West Bottoms Redevelopment

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
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FlippantCitizen
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by FlippantCitizen »

GRID wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 12:56 pm Is one developer having so much control and property a good idea though? I hope they are able to keep things going especially after they start tearing things down.
Definitely a valid concern
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

FlippantCitizen wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 1:12 pm
GRID wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 12:56 pm Is one developer having so much control and property a good idea though? I hope they are able to keep things going especially after they start tearing things down.
Definitely a valid concern
East village anyone?
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Cratedigger
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Cratedigger »

Anthony_Hugo98 wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 1:21 pm
FlippantCitizen wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 1:12 pm
GRID wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 12:56 pm Is one developer having so much control and property a good idea though? I hope they are able to keep things going especially after they start tearing things down.
Definitely a valid concern
East village anyone?
At least there's a defined plan here. But I'm a bit worried about that as well. Feels like here in KC all is good for the demo and then things stall afterwards
earthling
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by earthling »

^It could go wrong but if there is going to be major control would rather see it being this NYC developer targeting a DUMBO/Industry City Brooklyn approach rather than Milhaus of Indy targeting more lego block buildings. Ideally each block would be different developer but this is a real opportunity for WB (WeBo haha) to reach DUMBO potential. Doubt that would occur with smaller players with no master plan.
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Anthony_Hugo98
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Anthony_Hugo98 »

earthling wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 1:28 pmIdeally each block would be different developer but this is a real opportunity for WB (WeBo haha) to reach DUMBO potential. Doubt that would occur with smaller players with no master plan.
This is at least more of a guarantee that you see true massing in WB in our lifetime as well than leaving it to organic development
earthling
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by earthling »

I'll be back in Brooklyn in a couple weeks. Will try to capture shots of DUMBO/IC that could perhaps show 'WeBo's potential.
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rxlexi
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by rxlexi »

earthling wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 2:19 pm I'll be back in Brooklyn in a couple weeks. Will try to capture shots of DUMBO/IC that could perhaps show 'WeBo's potential.
Checking out the architect of record (per KCBJ) and their prior work on Industry City and across NYC gives a pretty good idea of the potential. Would be amazing if the end result of this master planning resembles a micro version of this stuff:

https://s9architecture.com/work/
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Rabble »

Once these guys get demolition pricing on the Weld Wheel building maybe they will revisit the apartment plan. The east facade would have looked much better with all the planned new window openings. Tearing down this building would be as awful as the Board of Education removal.
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by earthling »

rxlexi wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 2:33 pm
earthling wrote: Wed May 04, 2022 2:19 pm I'll be back in Brooklyn in a couple weeks. Will try to capture shots of DUMBO/IC that could perhaps show 'WeBo's potential.
Checking out the architect of record (per KCBJ) and their prior work on Industry City and across NYC gives a pretty good idea of the potential. Would be amazing if the end result of this master planning resembles a micro version of this stuff:

https://s9architecture.com/work/
Yeah the developer said they'll hire the architect that worked on Industry City. IC is more commercial/offices if I recall. Given they plan to target mostly residential like DUMBO and WB looks more like DUMBO I'll capture shots of both with context of new infill next to the older buildings.
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KCDowntown
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by KCDowntown »

Here's this development's rezoning permit that has an attachment with a thorough rundown of their plans for the West Bottoms. I only have had time to give it a very cursory look - but the timeline, developments on each block and streetscape plans can be gleaned from this document.

KCDowntown
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Cratedigger »

KCDowntown wrote: Thu May 05, 2022 1:31 pm Here's this development's rezoning permit that has an attachment with a thorough rundown of their plans for the West Bottoms. I only have had time to give it a very cursory look - but the timeline, developments on each block and streetscape plans can be gleaned from this document.

KCDowntown
Page 18 is the streetscape plan and is quite interesting. Seems very pedestrian focused
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Chris Stritzel
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Chris Stritzel »

Looking at it, it's interesting to see the layouts of the infill buildings. St. Louis Avenue will be closed off as well.
earthling
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by earthling »

No doubt this will be a major transformation. Hopefully they keep some of the raw edgey flavor of WB and not sanitize it too much.
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normalthings
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by normalthings »

New construction is within wood frame height
daGOAT
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by daGOAT »

Could West Bottoms have car free streets in the future? There are numerous candidates to choose from.
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Cratedigger
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Cratedigger »

Gotta be honest, I did not think that the Rock Island Bridge had legs when I first heard about it. Cool to see this project continue to move forward.

Sounds like they’ve raised a good amount of the money needed and lined up deals with food vendors for the project.

https://cityscenekc.com/entertainment- ... -up-steam/
earthling
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by earthling »

Am in NYC again. Have mentioned several times that WB is nearly identical to DUMBO in Brooklyn. Nearly same turn of century buildings, early history of similar functions, bridge overpass, many surface lots, same eerie charm of a distant past.

Will post pics later of what infill has done. When I visited DUMBO first time 20+ years ago was much like WB today.. several loft conversions, still many lots but clearly would become residential moving forward. In 2019 I recall much more residential, some retail/foodie hall but still a handful of surface lots. Today the infill is complete and functionally great but DUMBO did lose its eerie vibe given infill mixed in, hard to tell it was mostly turn of (19th) century earlier. No more lots left at this point. It's essentially just another urban district where before it had a unique and unusual 'period' identity. WB might also lose its old identity but should still be a wonderful expansion of downtown urbanity that should still be unique enough compared to any other downtown KC district. Pics later...
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Cratedigger
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by Cratedigger »

Anticipating a groundbreaking this summer of the Rock Island Bridge with construction taking about a year.

https://t.co/2qqDvqmTiB
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FangKC
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by FangKC »

SomeraRoad talks decadelong West Bottoms redevelopment, 'collaborative' aims with neighborhood

...
The New York developer and investor shared the broad strokes of its efforts to carry out a five-phase redevelopment of more than 20 acres it now owns or controls in the historic district during a neighborhood meeting Wednesday evening at the Faultless Event Space. At least 50 people attended, including numerous West Bottoms residents and business owners.
...
In early May, SomeraRoad applied to rezone 21.85 acres to an urban redevelopment district, setting the stage for what submitted materials show as up to 1,238 apartments, mixed uses and open-space amenities developed through 2035.

Between November and late March, the developer came to own 20 properties through transactions with seven sellers. Included among these were 14 buildings, many of them historic, such as the Moline Plow Co., Avery "Poe," Laramie Tires and Perfection Stove Co. buildings.

Of those buildings, eight are eyed for full preservation with adaptive reuse projects, and two more, at 1220 and 1226 Union Ave., for partial preservation. The remaining four buildings, including the Weld Wheel Building and another housing a boxing gym northwest of Mulberry and 11th streets, are to be demolished, making way for what SomeraRoad representatives described as "contextually appropriate" new projects.

The developer also has secured control of an additional 22 properties, via right-of-first-refusal agreements, if current ownership decides to sell.
...
Monty Summers, who manages multiple entities that sold properties to SomeraRoad, said he will continue to operate the range of entertainment attractions and events he has overseen for years through a 15-year area cooperation agreement with the developer.

"I wouldn't have sold any of my properties to them if I couldn't continue the haunted houses, continue the festivals, continue things like Boulevardia," he said. "There's all kinds of unique businesses (in the West Bottoms). I want to keep them, (SomeraRoad has) said they want to keep them, and if we work together ... we should be able to pull it off and make the neatest area in Kansas City. That's what I'm here for."
...
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity ... 2022-06-03
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Re: West Bottoms Redevelopment

Post by trexel94 »

Initial renderings of Somera Road's West Bottoms redevelopment

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