Plaza move-ins (ongoing)

[WoodDraw]

One of the things we've talked about with the plaza is moving away from single use.

Put out a rfp. Say you need a rooftop tennis court and swimming pool, or I dunno. I bet you could get some interesting ideas.

[Highlander]

And hot take: 47th needs to be redesigned. For what it is, it should be grander. The thin strip of landscaping doesn’t do it justice. Heavily alter that aspect of it, then it’ll be the welcoming entrance to the Plaza that it deserves.

I very much agree with this statement. And one of the big issues is making crossing 47th Street east Broadway/Wornall a safer experience. I have stopped at the crosswalks many times only to have the vehicle next to me continue nearly running down the pedestrians I stopped to accommodate.

I'm a little concerned how the pedestrians that leave the streetcar northbound on Main will do having to negotiate crossing Main/Brookside and Baltimore/Mill Creek to get over to the Plaza (especially at night). Those intersections should go to lights with dedicated pedestrian crossing cycles when no vehicles can move through the intersection (and no turns on red). Many European cities have traffic lights as such.

[mjbauer95]

Those intersections should go to lights with dedicated pedestrian crossing cycles when no vehicles can move through the intersection (and no turns on red). Many European cities have traffic lights as such.

I saw these in Alberta as well. They're usually called a "pedestrian scramble" and have some kind of diagonal crosswalk to make it clearer.

[TheUrbanRoo]

Rooftop tennis courts would be so much more iconic than even what is there currently…AND we could density next to our biggest streetcar stop.

[GRID]

Tennis courts are probably fine for now. Way too many other empty lots in and around the plaza that need to be developed first.

[earthling]

With the largest streetcar stop going in, this is the first TOD site that should be developed for the stop. Those who own/live nearby probably know what's best than someone living 1000 miles away.

[Midtownkid]

Every time someone mentions a transit center here with a CVS, all I can think of is this ugly ass transit center in Silver Spring (DC). Perhaps it's just because I used to live near it.





Is this really what we want next to the Giralda tower and fountain?

I know it could look different, but I really have no faith that we would end up with anything much better.

Once the park is gone, it's gone.

[TheLastGentleman]

14 tennis courts with restricted access is not a “park”

[GRID]

^ more buses go through that transit center in a day than probably go through all of downtown KC in a month. Not to mention it's also a metro and marc station and a future light rail station. A little tram stop is not is not a fair comparison.

I tend to agree that the land is not utilized well, but it would also suck to place a big box there which will no doubt have a huge parking structure regardless of the tram stop and ruin the aesthetics of the plaza. It would really depend on what is built there. But it would need to open up the corridor from the tram to the core of the plaza, not block it off even more. A nicely designed project could work, just not a big wall of apartments and parking structure.

Again, so many empty lots in the area still and if the city tears down the courts, it will probably sit vacant for ten years before it's actually built on.

[earthling]

There seems to be confusion with the difference of transit Park and Ride centers and urban TOD centers with public amenities and zero parking. This site should not be a P&R site. There are excellent urban TODs with CVS that have discreet signage. Some are practically invisible outside a tasteful single dark CVS sign. But it doesn't have to be CVS, just something with basic amenities. This site does need a top notch TOD center (various public amenities) that is compatible with PLaza aesthetics.

Here's a subtle CVS in a walkable area with tasteful signage (center left) and no obnoxious window displays...


Here's a proposed Atlanta MARTA TOD center. Imagine it with exterior materials compatible to Plaza and 8-10 floor residential at SW quadrant that has a Moorish tower at corner.


Agree needs to be a top notch site that respects Plaza or don't bother until ready to fund top notch. The more public amenities offered, the more incentives justified. Can target CVS/TJs or other market at base with coffee shop plus small MainCor/KCPD foot patrol 'safe center' facing streetcar stop. Plaza library on floor 2-3. Rec center on floor 4. Possible indoor/rooftop tennis courts. Residential on SW corner with Moorish tower - tough part is large residential garage may be needed unless senior housing.

[GRID]

I would close Baltimore and make the area between Brookside and Baltimore a pedestrian piazza or public square sort of connecting Mill Creek Park and JC Nichols Fountain to Brush Creek but also opening up a public corridor from the tram stop to the plaza and have the Giralda Tower be visible from the piazza. The piazza could have some small fountains, an area for food trucks etc.

Build a couple of taller buildings on the far southeast corner where Brookside and Ward Parkway meet stepping up from west to east. So maybe a ten story building and then a 12-18 story building in the SE corner. The rest of the piazza could be lined with smaller residential buildings of under six floors with first floor retail but have larger openings with views of the JC Nichols Fountain and the Giralda Tower, so basically leaving the Northwest corner open to the plaza maintaining a view of the fountain and Giralda Tower from the tram stop.

Finally I would somehow build a pedestrian corridor through the buildings and parking structures west of Baltimore to connect the future Nichols Road Pedestrian corridor to the new piazza and tram stop creating a full pedestrian experience from the streetcar to the Nichols Road pedestrian corridor.

No additional parking unless fully underground.

[Highlander]

This hit the news a few days ago regarding possible plans for the tennis courts east of the Plaza with mentions of a mixed-use project in their place and relocation of the courts to another place or local rooftop. So clearly the idea is being entertained by more than just the Rag.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/kansas-city- ... 06733.html

The Star reported today that the tennis courts are in disrepair to the point they were not deemed safe enough to host the tennis championships for whatever conference UMKC plays tennis in.

[MidKC]

I play on those courts throughout the spring/summer a couple times a week and there’s no way a college team could play on those courts with all the cracks in them.

[msmith011]

Soft Surroundings next to Lululemon is closing its 4,800-square-foot store due to bankruptcy:
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... store.html

The article states Kura Revolving Sushi and Face Foundrie are slated to open soon.

[msmith011]

Swarovski submitted plans for a store at 230 Nichols Rd next to Tivol. Himiway is off the Plaza's website. Assuming it is closed?

Swarovski had a store where Sunglass Hut is today. A location next to Tivol makes sense.

[Highlander]

Isn't the deal with the Dallas buyer suppose to close in December? Wonder if everything is still a go?

[smh]

Isn't the deal with the Dallas buyer suppose to close in December? Wonder if everything is still a go?

Internet (Twitter, maybe?) said yesterday that the deal was not going to close in December, Mayor is in Dallas today bargaining/salvaging/gladhanding who knows.

[LCDSI]

Isn't the deal with the Dallas buyer suppose to close in December? Wonder if everything is still a go?

Internet (Twitter, maybe?) said yesterday that the deal was not going to close in December, Mayor is in Dallas today bargaining/salvaging/gladhanding who knows.

Yes there's an article in Kansas City Business Journal but for those of you who don't have a subscription here is a link to the local news.

https://fox4kc.com/news/kansas-city-may ... ew-owners/

[WoodDraw]

The plaza would be great to own if you could build there. But it's probably the most nimby neighborhood here.

Why buy something just to end up in meetings and lawsuits for years.

[SHPNeighbor]

https://cityscenekc.com/mayor-likely-pl ... se-retail/

Something I found interesting in the article:

"The prospective owners also don’t support converting streets to pedestrian-only corridors"

"The prospective new owners envision a “European Village” experience at the Plaza."

So which one is it?