KCRag Forum

A new heritage of frustrations for KC’s historic jazz district

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/11/23/46 ... tions.html

Unfortunately, 18th and Vine is never going to be like Beale street in Memphis. Pretty interesting that both were in shambles in the late 70's/early 80's, with most of the buildings boarded up. But since the late 1980's, Beale Street has grown into a premiere tourist mecca, mostly through private development while 18th and Vine, spearheaded by city government, has not. The trolley line would definitely help spur private development, but I wonder if this area is just to far gone, especially now with the the PnL district.

KC_JAYHAWK wrote:Unfortunately, 18th and Vine is never going to be like Beale street in Memphis. Pretty interesting that both were in shambles in the late 70's/early 80's, with most of the buildings boarded up. But since the late 1980's, Beale Street has grown into a premiere tourist mecca, mostly through private development while 18th and Vine, spearheaded by city government, has not. The trolley line would definitely help spur private development, but I wonder if this area is just to far gone, especially now with the the PnL district.

Beale seems to be getting by on reputation alone, though, yes, that puts them ahead of 18th and Vine. But it's like a tiny, downmarket Westport. I suspect that a lot of the private investment on Beale is propped up by the presence of the baseball stadium immediately adjacent.

Interestingly, the Beale Street development has been owned by the city of Memphis for over 30 years, with successful development happening only recently, when the ballpark and some new retail sprang up nearby. Continual problems (and lawsuits, some still ongoing) have plagued the private developer(s), but the proximity of other stuff within a few blocks (Peabody, etc.) has helped.

18th and Vine has long has the connectivity issue to the rest of the city. what was built was built in a vaccuum. and that means you have to really care about the museums to make the effort. In retrospect the museums are too niche to draw interest.

The baseball museum would do WAY better as a major component of a midwest sports museum. there's major points about regional sports such as early basketball history, rural baseball, KC had some of the oldest professional teams in many sports, etc.

Jazz is a crazy niche music subject. If they had done it as a midwest music history museum it would do a lot better. could do Jazz also as a major component, perhaps show how it influenced other acts throughout history.

The ww1 museum could easily be in the same situation, it's just at the right location. the Kansas City museum has the same problem of being isolated.

A couple more pics of two of the finished houses along Highland.

Those are fantastic! Are they brand new ground up construction or partial rebuild? The brick pillars in the front of the reddish one look old, or maybe they used older brick? Looks like they also kept the remnants of an old rock wall along the sidewalk. I love when new construction keeps around parts of prior construction. Wonder what the plans are for the burned out house next door (at least it looks burned out?)

Those houses were restored after being boarded up for years. They were down to the studs renovations.

Here is the link to Google Maps Streetview showing the houses before renovation.

http://tinyurl.com/pahmzn7

The remaining house is unrestored I believe because they ran out of funding. Money must be found to finish it.

Page 15 has photos of the restored houses to the south of these.

The Mutual Musicians Foundation will operate a low-power FM radio station from the Jazz District.

Call letters for the new station will be KOJH-LP, and will be heard at 104.1 on the FM radio band.

http://mutualmusiciansfoundation.org/fc ... 18th-vine/

My wife and I looked at the Google Street View images today of (still showing the un-renovated homes) and were amazed at the transformation. Then we looked south on Brooklyn and saw the hideous attempt to create south Olathe at 21st and Brooklyn. Puke.

The KC Workhouse on Vine just south of the railroad tracks would be a great renovation. I noticed on the 2011 Google street view image, it was for sale....has anything ever happened with that?

Highlander wrote:My wife and I looked at the Google Street View images today of (still showing the un-renovated homes) and were amazed at the transformation. Then we looked south on Brooklyn and saw the hideous attempt to create south Olathe at 21st and Brooklyn. Puke.

The KC Workhouse on Vine just south of the railroad tracks would be a great renovation. I noticed on the 2011 Google street view image, it was for sale....has anything ever happened with that?

Cleaned up and being used as an outdoor event space, not yet renovated. Pics here, https://www.facebook.com/WorkhouseCastle/photos_stream

The lower level has some amazing graffiti art

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pash wrote:Next City: Can Kansas City Reconnect to Its Jazz District Roots?

Gayle Holliday, a member of the leadership team of Freedom Inc., the city’s leading black political organization... “We’ve been trying to get some transportation from the Jazz District to the west into the Crossroads Arts District,” she says. The one city bus route that passes through the district turns north on Troost Avenue to go downtown, and there is no other transit service headed due west. ...

Jesus fucking Christ. Doesn't get any richer than that line of shit.

A Bleak Stretch Of Kansas City's 18th Street 'Reimagined' With Art, Music ... And People

Drawings envisioned dozens of people walking on pathways flanked by art and native prairie grass, with a lawn amphitheater for music and performances.

http://kcur.org/post/bleak-stretch-kans ... and-people

I'm all for doing this, but I don't know that adding an amphitheater is the answer. We already have too much parkland, and public spaces that don't get enough use.

too much parkland? hearsay!

Is there a thread re: the Eastside?
18th and Vine is the most referenced point here.
At any rate, I wanted to leave a tip here- there's an industrial building being demolished at the corner of Cypress & Truman. I talked to the guy about a pile of floorboards and beams being set aside, and he said the foreman would take bids. This is large, substantial amount of old wood to be reclaimed.
Also, another demo' going down just east of 18th and Tracy.

KC Star article about the same plan posted earlier that was done by the Iowa State graduates. The sentence below jumped out at me. Does anyone know about the apartments Ollie Gates is planning, and the location?

Meanwhile, in the Jazz District, barbecue baron Ollie Gates is working on a project that would possibly add new housing units for the first time in years.

http://www.kansascity.com/news/business ... 30542.html

Eric Bowers photographs during a tour of the Kansas City Workhouse.

http://blog.ericbowersphoto.com/2015/07 ... ne-castle/

KC Star article about the same plan posted earlier that was done by the Iowa State graduates. The sentence below jumped out at me. Does anyone know about the apartments Ollie Gates is planning, and the location?

Meanwhile, in the Jazz District, barbecue baron Ollie Gates is working on a project that would possibly add new housing units for the first time in years.



He wants to build a suburban-style gated development on Vine St. south of 19th St.