OFFICIAL: Law Building

[GRID]

Maybe there are aliens burried there...you hear that Pitch???

[kid a]

Yes, chances are real good that that site will get a large scale project built on it from the arena north to 12th, and the wig place can work out a fair deal to sell instead of what the city was doing to them.

But still, this is irratating as hell.  My granpa worked in that building and helped design many other downtown buildings in the Law building.  I really wanted to see that one saved.  I know, I'm selfish.

SELFISH??  that is cool you have that connection. that building should have been saved. the city could have stepped in , but they turned their back on it.
the problem is with some city leaders....they have no creative insight. andi udris stated earlier this past winter that he saw no historical or architectural  signifigance in the law building. what a souless, pathetic swine.  i hate driving down grand now, that corner is more ghetto looking now than when the law building was there in it's dilapidated state. good job to all that was involved...

[macnw]

I'm not sure how personal attacks help the cause? We have to work with the people who are in charge, until they are not in charge. How about trying to educate developers/city officials about what is being offered in terms of incentives to redevelope. Talk their language. Show how redeveloped projects can be equally effective as newer projects. We need a mix.

[staubio]

I'm not sure how personal attacks help the cause? We have to work with the people who are in charge, until they are not in charge. How about trying to educate developers/city officials about what is being offered in terms of incentives to redevelope. Talk their language. Show how redeveloped projects can be equally effective as newer projects. We need a mix.

The only person being attacked is Andi, who did nothing to preserve anything and had a "knock it down and start over" mentality when at the head of the EDC.  This is despite the fact that historic building stock is one of the most significant amenities that attracts people to the city and despite the fact that we have a plethora of surface lots to redevelop before we start knocking down buildings.

This was a huge loss and any leaders that were involved should be taken to task.

[macnw]

For real? I mean I like old buildings too, but come on. Until we have a unified front in the community who care about preservation, I think this will continue. Unfortunately, a few guys chating on the web is not a united front

[Long]

For real? I mean I like old buildings too, but come on. Until we have a unified front in the community who care about preservation, I think this will continue. Unfortunately, a few guys chating on the web is not a united front

You have a point. . . as long as the developers have a louder voice than anyone that gives a crap about these buildings, the trend will continue.  I would argue that even Andi Udris is smarter than to actually think the Law Bldg had no historic value, no matter what he might have said. . .  he knows where the money is. 

Sure, people like to move downtown because they think the old buildings are great, but in the case of this block, one worthwhile old building is going to be a thorn in a developer's side.  Yeah, Blake Cordish is saying how great it is to have historic buildings (re: his quotes from the article on saving the Empire) but that didn't stop him from bulldozing TWA, and you can probably bet that he would have wiped out the Hotel President if he could have gotten away with it.

[tat2kc]

my problem with the long running preservationists in Kansas City don't  really say much or act publicly unitl a demolition is announced, or sometimes even ready to begin.  It would be much more effective to take a proactive stance and get these buildings restored or at least preserved in a useful manner until someone is ready to finish the work. 

[FangKC]

Yes, this loss is almost unforgiveable. The city should be more on top of the plan for the site before it is sold--especially when a demolition permit was involved. This building was already on the National Register.

I don't know why the EDC didn't buy that site when Abbott lost his financing. It's been assembling the entire block anyway.  They could have set that building aside for renovation.

The thing that makes me sick about losing the Law Building is that you have developers of historic buildings now bemoaning the fact that downtown is running out of prospective historic buildings to convert. And yes, I agree. It is highly likely that McGowan & Walsh might have bought the Law Building. They are buying up as many old buildings as possible.

Now that the City has eminent domain powers supported by the recent Supreme Court decision, why not use them for purposes of saving historic buildings instead of tearing them down?  They have the power now to take historic buildings from owners who haven't maintained them, and sell them to someone who can convert them. It is in the public interest to protect historic buildings. It's as good a use of eminent domain law as anything else.  Having a historic downtown is as much an economic development tool as anything else. It is especially good use of the law in situations where a building is sitting empty and unproductive anyway.

Sometimes I think City leaders here act like an ugly girl at the prom. They are willing to do anything for anyone who asks them to dance.  The City became owner of the TWA Building. They had the power to save it. They bought it from Roger Buford, who had already stated he was willing to renovate it.

The City has the power to make it a policy to save historic buildings as civic assets. If some developer is threatening to tear down a building on the National Register for example, then the City should take it from them using eminent domain.  If a property owner is allowing a historic theater like the Empire to rot for years, then the City should just take it.  Had this power been available 10 years ago, it might not have cost as much to restore the Empire Theater.  Now they have to deal with all sorts of problems from a roof that has leaked for years.

If they can seize property for other purposes, then this should be made one of them.

