KCRag Forum

I think even Crown Center/Hallmark is beginning to realize that building big monolithic developments with big plazas and blank walls against the street is no longer the way forward. The preliminary drawings they have for redeveloping 27th Street, Gillham, and McGee Trafficway are more along the lines of new urbanist principles.

http://www.goodyclancy.com/projects/cro ... tion-plan/

Fang............ Each of those buildings were extraordinary opportunities for loft conversion. Argument with Larry Bridges, LCRA officials and the lenders for the reuse of existing buildings gained zero recognition of the opportunity.

This was still the nascent period for creative use and downtown housing. Kaye Barnes had not yet strung the pearls together in our civic consciousness.

As you can well imagine Loftguy, I agree with you completely. The Waldheim, Lillis, and National Fidelity Life buildings seemed perfect for conversion to residential. They were all attractive buildings that contributed to the streetscape and overall aesthetic of downtown's built environment.

I am attaching a paper I found discussing Block 93 (the Town Pavilion block) to the south that makes mention of the block to the north, and the Waldheim and Lillis buildings specifically. In that paper, it is mentioned that the buildings were in good overall condition, and mostly needing renovation in the interior. There is mention that the Waldheim Building also needed some work done to the terra cotta on the exterior. I'm assuming that is in reference to the infamous "terra cotta falling off onto the sidewalk incident" that has been previously mentioned on this forum as the justification for tearing down the Waldheim Building. I have always discounted that as a primary justification because terra cotta can be repaired. It's not a reason to demolish a 16-story structure made of steel and concrete. The other reason I discount that justification is that if some terra cotta fell off the Commerce Trust Building at 9th and Walnut you can be sure that the building would not have been torn down for that reason. Why? Because the metal canopy fell off the Commerce Trust building recently, and the building is still standing.

http://tinyurl.com/l2jj6te



Here's the paper.

https://archive.org/stream/continuitych ... l_djvu.txt

Loftguy, the other thing that puzzles me after reading that paper is why AT&T even wanted to build on block 93. Wouldn't it have been easier for them to build on an mostly vacant block with surface parking. I see that Stan Durwood transferred his development rights to that block (mentioned in the paper). Why didn't he just transfer one of the blocks he controlled in the South Loop that were already mostly cleared? I'm thinking specifically the block that was directly south of the old Jones Store. That block wasn't intact, and didn't have buildings that were that significant architecturally. There would have been less dealing with the Landmarks Commission, and they most likely could have developed a whole block with a new building instead of having to incorporate the Harzfeld's and Boley buildings into the plan.

It's equally depressing to think that AT&T tore down the six-story Krigel Jewelry building because it said it needed the extra space (mentioned in the paper), and now AT&T is no longer the major tenant in the building--as they were when it was planned.

AT&T was just the tenant. The building was developed by a group spearheaded by Paul Copaken.

In the early '80's, downtown was vacating like a flushed toilet.

The lot south of the Jones Store might as well have been at 13th and Euclid. It was off the map in peoples minds.

The block selected was still the heart of downtown...........and you could connect everything with gerbil tubes.

Nobody gave too much of a hoot that a dozen buildings were removed.

Losing Kresge's hurt.....but I was ecstatic that jobs were being saved downtown.

loftguy wrote:AT&T was just the tenant. The building was developed by a group spearheaded by Paul Copaken.

In the early '80's, downtown was vacating like a flushed toilet.

The lot south of the Jones Store might as well have been at 13th and Euclid. It was off the map in peoples minds.

The block selected was still the heart of downtown...........and you could connect everything with gerbil tubes.

Nobody gave too much of a hoot that a dozen buildings were removed.

Losing Kresge's hurt.....but I was ecstatic that jobs were being saved downtown.

Downtown was vacating but that was one hell of a boom in the mid 80's in terms of building. Just about every building on the skyline that's not Art Deco was built in the era (except for the older Commerce Tower and CC Square). The ATT Building, 12th Wyandotte, Commerce Tower (the new one), the UMB building (alas without the proposed tower), Marriot Hotel, 1 KC place, Quality Hill, 12 Grand Building (albeit a few years later), and tons of rehabs - there was a lot of excitement about downtown. And then it just crashed. But much of what is going on today had it's roots back then - Union Hill, Quality Hill, River Market area....

