Southmoreland

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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FangKC
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by FangKC »

No, greed factor. They knew they could probably get more money from selling the land instead of the house. Mom wouldn't sell, so they had to wait for her to pass to sell it.

I'm not saying they didn't love their mother. I'm saying they probably did, but also had greed on their minds. Two things can be true as the same time.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by moderne »

Whitney Kerr involved in this. We know he loves to tear down historic buildings with architectural value such as the General Tire art deco gem on Baltimore where Loew's now sits.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by ehartkc »

I think you mean the Residence Inn.
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FangKC
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by FangKC »

This is the best photo I could find of the building.

The General Tire Co. building aka McDowell Tire Company. It was one of the first art deco-style buildings completed in Kansas City.

Image

and

https://kchistory.org/image/baltimore-s ... fset%5D=18

The side of the building is at the left.

https://kchistory.org/image/mcdowell-ti ... ffset%5D=0
moderne
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by moderne »

Thanks for the images, sorta murky, there was more decorative detail than shows. Kerr tore it down for his and Ross Perot's Central Square development that never materialized despite his promises to build an adjacent convention hotel if the city enlarged Bartle Hall over the freeway.
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FangKC
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by FangKC »

Here is a link to the proposed development that caused the General Tire building to be demolished. The development never happened of course.

viewtopic.php?p=659204#p659204
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Cratedigger
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by Cratedigger »

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/a ... 95616.html

The Southmoreland Neighborhood Association applied for the home to be placed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, and the Kansas City Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to place the house on the register, preventing demolition for at least six months.
On May 26, the Kansas City Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to place the house on the register for its architectural qualities. Their recommendation will next go before the City Plan Commission, possibly this month, and the City Council following that.
Neither of the Vawter brothers live in the house, which is unoccupied. Claiming they were unable to sell the home for the price they wanted, the brothers insist that they should be free to demolish the structure as they see fit and and sell the land for a different purpose, such as a “high rise.” The 12-story Oak Hall apartments are only a few parcels away. Multiple apartment complexes, and the Kansas City Art Institute, sit south and north of of the Warwick home.
It is, in fact, the only single-family residence left on the block.
Although the property currently is not zoned for a high-rise, nearby properties are. Kerr has floated the idea that it could be used as part of a “cultural arts complex” just off of the future streetcar stop on Main Street and leading to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the art institute and the Nelson museum.
...
When the property was placed for sale, Ryan Hiser and his partner, David Tran, offered to buy the home for $1.2 million, and to spend an additional $1 million to turn it into a boutique hotel. The partners currently own two boutique hotels in the neighborhood, the Truitt Hotel at 4320 Oak St. and The Aida Hotel KC, 206 E. 44th St.
Their offer was declined.
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FangKC
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by FangKC »

It seems $1.2 million was not enough for the Vawter brothers.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by taxi »

FangKC wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:05 pm It seems $1.2 million was not enough for the Vawter brothers.
There are so many things you can't buy with $1.2 million.
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Midtownkid
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by Midtownkid »

Rumor is that the developer wants to demolish not only 4526 Warwick, but also the beautiful Simpson House and the Unitarian church. This would create a large development plot. It would really change the scale and feel of that area, in a negative way IMO.

Image

The two houses should be saved (they are very solid and beautiful). They can proceed with demo of the church and associated parking lot. That plot alone should be enough to develop something nice that could generate density and profit.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by herrfrank »

I am really shocked that Southmoreland didn't already have stronger protections against demolition. These are some of the last remainders of what was once the finest (pre-Nichols) neighborhood in KC.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by Midtownkid »

The historic designation was shot down by the city planning commission.

Sounds like George Birt is interested in building on the site. I still think the home(s) should be preserved.
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Re: Southmoreland

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In a blow to neighbors, 110-year-old KC mansion moves one step closer to demolition
In a step that moves a 110-year-old mansion closer to demolition, the Kansas City City Plan Commission on Tuesday voted to deny historic designation to the home, whose owners want to sell it as the possible site of a future high-rise.

The commission’s 3-2 vote (with three commissioners absent) is a blow to neighbors and preservationist groups, such as the Historic Kansas City Foundation, which hoped that placing the Classical Revival home on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places would help save it from the wrecking ball. Historic designation would prevent demolition for at least three years.
...
That’s because the Plan Commission’s vote is non-binding. It does not seal the fate of the mansion, but instead is a recommendation to be passed along to a committee of the new Kansas City City Council, which was sworn in Tuesday as the commission held its monthly meeting.
...
Neighbors meantime, said that seeking historic designation was the only tool available to to them to prevent or slow the Vawters from razing a still beautiful home from a time gone by. They insist that the Vawters have never actually tested the house on the open market, as they have yet to place it on the real estate MLS, the multiple listing service. The Southmoreland neighborhood has other grand homes that have been renovated for other uses. The Simpson House as an event space. Just south of the Vawters’ home is the Jannes Library, a mansion turned to use by the Kansas City Art Institute. No such uses have been explored, they said.
...
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/a ... rylink=cpy
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KCtoBrooklyn
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by KCtoBrooklyn »

There is a new item on Dodge's construction bidding site that may be related to this location. It is listed in 64111-1822. I'm not sure how large that extended 9-digit zip is, but the only results I'm getting seem to point to this site.