I was shocked to learn the Mayor and members of the City Council aren't notified automatically when a demolition permit is requested to tear down a building on the National Register of Historic Places.  On two occasions, I've caught demolition requests and brought it to their attention myself.  A individual council member can have a particular parcel flagged and be notified of actions, but they have to put in the request.  If a developer tries to sneak a demolition request through the system, an individual council member can then make a motion at a council meeting for a council review or public hearing.  It's an example of one hand of government not knowing what the other is doing.

As far as the historic community is concerned, I agree that they are ineffective.  Basically it's Jane Flynn making a comment about what a shame it is that a building is being demolished.  One really cannot expect much from her anyway, because she's getting old and has been on the front lines for years already.  She's a great resource of information on historical information, but one can't expect her to be chaining herself to buildings.

One of the things I think makes Historic Kansas City Foundation ineffective is that the membership is not allowed to attend all meetings, just the board members. I was told the entire membership only meets once a year for a social occasion. They put out occasion newsletters I think, but by the time they are received, many of the issues have changed.  They don't even have a web site where people can go to see what preservation actions are happening in the community.

[snarf]

I used to work across from this building.  From the looks of it then I would be surprised if there was any way to save this building.  The concrete was crumbling and it had been without windows for some time. 

At this point there is no reason to worry about what might have been if it were saved.  Now we just need a responsible buyer that will help downtown grow.  Please no more parking garages.  Although with the proximity to the Sprint Center and Power and Light there is a some probability that this will end up a parking garage.

[Long]

I used to work across from this building.  From the looks of it then I would be surprised if there was any way to save this building.  The concrete was crumbling and it had been without windows for some time. 

At this point there is no reason to worry about what might have been if it were saved.  Now we just need a responsible buyer that will help downtown grow.  Please no more parking garages.  Although with the proximity to the Sprint Center and Power and Light there is a some probability that this will end up a parking garage.

Renovation had already begun, so I would imagine someone determined it was possible to save the building.  Some of the exterior stonework may have been a little loose, and those panels added over the first floor (probably in the 60s or 70s) looked bad, but I'm sure the building itself was structurally sound.

We all realize its not worth thinking about "what might have been," the point is we need to keep this from happening in the future to another building.  But yes we do need to hope for a responsible buyer.

[FangKC]

I used to work across from this building.  From the looks of it then I would be surprised if there was any way to save this building.  The concrete was crumbling and it had been without windows for some time. 

You'd be surprised what can be salvaged.  There is an old carriage house that is part of the Blossom House redevelopment project.  It's in the alley directly behind the Second Empire-style brick house on Jefferson.  That carriage building was salvaged and the roof had collapsed, as well as portions of the brick walls holding up the building. It was technically a ruin.  It was reconstructed.   It surely would have been easier to knock it down, but they didn't.



This is the carriage house ruins.  Drive by there now and see how they restored the carriage house.

[kcdcchef]

i know i personally am impressed by this, after driving by for years, living up on the hill, and seeing how sad it was, this really is nice

[kcdcchef]

you know what is also weird, is that some of the same people who lament in this forum over the loss of the law building, i fend off in kcsports over wanting to tear down the k

[Long]

you know what is also weird, is that some of the same people who lament in this forum over the loss of the law building, i fend off in kcsports over wanting to tear down the k

Yeah, you hear a lot of "good arguments" about why historic buildings should be saved, but those good arguments only apply to buildings that fall within a certain style.  Historical significance apparently only applies to buildings built before 1940.

[kcdcchef]

ok, so how about the old school at 20th and summit? it is geourgous old architecture from the 20's, and it is falling apart bad, and noone will care when it comes down

[tat2kc]

actually, no one will care until it is announced that it is being torn down. Then the preservationists will be up in arms about the tragedy of loosing yet another treasure.

[kcdcchef]

you are so right. noone gave a fuck about the prez, til it was ready to come down

[ComandanteCero]

? Historic preservationists aren't real estate moguls or millionaires.  I'm sure if everyone here had millions of dollars lying around they'd get a hold of their favorite historic building and fix it up.  We live in the real world where there just aren't the resources to maintain every vacant historic building for the sake of maintenance.  Most of the time we have to pick and choose the most prominent/significant (i.e Union Station) and see what can be done to keep it standing.  Most of the other time it's just a question of trying to keep buildings from being torn down, and wait for the time when the market will favor it's reuse and redevelopment.  The Law building is a PRIME example of that.  If historic preservationists had had their way, we could have waited 6 months, and that building would have half a dozen developers looking to convert it into a mixed use condo development with retail.

[kcdcchef]

i think the law building, i am sorry to say, is close to the twa in regards to is it really worth the fight? there are so many kc treasures we are saving, that we almost didnt, and we should be proud of that.

[Long]

i think the law building, i am sorry to say, is close to the twa in regards to is it really worth the fight? there are so many kc treasures we are saving, that we almost didnt, and we should be proud of that.

What?