KCRag Forum

horizons82 wrote: ↑Fri May 15, 2020 4:43 pm Does Copaken have any ties to the new Royals group? Hard to keep track of all the names.

They have ties to Dunn family.

Copaken hired Spiritas to demolish the parking structure at 1228 McGee St.

https://compasskc.kcmo.org/EnerGov_Prod ... ttachments

Always thought that was an odd looking structure.

Project mention in the BizJorunal. Copaken describes this as more "fluid" and 50% of the space needs to be leased or have a letter of intent prior to work starting.
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... grand.html

Interesting note about twisty towers in KC. In 1981 a 60 story twisty tower designed by Harry Weese was proposed by Trizec somewhere around Union Station. Design was ahead of its time and certainly would have changed KC dramatically.

moderne wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:40 am Interesting note about twisty towers in KC. In 1981 a 60 story twisty tower designed by Harry Weese was proposed by Trizec somewhere around Union Station. Design was ahead of its time and certainly would have changed KC dramatically.

Sounds cool. I wonder if there are any drawings of that. Would have been Weese's third building here!

moderne wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:40 am Interesting note about twisty towers in KC. In 1981 a 60 story twisty tower designed by Harry Weese was proposed by Trizec somewhere around Union Station. Design was ahead of its time and certainly would have changed KC dramatically.

During sophomore year of high school in 1983, one of the teachers at SME organized a half-day bus "field" trip with a visiting architect. He was OBSESSED with Harry Weese, and we spent most of the day looking at Crown Center and, especially, the Mercantile Bank building (now Wall Street Tower).

I just completed a pandemic staycation at the Westin, and the Weese magic is still there. The hotel could do a better job of historically accurate maintenance, especially around the pool terrace. But what I remember from the 1970s and 1980s is more or less still present. I do miss the sunken, seating areas in the lobby. (Removed because of ADA compliance problems, per the general manager.)

There is a magnificent coffee-table book about Weese which includes the infamous "Genghis Jahn" wisecrack directed by Weese at his crosstown rival, Helmut Jahn.

moderne wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:40 am Interesting note about twisty towers in KC. In 1981 a 60 story twisty tower designed by Harry Weese was proposed by Trizec somewhere around Union Station. Design was ahead of its time and certainly would have changed KC dramatically.

It might have replaced Union Station. I recall Trizec wanting to tear it down at one point to build an office complex.

I didn't know about height being 60 stories. There have been only three proposals for buildings that tall in KC, apparently this one, the Sailors project near the Plaza and the tallest building in the KC Place development downtown.

This is the Trizec story as I understand it:

Trizec was brought in to redevelop union station and its surroundings. They only built two buildings, being 2 Pershing Square and 2301 Main (Blue cross), but failed to touch the station itself. Before the construction of 2 Pershing, they decided the waiting room of US had to be demolished, arguing that construction would rattle it apart anyways so it might as well come down. This plan was thankfully stopped by, in part, the UMKC art history professor, George Ehrlich, who wrote “Kansas City, Missouri: An Architectural History, 1826-1990” which is still regularly cited as a reference in National Register applications. The city then sued Trizec.

So it’s very possible the tower was envisioned for the site of the waiting room

Sued for failure to carry out the redevelopment contract.

1974 development plan:


Phase 1 -
1) hotel;
(2) re-use of existing Union Station Headhouse;
(3) re-use of US North Waiting Room and Midway;
(4) and (5) low-rise commercial buildings east and west of US Headroom;
(6) and (7) medium-rise office buildings;
(8) commercial building;
(9) 22-3 level parking garage.

Phase 2 - motor hotel for 550-950 guests; 3 office buildings; and apt. complex of 90-150 units.

Phase 3 - 2 office buildings; 2 commercial buildings; apt. complex.

Phase 4 - 2 office buildings; 2 commercial buildings; 2 hgh-rise apt. structures.

Phase 5 - 2 office buildings; 4 apt. buildings; N side of Pershing and E & W sides of Main

Reminds me of a crossover between the original 13th and Grand "twist" design, the HSB Turning Torso, and the unbuilt Chicago Spire (base)

Put on the Copaken website today. Says its from 2018

It's an improvement on the empty lot for sure, but I really wish we'd scale up and get more vertical. There's no reason not to with the success of all these residential projects.

im2kull wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:30 pm It's an improvement on the empty lot for sure, but I really wish we'd scale up and get more vertical. There's no reason not to with the success of all these residential projects.

With rents and construction costs where they are, its going to take incentives to get more towers built. For now, mid-rises will lead the way outside of office projects.

normalthings wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:35 pm

im2kull wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:30 pm It's an improvement on the empty lot for sure, but I really wish we'd scale up and get more vertical. There's no reason not to with the success of all these residential projects.

With rents and construction costs where they are, its going to take incentives to get more towers built. For now, mid-rises will lead the way outside of office projects.

Is that the same as the Waddell building?

AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:05 pm

normalthings wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:35 pm

im2kull wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:30 pm It's an improvement on the empty lot for sure, but I really wish we'd scale up and get more vertical. There's no reason not to with the success of all these residential projects.

With rents and construction costs where they are, its going to take incentives to get more towers built. For now, mid-rises will lead the way outside of office projects.

Is that the same as the Waddell building?

Im saying residential high-rises doesn't work without bringing back incentives.

AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:05 pm

normalthings wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:35 pm

im2kull wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:30 pm It's an improvement on the empty lot for sure, but I really wish we'd scale up and get more vertical. There's no reason not to with the success of all these residential projects.

With rents and construction costs where they are, its going to take incentives to get more towers built. For now, mid-rises will lead the way outside of office projects.

Is that the same as the Waddell building?

No. It appears that is the new architectural style-trend. I've seen variations of it on various development news sites.

FangKC wrote: ↑Wed Sep 15, 2021 1:08 am

AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 11:05 pm

normalthings wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:35 pm

With rents and construction costs where they are, its going to take incentives to get more towers built. For now, mid-rises will lead the way outside of office projects.

Is that the same as the Waddell building?

No. It appears that is the new architectural style-trend. I've seen variations of it on various development news sites.

So they essentially want to make another Waddell Reed building on Grand? Would it atleast have ground floor retail this time..