says Superior Linens needs a partner/investor/mentor. They definitely need some help.

I'm not too surprised that they have some interest in development because all of their properties besides their main linen building are under the title of Superior Real Estate Venture, which would hint that they didn't just purchase them for the linen company.

They did seem to make a half-assed attempt and selling some of their properties a few years back, but it doesn't appear that anything came of it. I hope they do something with their properties soon (ideally sell).

Back on Linwood, the Hamburguesa Los Campos and discount phone store have been demolished, to be replaced by a dispensary. The design and overall plan is pretty lackluster, although I guess it will be a slight improvement over the status quo. I know they required some boulevard design standard exemptions and I'm not sure of the current status.