Pre-design for a "High Rise Apartment Building" $15-25M.

https://www.construction.com/projects/d ... t-building
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by moderne »

Whitney Kerr is an old spider weaving his web. He says the mansion property not large enough for a high rise footprint and wants also to take the All Souls Unitarian property. They have rejected his offers. He wants to level the mansion and the church for the land with no definite plans. Southmoreland already has two large empty lots.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by Midtownkid »

yep
Midtownkid wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 2:07 pm Rumor is that the developer wants to demolish not only 4526 Warwick, but also the beautiful Simpson House and the Unitarian church. This would create a large development plot. It would really change the scale and feel of that area, in a negative way IMO.

Image

The two houses should be saved (they are very solid and beautiful). They can proceed with demo of the church and associated parking lot. That plot alone should be enough to develop something nice that could generate density and profit.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by langosta »

moderne wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:42 am Whitney Kerr is an old spider weaving his web. He says the mansion property not large enough for a high rise footprint and wants also to take the All Souls Unitarian property. They have rejected his offers. He wants to level the mansion and the church for the land with no definite plans. Southmoreland already has two large empty lots.
Why did we build a $350m rail line to selectively preserve SFH like 1 block away???

If he can get a full deal together with financing, let the mansions go. But, don’t allow him to bulldoze if he doesn’t.
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alejandro46
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by alejandro46 »

langosta wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 11:45 am
moderne wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:42 am Whitney Kerr is an old spider weaving his web. He says the mansion property not large enough for a high rise footprint and wants also to take the All Souls Unitarian property. They have rejected his offers. He wants to level the mansion and the church for the land with no definite plans. Southmoreland already has two large empty lots.
Why did we build a $350m rail line to selectively preserve SFH like 1 block away???

If he can get a full deal together with financing, let the mansions go. But, don’t allow him to bulldoze if he doesn’t.
Imho development is all about balance.
#1 priority is how can we build more housing, densely and especially along transit. If incentives can be given to any proposed development that would enable it to build higher and save the existing homes that should be considered. We do really need a 'vacant land' and 'surface parking lot' tax in this city to prevent speculative demolitions. Time and time again (W 31st street & Broadway, Nelle E. Peters apartments on the Plaza, Knickerbocker) projects get demo approved but then vacant lots sit for sometimes decades. That is unacceptable. Generally, I am not one to restrict landowners rights to build on their land but these are nice historic homes of the period and should be saved if possible.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by Highlander »

langosta wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 11:45 am
moderne wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:42 am Whitney Kerr is an old spider weaving his web. He says the mansion property not large enough for a high rise footprint and wants also to take the All Souls Unitarian property. They have rejected his offers. He wants to level the mansion and the church for the land with no definite plans. Southmoreland already has two large empty lots.
Why did we build a $350m rail line to selectively preserve SFH like 1 block away???

If he can get a full deal together with financing, let the mansions go. But, don’t allow him to bulldoze if he doesn’t.
There is literally near infinite space along the Main corridor for building without taking out two or three buildings that deserved to be preserved. That's the middle of KC's cultural heart with the art institute, the Nelson and the Kemper, the last place we need a generic apartment buiding. The former Plaza hotel plot which is adjacent has been sitting empty for several years now with no development plan as is the plot of land north of One Main Plaza. North of that, there is plenty of low density unremarkable buildings that could be removed and replaced with apartments.

It seems to be the KC way to tear something of value down to build rather than take advantage of a plethora of better suited vacant or underutilized locations.
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Re: Southmoreland

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

langosta wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 11:45 am
moderne wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:42 am Whitney Kerr is an old spider weaving his web. He says the mansion property not large enough for a high rise footprint and wants also to take the All Souls Unitarian property. They have rejected his offers. He wants to level the mansion and the church for the land with no definite plans. Southmoreland already has two large empty lots.
Why did we build a $350m rail line to selectively preserve SFH like 1 block away???

If he can get a full deal together with financing, let the mansions go. But, don’t allow him to bulldoze if he doesn’t.
Because there’s numerous empty lots that have yet to be filled even closer to said $350 million dollar rail line, so it doesn’t make sense to tear down an existing structure to build something if you can have a site where tear down isn’t a necessary step.
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