OFFICIAL: H&R Block HQ Construction

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 8:03 am

Things are really moving pre-ground breaking. Mostly underground stuff but at least 15 spools of cable are on site.....we need to get some sort of stationary picture documenting the area going before it's too late.

I've contacted the city but heard nothing back.

Name that building? Hmmmm. have to think about that one

kcteen · Post by **kcteen** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 10:46 am

I personally will forever call it the Old-Spice building after my favorite brand of deodorant...

kcteen

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 7:00 pm

There is now a construction fence up around the Main Street Morgue, American Formal Wear, and The Goldmine. The city wasn't kidding about wanting them out by September 1!

American Formal Wear is still open for business, though.

Anyone hear anything more news on that buyout?

kurtiebird · Post by **kurtiebird** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 8:50 pm

I just imagined American Formalwear, still open for business, after their building was knocked down - racks of formalwear out on open asphalt, while construction goes on around them.

Those guys just can't take a hint.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Sat Sep 04, 2004 10:00 pm

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... st=b_ln_hl
Demolition is expected soon to make way for Block HQ
Jim Davis
Staff Writer

A Kansas City official said Friday that he expects demolition of three buildings to start by mid-September to make way for H&R Block Inc.'s headquarters in downtown Kansas City.

Mike Musgrave, program executive of the Capital Improvement Management Office, said the demolition will be done by Deco, a Kansas City-based company that was awarded the contract after bids for the work were opened on Aug. 31.

To be razed are buildings housing The Gold Mine Lounge at 1333 Main St., American Formal Wear Co. Inc. at 1331 Main St. and a seasonal haunted house called the Main Street Morgue at 1327 Main St.

Sherwin Epstein, a lawyer with Sherwin L. Epstein & Associates who represents The Gold Mine's owner, said a condemnation award of $333,000 made Aug. 27 to Robert and Faye Reid was less than one-third what his clients think the property is worth.

Epstein said he plans to file a lawsuit Sept. 7 in Jackson County Circuit Court seeking a jury trial on the award.

Epstein said the Kansas City Tax Increment Financing Commission also failed to meet a legal requirement to offer three relocation choices for The Gold Mine, considered an adult business.

Andi Udris, CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City that staffs the TIF Commission, could not be reached for comment late Friday.

The other two buildings are owned by the Penner family. Ben Penner said American Formal Wear will move to leased space in Mission at 5330 Martway. Penner said he expects the store will open at its new location within two weeks.

The Penners haven't settled on a condemnation award for their property. Udris had offered $750,000 after condemnation commissioners offered $593,000 in June.

REACH JIM DAVIS at 816-421-5900 or jdavis@bizjournals.com.

Â© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.

scooterj · Post by **scooterj** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 2:17 am

I sure wish I had the luck to be offered a third of a million dollars for a dilapidated 1-story building that probably isn't even worth a hundred thou and then on top of that have the brass balls to file a lawsuit demanding that it's worth a million.

Or to be offered three quarters of a million for a nondescript dilapidated building, then demand an appraisal and learn from that that it's actually worth over $150,000 less, but then when the city agrees to ignore the appraisal and stick with the original offer, decide to protest and demand $1.5million.

These people are nuts. They should take the offers that they are getting, the courts are gonna give them much less. Jurys won't want to see taxpayer money wasted.