KCRag Forum

An article in the Business Journal reports that the first phase of new townhouse construction has started on Beacon Hill.

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/s ... l?ana=e_du

Beacon Hill area is on track for $26M housing project

A $26 million, 300-unit housing structure for University of Missouri-Kansas City students and 20 single-family homes are in the works at the Beacon Hill Housing Development.

The student housing will go in at 24th and Troost.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=24th+and+ ... 64108&z=18

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... 2012-04-06

Dirt being moved on Beacon Hill behind the townhouses. It looks like infastructure work to rebuild Forest Avenue between E. 24th and E. Beacon Hill Lane, add sewers, etc. The Tracy Avenue bridge over 71 Highway is closed as well.

http://maps.google.com/?ll=39.082862,-9 ... 6&t=h&z=18

Projects on Beacon Hill wait for outcome of housing agency receivership

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... 8&page=all

Two critical projects — a student housing development for University of Missouri-Kansas City students in Beacon Hill and a nearby grocery store planned by Truman Medical Center — face challenges.

The UMKC project relies on the Missouri Development Finance Board approving tax credits to build a parking garage, but the board’s staff has raised concerns about giving the incentive while the HEDFC still owns the property. Also, the MDFB rarely supports higher education projects.

A project to restore the historic Colonnades apartment buildings in Beacon Hill was set back in late July when one of the buildings burned to the ground. The City Council approved an emergency ordinance Thursday to ask the receiver for an additional $400,000 for the project to make up for the loss of state historic preservation tax credits.

• A group led by Ollie Gates is looking to develop single-family homes in the Mount Prospect area at the north end of Beacon Hill.

City to consider sale of tax credits for construction of student housing and parking garage at 27th and Troost. I thought it was going in at 24th and Troost, so I wonder if this is a typo?

The Kansas City Council has already submitted an application for $5 million in development tax credits for a parking garage and student housing at 27th Street and Troost Avenue in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. That would remain the city’s top priority. But the Union Station project would be the city’s second choice, and would become the top priority for 2013 if the Beacon Hill project is approved.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/08/39 ... rking.html

Google maps site aerial.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=27th+and+ ... 64109&z=18

I found the site plan on the City's web site.















Found under UMKC presentation (Powerpoint document).

http://cityclerk.kcmo.org/LiveWeb/Docum ... UdLZO5ePPm

Beacon Hill handbook shows construction of an overlook at E. 26th Street and Paseo which will be accessed from West Paseo near the old hospital that was renovated into apartments.

There will also be a beacon monument next to Bruce Watkins Drive and Forest.

The Beacon Hill Commons area off Troost (grassy area) will have a fountain.

http://www.beaconhillkansascity.com/doc ... ndbook.pdf

What I heard about a year ago was a grocery store in a new building at the intersection of 27th and Troost. I assumed it was the NE intersection.

The design plan for the neighborhood appears to have a small retail building for that corner. It appears too small for a grocery store though.

The most logical place for a grocery store would be on the west side of Troost and north of 25th Street. That's a fairly level lot, and big enough to accommodate a small grocery store, and some parking as well.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=27th+and ... 06,,0,1.86

City considers solution to Beacon Hill ‘food desert’

The Kansas City Council this week will consider a resolution that would authorize City Manager Troy Schulte to strike a redevelopment agreement with an affiliate of Truman Medical Center and the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority to build a grocery store at Beacon Hill.

.

I don't get how they can use state tax credits for a student housing project. My understanding was this is not allowed. maybe i am missing something.

UMKC wins approval for bonds to finance student housing on Beacon Hill

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... 2013-02-01

Good article on a Philly chain of supermarkets that have been successful in serving economically depressed areas. Public/private partnership, and close communication with the community are essential:

http://www.livingcities.org/blog/?id=97

KC's housing agency receivership nears end.

Article mentions some progress on several fronts as it pertains to Beacon Hill.

The old bulding on the SW corner of 27th and Troost may be developed into senior housing.

A commercial developer has approached a partnership of Taliaferro & Browne Inc, JE Dunn, and Zimmer Co. with a proposal for a mixed use development north of the proposed UMKC student housing project on Troost.

The Economic Development Council has received one proposal to build a 54-unit market rate apartment complex on the SW corner of Beacon Hill--near the proposed grocery store.

If University of Missouri curators grant approval in April, construction could begin on the student apartments as early as this summer.

In the NW corner of Beacon Hill, the agency has assembled 13 or 20 lots ready to be sold for construction of single family homes. Money from those lot sales will provide funds to close a financing gap for a non-profit builders group to build more new houses along Tracy Avenue.

Construction may start as early as this summer on restoring the two remaining colonade buildings on 27th Street between Tracey and West Paseo Boulevard--assuming financing and tax credits are completed as expected.

Across Bruce Watkins Drive, on the Mt. Hope parcel, Onyx Development Corp. has approached the city with a plan to build market-rate housing. This is the area near the former Western Baptist College on E. 22nd Street west of Paseo.

It's good to finally see some movement on redeveloping Beacon Hill.

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... IkR4jelrPz

All great news. The senior housing may be tough to pull off if they are stacking historic and affordable housing tax credits. In the last round, MHDC didn't award credits to any developments that stacked credits.

Good point, Chaglang.

Further stated, the Missouri Housing Development Corp awarded very, very few low-moderate tax credits at all, senior project or no.

It's a reflection of the same Jefferson City "stop the giveaways!" movement that is threatening the continuation of historic tax credits.

Simple math is eluding many polititians.

loftguy wrote: It's a reflection of the same Jefferson City "stop the giveaways!" movement that is threatening the continuation of historic tax credits.

Simple math is eluding many polititians.

Actually, the math is rather straightforward, it's just not the same math problem you're thinking of

the tax credits take time to return in the form of taxes in the same sum as they spend.

the republicans (in majority) are looking for ways to cut taxes no matter what.
so any handout that doesn't give an instant return is off the books

that said, that's not technically correct either
look at Kansas for that example. That state could cut the corporate handouts and cut the state budget by 15% ($2 billion)

flyingember wrote:the tax credits take time to return in the form of taxes in the same sum as they spend.

the republicans (in majority) are looking for ways to cut taxes no matter what.
so any handout that doesn't give an instant return is off the books

Good points. Meanwhile, the Missouri Senate is proposing passing up a +/- 400% ROI on HTC programs for... giving average earners a $35 tax reduction.

Missouri's median household income of about $45,000 could get an income tax reduction of about $90 if the Senate legislation were to become law. But that family might have to pay about $55 more annually in sales taxes. The net result: A savings of about $35 a year.

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/10/41 ... ittle.html

To quote Sherlock Holmes, "How can you build on such quicksand?"

Lots of work happening on both sides of the 2400 block of Troost.

We know the west side is the UMKC housing, but do we know for sure about the east? More townhouses/SFH for Beacon Hill?