KCRag Forum

Can we stop with the “projects” term? 4 identical two lights still wouldn’t come close to the projects terminology which refers to low budget, low rent identical buildings.

By projects I mean lazy sameness/similarness, not low rent. When it's clear it's part of a single builder.

earthling wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 4:15 pm By projects I mean lazy sameness/similarness, not low rent. When it's clear it's part of a single builder.

It’s not lazy, it’s on purpose. I’d understand using the derogatory term “projects” if the buildings were basic and identical but they’re not. Maybe not as different from each other as some would like, but at the end of the day they’ve got to be more concerned with the people who may want to live in them.

They’re building the best possible towers they can in this market. By the time 4 is done, they’ll have half a billion into them. Add that with their other investments and we are really close to a billion yet you don’t see “Cordish” on hardly anything.

DColeKC wrote: ↑Sun Oct 06, 2019 9:08 am

earthling wrote: ↑Sat Oct 05, 2019 4:15 pm By projects I mean lazy sameness/similarness, not low rent. When it's clear it's part of a single builder.

It’s not lazy, it’s on purpose. I’d understand using the derogatory term “projects” if the buildings were basic and identical but they’re not. Maybe not as different from each other as some would like, but at the end of the day they’ve got to be more concerned with the people who may want to live in them.

They’re building the best possible towers they can in this market. By the time 4 is done, they’ll have half a billion into them. Add that with their other investments and we are really close to a billion yet you don’t see “Cordish” on hardly anything.

Three and Four Light will be good looking buildings. I think 3's smaller floor plates and 6 extra floors will go a long way to differentiate it from 2. It will shed some of the "blocky" feeling that you get with Two Light. 4 Light has the potential to literally tower over the rest of the Cordish highrises.

The Cordish "wall" will eventually become obscured behind new development in the Crossroads. The 16th and Main project that fell through, for example, would have blocked alot of Three Light.

I'm done after this summary... A simple change like red glass with black trim for Three would take "the projects" appearance (loose form of term) or 'tract development' mostly out of the equation, giving Two relatively more its own identity rather than looking like Three's inferior sibling while breaking up the otherwise planned row of similar monotonous glass buildings, including Loews. It's just an opinion.

which development are you referring to at 16th?

nickyrosstheboss wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 11:41 am which development are you referring to at 16th?

A recent proposal that died before being publically announced.

normalthings wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:15 pm

nickyrosstheboss wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 11:41 am which development are you referring to at 16th?

A recent proposal that died before being publically announced.

..Without divulging information you might have in-confidence: Could you advise what class of use the project might have been? (Residential? Hospitality? Office?) Also, what was the general reason the proposed use failed?

Again, as best as you're able to divulge.

kenrbnj wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:45 pm

normalthings wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:15 pm

nickyrosstheboss wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 11:41 am which development are you referring to at 16th?

A recent proposal that died before being publically announced.

..Without divulging information you might have in-confidence: Could you advise what class of use the project might have been? (Residential? Hospitality? Office?) Also, what was the general reason the proposed use failed?

Again, as best as you're able to divulge.

I won't say more than what other posters have previously said about it. Something very exciting was in the works but it fell through.

normalthings wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 1:25 pm

kenrbnj wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:45 pm

normalthings wrote: ↑Mon Oct 07, 2019 12:15 pm

A recent proposal that died before being publically announced.

..Without divulging information you might have in-confidence: Could you advise what class of use the project might have been? (Residential? Hospitality? Office?) Also, what was the general reason the proposed use failed?

Again, as best as you're able to divulge.

I won't say more than what other posters have previously said about it. Something very exciting was in the works but it fell through.

Main Event

4 Light was brought up at the WR meeting today.

Could you share more? What was said about 4 light?

kboish wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:22 pm Could you share more? What was said about 4 light?

It's being reworked. It sounded like 4 Light could just be a hotel.

If 4 Light turns out to be a hotel, I see no reason in Cordish waiting on 3 Light to build 4. Maybe they'll add a few condos into 4 Light and will wait to see how sales go at 3 before moving forward.

I hope that Cordish still has "W" hotels in their mind for this site.

Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2020 12:20 am If 4 Light turns out to be a hotel, I see no reason in Cordish waiting on 3 Light to build 4. Maybe they'll add a few condos into 4 Light and will wait to see how sales go at 3 before moving forward.

I hope that Cordish still has "W" hotels in their mind for this site.

Many luxury hotels, W included, are paired with condominiums. I think it would make a lot of sense for Cordish to construct a “W Hotel and Residences” here.

The average condo is probably around double the size of the average apartment. So something like 3 Light would hold maybe 160 condos. I don’t think it would be hard at all to find 160 individuals/families looking to stay in downtown for the long run. You’d also see some demand from local business looking to secure a place to put up visitors while retaining the benefits and amenities of a hotel.


160 condos, 300 hotel rooms could get you close to a 35-50 floor building.

They'd get better economies of scale pursuing both residential/hotel and lower risk, which is a national trend. During down periods, the hotel operations could serve the residents. The timing is also maybe right to pursue more condos downtown and hotel services for residents would be a selling point.

One possible upside of doing hotel only is they may not need much garage space. Downtown KC has hit that milestone - some hotels built with little to no parking.

Since the rendering that was done yeas ago featuring the “W” logo, things have changed. Cordish now has a working relationship with Loews and could partner with them on a different style of hotel so it wouldn’t directly compete with the new convention center hotel.

Also, Cordish has started doing their own “Live” branded hotels but those are typically near their casinos.

Hoping we don't stick with just Loews products for this.

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:23 am Hoping we don't stick with just Loews products for this.

With the apparent incentives ban on hotels above a certain size, if working with them means more rooms in a bigger project that's not the worst result.

KCPowercat wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:23 am Hoping we don't stick with just Loews products for this.

If they are involved, it would likely be a "Live by Lowes" or a "Live Lofts by Lowes". Setup as a more long term stay hotel. I also don't see any reason why Cordish wouldn't handle this one on their own. However, having a name attached is a nice selling point.