I wouldn't call the 1980s special in any way for building construction downtown. Here's the major notable buildings and structures that show on the downtown skyline by decade.

After the lull of the 1940s-50s downtown saw 19 notable buildings 1963-1994. And if you want to talk about ups and downs, there's almost an on and off pattern with 3-5 years on with a cluster of buildings followed by 3-5 years off going back to the early 1960s. The 2000s to 2010s looks very much like the 1960s to 1970s or 1980s to 1990s in terms of new construction.


Park Place- 1963
Traders on Grand- 1963
Commerce Tower- 1965
Bolling Federal Building- 1966
Crown Plaza Hotel- 1968
TenMain- 1969

WallStreet Tower- 1974
San Francisco Tower- 1976
ATT Long Lines- 1976
City Center Square- 1977
2345 Grand- 1977

Sheraton Crown Center- 1980
Town Pavilion- 1986
Marriott- 1985
12 Wyandotte Plaza- 1986
2405 Grand- 1986
One KC Place- 1988

1201 Walnut- 1991
Bartle Hall pylons- 1994

Federal Courthouse- 2000
2555 Grand- 2003
H&R Block- 2006
Federal Reserve- 2008

Kauffman Center- 2011
One Light- 2015
16th/Baltimore hotels- 2015/16
Two Light- 2017

There is more to it than "skyline". Bartle Hall and Convention Center Complex and it's various expansions, River Hills Mark I and II, the Quality Hill residences, a few rehabs east of Broadway.
And take away the various Crown Center projects (at the time they were considered an alternative to downtown).

Yes, three of Kansas City's buildings were built downtown in the 1980s: Town Pavilion, One Kansas City Place, and the Sheraton Crown Center (formerly Hyatt).

Some other ones not mentioned.

910 Penn Apartments -- 1960
The View apartment tower -- 1965
Metropolitan Condominiums -- 1968

Kemper Arena -- 1973
Southwestern Bell Building -- 1973
Executive Plaza, 710 Main -- 1975
Cathedral Square Towers -- 1978

Jackson County Criminal Justice Center -- 1983
Commerce Bank Building, 10th and Main, 1985
Assurant Building, Crown Center -- 1985
Missouri Court of Appeals -- 1985
Two Pershing Square -- 1986
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Greater Kansas City -- 1986
UMB headquarters, 1010 Grand -- 1986
Jackson County Jail -- 1987
Broadway Square -- 1989

UMB Bank Technology Center, 10th and McGee -- 1998
Marriott Muehlebach Hotel (new addition) -- 1998
National Association of Insurance Companies, Crown Center -- 1998
State Street Financial, South Building, Quality Hill -- 1995
State Street Financial, North Building -- 1999

Kansas City Aviation Department Offices, 9th and Locust -- 2001
Kansas City Southern headquarters, 12th and Washington -- 2002
IRS Annex Building -- 2006
Kansas City Star Press Building -- 2007
Copaken Stage Theatre 2007
J.E. Dunn Headquarters Building --10th and Locust -- 2011

Northpointe Power & Light Building annex apartment building -- 2017 ?

Shook Hardy Bacon - Crown Center - 2001

These proposals refer to empty buildings, just not big ones - but I needed a thread...

There is a proposal going in front of the EDC's EEZ commitee next week to approve an abatement to a PV company to move 54 jobs downtown and renovate this building located at 304 W 10th.

The plan calls for gutting the interior, maintaining the historic character of the current structure, and adding a rooftop terrace. It also includes 2 residential lofts on the upper floor as well.

Also saw in past meeting notes that:1721 Walnut was granted an abatement to become the HQ for Hollis + Miller, an OP architecture firm. The meetings notes made it sound like Hollis Miller was seeking a larger abatement than they received, so I don't know if this is a go or not.

