KCRag Forum

bikes provide an excellent, car/parking free mode of transport to/from a downtown grocery, with the ability to carry a fair amount of baggage comfortably.  They would certainly cut the time needed down to manageablke levels as well, and the xroads>loop trip is mostly flat.

At any rate yeah this gets back to the whole xroads sprawl problem.  It would be nice to see another place like MAC open in a more high-profile location, and carry a few daily-needs items...milk, bread, beer , etc.  I know they carried Shatto milk, cigs, and candy, etc.  A very small corner store type of place seems like it might make it if it's located in or near one of the xroads residential nexus'.  Freighthouse area, maybe, on 20th?

Property tax abatements were given for two buildings in the Film Row area of the Crossroads Arts District.  Receiving the abatements were buildings at 1720 Wyandotte and 1815 Central.

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

Stealing some KS business...sounds good to me!

according to the biz journal, toshiba business solutions is moving from 1617 baltimore to an office park in lee's summit (no incentives, most employees commute from east jack). yet another vacancy on this block.

DaveKCMO wrote: according to the biz journal, toshiba business solutions is moving from 1617 baltimore to an office park in lee's summit (no incentives, most employees commute from east jack). yet another vacancy on this block.

I blame the P/L District.

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DaveKCMO wrote: according to the biz journal, toshiba business solutions is moving from 1617 baltimore to an office park in lee's summit (no incentives, most employees commute from east jack). yet another vacancy on this block.

That is a great art deco building if my memory serves - perhaps something retail can go in. 

DaveKCMO wrote: (no incentives, most employees commute from east jack).

Maybe no direct incentives, but the new Strother Road interchange on I-470 is a pretty big indirect subsidy.  The article in the LS Journal cites the interchange as a key reason Toshiba selected the site.

Isn't that business kind of a light industrial supplier of office equipment?  I would guess that rising property values make such a location less attractive as keeping overhead low is a primary concern for such businesses.  Did the article say anything about how many and what kind of jobs are moving?  It's always tough to lose a business, but it may just be a natural part of the process of the Xroads moving from a low-cost driven light industrial base to a more desirable creative-class small biz zone.  If I'm way off and these are actually good biz consulting jobs, I would say it is more discouraging...

Seems to me that there are way too many empty buildings/storefronts in the x-roads for that to be encouraging (unless the owner of the building has a better plan in mind).

dangerboy wrote: Maybe no direct incentives, but the new Strother Road interchange on I-470 is a pretty big indirect subsidy.  The article in the LS Journal cites the interchange as a key reason Toshiba selected the site.

yes, i think they noted it has been in the works for awhile.

bobbyhawks wrote: Seems to me that there are way too many empty buildings/storefronts in the x-roads for that to be encouraging (unless the owner of the building has a better plan in mind).

i'm sure the nicholson group will swoop in to manage/buy the property. that seems to be the trend.

Found a rendering of the work being done on the motorcycle place on SW Blvd.



KCDowntown

what's going in there?

obviously the building isn't on any historic lists. they seem to be taking quite a bit of liberty with the design (unless what we see now is not original).

The company that designed the renovation, Davison Architecture says it will be a 3-phase historic replication of the old storefront.

KCDowntown

Looks great to me!  Lets just hope they can lease it.  Not being able to visit the area in a while and reading all the bad news coming from there makes me scared the area is dieing.  Hopefully this is not true.  (There are a lot of businesses still there and all those new lofts...so hopefully all is OK)

Midtownkid wrote: Looks great to me!  Lets just hope they can lease it.  Not being able to visit the area in a while and reading all the bad news coming from there makes me scared the area is dieing.  Hopefully this is not true.  (There are a lot of businesses still there and all those new lofts...so hopefully all is OK)

the crossroads is fine. it's no less healthy than it was before the turndown. however, it's certainly not the hottest retail spot in the metro. i believe much of the problem stems from parking requirements and lack of a CID (changes for both are slow, but in progress).

Yeah, it has long been one of my favorite hoods in KC.  It is so unique and full of potential.  However, with the rising taxes and shifting retail and some art galleries closing, Im scared the crossroads of the early 2000s is going to be all but gone.  However, with the new lofts, PAC, and Kemper Gallery opening, a new West Crossroads will be emerging.  I just hope it is cool and interesting enough to draw people and national attention still. 

i think there's still plenty of momentum on the east edge. it's scrappy, just like the west edge was 10 years ago.

DaveKCMO wrote: the crossroads is fine. it's no less healthy than it was before the turndown. however, it's certainly not the hottest retail spot in the metro. i believe much of the problem stems from parking requirements and lack of a CID (changes for both are slow, but in progress).

The Crossroads has a CID in the works?  That's encouraging, if it doesn't take forever.

What do people think of having the business association and the neighborhood association combined into one group?  I can't think any other neighborhood where that is the case, so I'm curious how it works.