ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Discuss items in the urban core outside of Downtown as described above. Everything in the core including the east side (18th & Vine area), Northeast, Plaza, Westport, Brookside, Valentine, Waldo, 39th street, & the entire midtown area.
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chrizow
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ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by chrizow »

the PIEA is now in control of the parcels of land at the SW and SE corners of Linwood and Troost.  the SW corner is currently the defunct "Uncle Jim's" furniture store (it used to be a Katz Drug).  the SE corner is currently a vacant lot. 

PIEA is meeting with neighborhood boards in the area to get feedback for what folks do and do not want at those corners.  they could be developed jointly, or separately.

basically, right now this once-prominent but now forlorn midtown intersection is a blank slate. 

what would you like to see there? 

(also, FYI not sure if this is out there yet, but the SW corner of 31/Troost (former location of the Isis theatre) is slated to be a parking lot for Troost BRT.  some great, forward-thinking transit-oriented development there!!!)

anyway, what about Linwood/Troost?  this is a great opportunity to get some positive momentum going in an area that seems right on the cusp of doing something.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by zonk »

liquor store...
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by zonk »

strip club...
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by GRID »

Residential.

We can force in strip malls all day long like Cid plaza, that could easily go vacant and turn the area more blighted than it was before the "redevelopment" and bury the city in debt with no net gain.  Or the city could be putting up more residential structures that will bring in more retail and give the city a net economic gain overall and less long term risk since buildings like this will always be used.

The urban core needs more residential.

I would like to see more development like the Vine Street Lofts go into places like that.  It doesn't have to be market rate housing.  I don't think Vine Street is.  It's income restricted.



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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by voltopt »

There is already a decent liquor store about 5 blocks west of there, the Berbiglia at 31st and Gillham.  I doubt a strip club would do any better at this location than another.  I think new, market rate residential west of Troost Ave. on Harrison/Campbell and along Linwood would be great, with additional residential on the vacant land in the SE corner of Troost & Linwood, leading up to Tracy Street.
This could entice redevelopment or occupancy in the many existing retail storefronts along Troost Avenue from 31st street to about 33rd street or so.  This, coupled with a renovation of the former VFW headquarters at Harrison & Linwood into market rate aparments and redevelopment incentives for private businesses on 31st Street from Gilham ot Troost (not just retail, but gallery's, frame shops, artist studios, book stores, boutique restaurants, low key bars, etc)

Jokes about Troost are outdated and are typically spoken by people who don't live anywhere near the area.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by chrizow »

the PIEA is going to have a request for proposals process.  there will also be some sort of advisory board comprised at least in part with people from the neighborhood to get local input. 

i would love to see more residential in the area on all those vacant lots.  market-rate would be great, but a "library lofts"-style reduced rent structure for tax purposes would be ok too.  troost in general is such a blank slate - i would love to see a KC dream team of ideas from various architectural firms, green planners, KCAI, activists, whatever, to figure out how to make such a symbolic street shine again. 

as it stands now, that immediate area is seeing activity from the kind of folks who perenially seek out and make use of "no-go" areas before anyone else does - artists, activists, and radicals.  thus, you have an art gallery or two, Creative Minds radical infoshop, 816 Bike Collective, The Church (a DIY/punk music venue), community garden, a couple of co-op houses, a couple of loft spaces marketed to artists, etc. 

i'd love to see Troost become a hive of DIY/green activity to demonstrate the true spirit of revitalization.  i think the area is ripe for a couple of restaurants or bars in the Grinders/Succotash/You Say Tomato/brewpub vein.  i know that the Hyde Park and Union Hill folks nearby are clamoring for this sort of thing, and i am sure people on the east side of Troost would enjoy these things as well.  Troost BRT could be a great catalyst.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by GRID »

Troost could never be anything &&

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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by FangKC »

I agree with the ideas that the City should add more residential housing to that area. There is already a retail strip there that would benefit from having a lot more dense housing nearby.  One of the biggest growth markets is senior housing. It should be in a tower form to add as many people as possible to those corners.  Perhaps a local church could run the residential towers like was done with Cathedral Square on Quality Hill.

The retail strip could provide some services to those residents including things like hair salon, post office, grocery, drug store, banks, medical and dental clinics, health club, senior community center, a cafeteria-style restaurant, etc. They should also consider putting a nursing home/assisted living center in the area so that people could transition when need be, and stay in their neighborhood.  This makes it easier for them and their friends to visit.

That area is good for senior housing because a hospital and dental school is nearby as well as a police station and social security office. It also has bus service.

I don't think that retail strip is going to come back unless there is a lot more dense housing built in the area. They should do something large like was done with Quality Hill downtown, and Longfellow Heights on Hospital Hill.