KCDowntown

304 W. 10th is one of the older buildings remaining in the downtown loop. It was there at least by 1900.

http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.p ... OX=1&REC=5

KCDowntown wrote:Also saw in past meeting notes that:1721 Walnut was granted an abatement to become the HQ for Hollis + Miller, an OP architecture firm. The meetings notes made it sound like Hollis Miller was seeking a larger abatement than they received, so I don't know if this is a go or not.

Once we have a dedicated thread for 1721 Walnut, I'll add some interesting history about Hollis + Miller. As a précis, one of the principals of this firm that dates from the Truman years, died around 1970 in a crazy accident in the Andes in South America. The firm recovered and prospered in the suburbia buildout of the 1970s and 1980s.

KCDowntown wrote:These proposals refer to empty buildings, just not big ones - but I needed a thread...

There is a proposal going in front of the EDC's EEZ commitee next week to approve an abatement to a PV company to move 54 jobs downtown and renovate this building located at 304 W 10th.

The plan calls for gutting the interior, maintaining the historic character of the current structure, and adding a rooftop terrace. It also includes 2 residential lofts on the upper floor as well.

Also saw in past meeting notes that:1721 Walnut was granted an abatement to become the HQ for Hollis + Miller, an OP architecture firm. The meetings notes made it sound like Hollis Miller was seeking a larger abatement than they received, so I don't know if this is a go or not.

KCDowntown

From today's PZED commitee meeting agenda:
150591 Approving real property tax abatement for improvements on real property located at 304 W. 10th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, within Enhanced Enterprise Zone 1; and directing the City Clerk to provide a copy of this Ordinance to the Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

EDIT: The company is IST (Installation & Service Technologies), who is currently located at 83rd & Mission in PV. 54 jobs would relocate, and 6 jobs would be created. About $1.9 million would be put into restoring the building.

The LCRA is looking into the transferral of ownership from the city to a developer of two surface parking lots directly to the south of Traders of Grand parking structure. This transfer would assist in a future redevelopment of the Trader's on Grand building.

This action is contingent on the sale of the Trader's on Grand building.

One interesting point - this is part of the block for Copaken's proposed 25-story spiral office building. The parking lots approximately take up the northeast quarter of this block. Unless Copaken is the possible buyer, this would affect this other development.

Read more about it here.

KCDowntown

KCDowntown wrote:This action is contingent on the sale of the Trader's on Grand building.

heard a bit about this in passing. i would imagine traders is nearly empty. anyone know? really hope this involves elimination of the drive-thru bank.

There was an article in the Star today that mentions the sale of these lots.

These parking lots would be used for parking for a renovation of the Traders on Grand building into one hundred and ninety-six market-rate apartments. It is a 55 million dollar project led by the Sunflower Development Group. It would have 18 floors of apartments over 2 stories of office and retail. They hope to begin next year.

KCDowntown

I don't know if I'm totally clear on whats proposed. Does this mean the huge swaths of parking lots directly north of Sprint Center would essentially be dedicated to stay surface parking for this development? or is it to early to tell?

KCDowntown wrote:There was an article in the Star today that mentions the sale of these lots.

These parking lots would be used for parking for a renovation of the Traders on Grand building into one hundred and ninety-six market-rate apartments. It is a 55 million dollar project led by the Sunflower Development Group. It would have 18 floors of apartments over 2 stories of office and retail. They hope to begin next year.

KCDowntown

They (the Star) call surface lots in DT KC rare?

kboish wrote:I don't know if I'm totally clear on whats proposed. Does this mean the huge swaths of parking lots directly north of Sprint Center would essentially be dedicated to stay surface parking for this development? or is it to early to tell?

KCDowntown wrote:
One interesting point - this is part of the block for Copaken's proposed 25-story spiral office building. The parking lots approximately take up the northeast quarter of this block. Unless Copaken is the possible buyer, this would affect this other development.

KCDowntown

So answering my own question- I guess only be a portion of the surface parking on the block is going to be dedicated to parking? There is still a chance of a development on the remainder, i guess.

If you look at the parcel ownership, TWP Holdings and TWP Partners basically owns only the land where the building is shown. Block 112 owns the rest. Both are Copaken entities.

Knowing that companies do that to legally insulate different projects they own from each other, this could show a shift to not do a whole block pedestal.