Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
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TheLastGentleman
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Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

The 10th and Wyandotte garage is fascinating. Why would a garage be demolished only to build a very fancy BNIM designed replacement?

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....Especially in an area so saturated with parking lots as well as towering parking garages, two of which; the library garage and the KCDC garage, are directly adjacent across Wyandotte!

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I believe the answer is that there are larger plans for this block.

DST owns the 10th and W garage and, as pointed out in the downtown YMCA thread, owned the Lyric as well. So there's a connection.

BNIM is the architect on both. You can even see some similarities, particularly when comparing with the original YMCA design.

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The influence is still there in the final. Notice the vertical elements on the facades.

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I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it was even the same person at BNIM who designed both.

Now, interestingly, the garage development included a new alleyside playground to the west, made from space formerly occupied by garage

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This was obviously intended for the crossroads academy next door, so there's another connection. It also makes sense that the garage is partially intended for the academy, as the artistic pattern on the garage absolutely screams of an architect trying to appeal to children with colors and shapes.

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What this all leads me to believe is that there's a plan for the southeast corner of this block. Parcel Viewer lists it as being owned by the YMCA. Why would they develop it when they could use the parking? Well, they don't need it because they have the new 10th and W garage on the same block!

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But won't that obscure the east entrance of the YMCA? Well, I think that's part of the plan. All these developments have put abnormal emphasis on the alleys of the block. The garage has an alleyway that's a playground. It also features a very detailed alleyside, decorated with the colored shapes mentioned before. Most of the photos of the project on BNIM's site even showcase it, like this one.

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So it makes sense that the YMCA would have a fancy alleyside as well.

I predict that we will see a building on the southeast corner, also designed by BNIM, bridging these two structures. I also think this is a sign that DST will continue shedding properties, opening up new development opportunities around the north loop
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DaveKCMO
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by DaveKCMO »

That's an award-winning replacement garage funded by TIF that's not open to the public, mister!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by kboish »

DST will certainly continue shedding any property it owns since DST doesn't really exist anymore. DST's (former) HQ is currently open for leasing...
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

DaveKCMO wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 6:25 am That's an award-winning replacement garage funded by TIF that's not open to the public, mister!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
???? I've parked in it
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taxi
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by taxi »

We need more architects screaming at children.
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by KCPowercat »

I'm pretty sure that's a public garage.
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by chaglang »

taxi wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 12:03 pm We need more architects screaming at children.
Sign me up. Happy to help.
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smh
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by smh »

You're going to be so disappointed when the continued use for that parking lot is...YMCA parking. #thatshowwedo
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

smh wrote: Fri Jul 05, 2019 9:49 am You're going to be so disappointed when the continued use for that parking lot is...YMCA parking. #thatshowwedo
I mean, of course they'll use it as a parking lot in the emmediate future, but that doesn't mean there aren't plans to develop it
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by DaveKCMO »

KCPowercat wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 3:47 pm I'm pretty sure that's a public garage.
If it is, it's not that way all day long... at least it wasn't when the new structure reopened.
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

So, do any of you have a different theory of why, in 2015, DST would've spent the resources demolishing and then rebuilding with a very fancy garage? And in an area with so many existing garages! Am I the only one to whom this seems insane? Again, there are two huge garages catercorner across Wyandotte, and surface lots absolutely everywhere. None of these garages even get particularly full from my experience. What's going on??

AM I JUST SCREAMING AT CHILDREN
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by DaveKCMO »

TheLastGentleman wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:46 pm So, do any of you have a different theory of why, in 2015, DST would've spent the resources demolishing and then rebuilding with a very fancy garage? And in an area with so many existing garages! Am I the only one to whom this seems insane? Again, there are two huge garages catercorner across Wyandotte, and surface lots absolutely everywhere. None of these garages even get particularly full from my experience. What's going on??

AM I JUST SCREAMING AT CHILDREN
I tried to make a big deal about it at the time, but everyone was like 'yawn, it's an existing TIF" or some shit and the Star had not converted to populism or maybe because it wasn't luxury* apartments.

* luxury is a marketing term that means "new"
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

DaveKCMO wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:26 pmI tried to make a big deal about it at the time, but everyone was like 'yawn, it's an existing TIF" or some shit and the Star had not converted to populism or maybe because it wasn't luxury* apartments.

* luxury is a marketing term that means "new"
So DST had a TIF? Do we know any more about why they did it though? Why that garage?
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by FangKC »

If I recall, I questioned why they were demolishing that garage, and was told there was a structural problem with it because of water leakage.
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

FangKC wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:58 pm If I recall, I questioned why they were demolishing that garage, and was told there was a structural problem with it because of water leakage.
But then why make the replacement so fancy? I'm no parking garage expert, but it seems unusual to hire an architect, particularly a prominent architect, to design a standalone garage. What incentive was there to make it more than just serviceable? Wasn't DST already having some issues back then?

Heck, why make it a garage at all? Why not develop it?
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by langosta »

TheLastGentleman wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:08 pm
FangKC wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:58 pm If I recall, I questioned why they were demolishing that garage, and was told there was a structural problem with it because of water leakage.
But then why make the replacement so fancy? I'm no parking garage expert, but it seems unusual to hire an architect, particularly a prominent architect, to design a standalone garage. What incentive was there to make it more than just serviceable? Wasn't DST already having some issues back then?

Heck, why make it a garage at all? Why not develop it?
Because they had plans that never panned out.
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

langosta wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 10:14 pmBecause they had plans that never panned out.
Any idea what those might've been?
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by missingkc »

Full circle to The Last Gentleman's original thesis, right?
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by DaveKCMO »

TheLastGentleman wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:40 pm
DaveKCMO wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:26 pmI tried to make a big deal about it at the time, but everyone was like 'yawn, it's an existing TIF" or some shit and the Star had not converted to populism or maybe because it wasn't luxury* apartments.

* luxury is a marketing term that means "new"
So DST had a TIF? Do we know any more about why they did it though? Why that garage?
Dude, DST practically invented TIF.
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Parking Garage Madness, Lyric YMCA, DST, ect

Post by TheLastGentleman »

DaveKCMO wrote: Tue Jul 09, 2019 9:15 amDude, DST practically invented TIF.
Okay, cool. So why did they do this project?
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