Another benefit for seniors is that there are several churches nearby, and older people tend to go to church more often.  Those churches need to maintain and grow their congregations to stay open.
Last edited by FangKC on Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by chrizow »

here are the sites now: 

southeast corner:

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southwest corner:

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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by Midtownkid »

The old furniture store could be restored as a club or jazz bar of some sort.  It is a cool, art deco-ish building.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by voltopt »

Midtownkid wrote: The old furniture store could be restored as a club or jazz bar of some sort.  It is a cool, art deco-ish building.
A little further south, near and inside of the former Apollo theater shown in Grid's photo, are a few buildings that used to house clubs and bars in the 1950s-70s.  The buildings are still there - I imagine the spaces could be updated.

I think the critical thing, beyond the fact that new construction could occur, is that the new construction is walkable, sustainable, and responsible to its context and neighbors.  I don't mind if its in a sentimental historic style or if it is contemporary or modern - what it needs to be absolutely is geared to the sidewalk and the pedestrian.  This entire Troost Corridor, from Independence Avenue to 85th street, just screams potential.  Anything that is done should not have the temporary conditions in mind - it should be geared towards a transit oriented, walkable future.  And in the meantime there is plenty of room for limited parking lots that are located behind the main spine of pedestrian activity... not to mention the ample room for on street parking...

I think it would be great if a handful of progressive residents and area business owners recreated the defunct South Central Business Association that used to work as an advocacy group for the area from 27th to 43rd, Gillham to Indiana, from the late 19th century until the 1970s....
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by KCMax »

Great ideas guys, I'm really enjoying this thread.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by FangKC »

I think the transit parking lot should not be placed on the vacant parcel on the SW corner of 31st and Troost. Instead, it should be on that big grassy lot behind the police station on Linwood (bordered by 31st, Forest and Tracy). It's still close enough to walk to the bus, yet doesn't take up a parcel that could be more productive and not interrupt the building street facades.

The other alternative would be to put it behind the businesses on Troost with entry on Harrison south of 31st Street.

Corner lots at major intersections should be the focal point for a retail business or apartment tower, and they are too valuable to be lost to parking.  Parking can go nearby behind buildings or on vacant blocks that exist now but are just a block away.

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Last edited by FangKC on Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by loftguy »

I agree that Troosts time has come and that housing is the ideal next step, both market rate and low to moderate income blended.

Does anyone remember the name of the "straight" club that was attached to the south side of the  Jewel Box?
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by voltopt »

Cat Beleu or the Yum Yum Club....
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by beautyfromashes »

You can't just pick these two parcels and develop them by themselves.  You HAVE to connect to something that is already experiencing growth.  As part of this development, restore Troost from 31st to Linwood.  It's a relatively small stretch and you could call it an expanded Martini Corner.  Include the El Torreon.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

Midtownkid wrote: The old furniture store could be restored as a club or jazz bar of some sort.  It is a cool, art deco-ish building.
I agree that the Katz has great potential with a little TLC.  Perhaps it could be the lobby/entrance to Fang's old folks tower. 
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by chrizow »

beautyfromashes wrote: You can't just pick these two parcels and develop them by themselves.  You HAVE to connect to something that is already experiencing growth. 
i agree, but the PIEA is moving forward with generating ideas now.  i'm sure it'll be a couple of years at least before something goes in there. 

i think that a nice "anchor" at 3200 Troost might be the catalyst to fill those storefronts.  i thought we were getting there a couple of years ago when the large art gallery was right there on the west side of the street, and there was that comic book store on the east side, but those have long come and gone.

where is Stretch?  this area is just crying out for a neighborhood institution a la Grinders! 
LenexatoKCMO wrote: I agree that the Katz has great potential with a little TLC. 
the bldg needs more than TLC - the roof is basically caved in.  it can (and probably will) be salvaged though.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by loftguy »

voltopt wrote: Cat Beleu or the Yum Yum Club....
Hmmm...must have been the Yum Yum.  As a young'en I saw the most amazing show there.  A gorgeous brunette woman in her early '30's took a bath in a clawfoot tub, on stage (perhaps 10 feet from us).  She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman and she went about it as though she were in the privacy of her home.  A friend and I had just dropped in for a beer and to see what the place was like.  We, and the dozen or so people in the place, were totally speechless and mesmerized.  No music, no sound, no movement for the 10 to 15 minutes that it lasted.

It was a transcendently sensual, tasteful, and unbelievable random experience.
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Re: ideas for the SW and SE corners of Linwood & Troost.

Post by FangKC »

Here is an old photo of the Linwood/Troost business district as it used to appear during its' heyday.

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Here is the same photo with areas indicated that are now vacant, and ready for redevelopment.

Image
Last edited by FangKC on Wed Feb 11, 2009 7:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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