KCRag Forum

One user competing for the site is proposing a garage to park his buildings in proximity, not sure if he'll be able to compete with other developers.

i hear there's a lot of interesting in redeveloping some of the buildings in that area for office uses, maybe a parking garage would be tied into that?

Parking for the lee building is what's holding  up that development, so  it wouldn't surprise me to see a garage there.

how about a guradge with apts on the two outter edges that face the street.  The two walls that are guradge could be attractive too.  Im thinking brick construction with flat-arched openings...some sort of screens could hide the fact that it is a guradge and make it pretty.  (cast or wrought iron?)(something equally attractive and less expensive?) Street level retail is a must

The street level retail in the safeway building across the street has been vacant for 3 years. I'm not sure there's close to enough traffic to support more retail.

tat2kc wrote: The street level retail in the safeway building across the street has been vacant for 3 years. I'm not sure there's close to enough traffic to support more retail.

Best we can do is to keep repopulating the area with residents, making more retail all the more viable.

Tosspot wrote: Best we can do is to keep repopulating the area with residents, making more retail all the more viable.

Exactly why this spot would be good for residential.  I understand there may be a need for parking.  Do any of you think underground parking here would be viable?  Otherwise I agree with Midtownkid.

Underground parking would not be viable at all unless the city fixed the storm drains in the area. The roads tend to hold water when it rains, and very heavy rains resulted in some water in the basement of the Safeway building. 2 years ago during a torrential storm, we had several inches of water in the basement.  Of course, the city has talked about fixing the storm drains for years there....

The plot thickens:
http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... =printable
Are they ever going to get this mess straighened out?

While I'm not excited about a parking garage being built in my back yard, I wish they would just get it done so that other (more desirable) development can take place.

Tosspot wrote: Best we can do is to keep repopulating the area with residents.

A Hooters there might help put residents in the mood for repopulating.

KC0KEK wrote: A Hooters there might help put residents in the mood for repopulating.

All those carcinogens in the area might lead to unnatural breast enlargement of an entirely undesirable variety. 

That can't be good for business.

Has anyone heard who this 2nd bidder is?  What they're proposing?
Tom Levitt sounds doomed on this deal.

its pretty easy to run through the likely suspects
1) safeway/stuart hall folks - they already seem to be on record as wanting a garage; or
2) the St. Louis outfit that just bought two nearby buildings - aparently their parking situation is quite dire;
3) possibly the Freighthouse Flats folks but correct me if I am wrong - I believe they are planning to incorporate a garage into their building

What I don't get is why if all of these parties all have the same goal (build a parking garage) can't they just get together and build one that will accomodate all of their needs?  Its a big lot, I would think it would be scalable for as big of a garage as thier combined need requires. 

Yes, Freighthouse Flats will be building a secured parking garage for the residents.  From what I can tell, it will be a single story structure.  I'm waiting to hear what material will be used in the construction and the overall height of the structure.

the reason the interested parties won't get together is the same reason Time Equites had to build a garage: competition.  Whoever gets the lot, I bet they won't build parking that would serve the entire area, only their interests.  If one of those developers can offer off street covered parking, they'll have an advantage over the other property owners. Building a garage that would serve everyone would put all the loft developments on an even footing, and keep more garages from being built. But we can't have different developers cooperatings, can we?

LenexatoKCMO wrote:
3) possibly the Freighthouse Flats folks but correct me if I am wrong - I believe they are planning to incorporate a garage into their building
 

This would seem pretty likely...who exactly is this group.  Are they doing well with Freighthouse Flats?

why doesn't the city step in, build a garage, and then lease space out?  This is whole, one garage one project thing is hurting the overall welfare of downtown.

WestPlazaGuy -
I believe the investor group developing the Freighthouse Flats is going by the name 2120 Investors.  As far as I know, this is their first project.  However, they are planning a 2nd more expensive project in the same area using both BNIM and Harris.