KCRag Forum

Came across pictures of this cool building in Amsterdam, where they rebuilt a shop with part brick and part glass block.

















It got me thinking about the west bottoms, and how, up until the 80s(?) North 12th Street along the viaduct had a dramatic and complete wall of 19th century warehouse buildings, several of which were destroyed in fires. These facades could be reconstructed in theory, but historic reconstructions are typically reserved for buildings of national significance, and even then are rare because the materials and building techniques used need to be as close to the original structure's as possible.

But what if they were replicated with a design similar to the Amsterdam building? That way, since the buildings aren't pretending to be historic, they could get away with being modern construction, while still replicating the rhythm of the original facades.

Obviously, this wouldn't be cheap to do, but considering the money going into West Bottoms Flats I don't think it's too crazy to expect something ambitious for the area around the 12th St viaduct, arguably the most iconic area of the West Bottoms.

1900


1951


Today

I love that facade. It's a neat concept.

That is so cool! I wonder what the insulating properties of those glass brick are.

Got to walk through West Bottoms Flats again.















































































Old bottles and cans found around the project

Is the building with the bum roof part of the project?

It is not

Too bad as it is obviously at risk.

missingkc wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2019 6:42 pm Too bad as it is obviously at risk.

Hopefully it gets added to the project someday. It's one of the best buildings down there. Here's the front, for reference

Yes, handsome building. Hope it gets included and saved.

It's amazing how much better a building looks just by improving the windows.

Those facades clean up well.

The brickwork preservation on this project is absolutely phenomenal, getting rid of the grime and graffiti without completely removing the original painted signage must have been a challenge. I love the way they preserved so many of the interior historical elements while weaving in just the right amount of modern comforts.

These renovations really match the charm of what makes that area so special and hopefully lays a blueprint for the rest of the historic buildings in that area when and if they get restored as well. The west bottoms has such a historic feel to it, it's probably the only area in town that I'd rather see zero development if it meant that project would compromise the historical gritty stockyard feel of that area.

The buildings look great, especially when comparing them to the photos prior to construction starting. Still looks like there is some work to do, but these will be nice to see when complete.

Also, here is the website. Not sure if this has been shared before...

https://www.westbottomsflats.com

FangKC wrote: ↑Sun Nov 03, 2019 1:26 pm It's amazing how much better a building looks just by improving the windows.

Cleaning and/or repointing brick is also one of those "oh dang" things for me.

WyCo Considers $2M Share in West Bottoms Bridge Entertainment/Trail Project

It’s show me the money time for an ambitious proposal to convert the old Rock Island Railroad Bridge over the Kaw River into a West Bottoms recreation and entertainment destination.

Flying Truss LLC, the developer behind the concept, has reached a tentative agreement with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County for $2 million in funding toward what’s estimated to be the $3 million first phase of the project.
...
Should the $3 million come together, Zeller said work could begin by late next summer with an opening in spring 2021.
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The Flying Truss redevelopment plan calls for cantilevers to be built along the bridge to accommodate four restaurants and provide space for events. Restrooms are planned at the trailhead as well as parking on the east bank.

Zeller said Slaps BBQ and Papa Keno’s Pizzeria have signed letters of intent to be tenants on the bridge. He added the owner of the Hy-Vee Arena also is considering running a zipline from the top of the arena across the 700-foot bridge.
...

https://cityscenekc.com/west-bottoms-br ... t-project/

I don’t see how this will garner enough traffic to succeed. The area is too disconnected and too low density to get any sort of walk in traffic. Maybe something like this could work at the Berkeley Riverfront but I have strong doubts about here.

I don’t see how this will garner enough traffic to succeed. The area is too disconnected and too low density to get any sort of walk in traffic. Maybe something like this could work at the Berkeley Riverfront but I have strong doubts about here.

Need to open a trail along the levee connecting the Town of Kansas Bridge/Berkley Park to the West Bottoms/Rock Island Bridge. Connect the Rock Island Bridge to a larger recreational network,fragments of which exist in the area.

normalthings wrote: ↑Fri Dec 13, 2019 1:44 am I don’t see how this will garner enough traffic to succeed. The area is too disconnected and too low density to get any sort of walk in traffic. Maybe something like this could work at the Berkeley Riverfront but I have strong doubts about here.

My thoughts exactly. This is a really bizarre location that is destined to fail unless this quickly happens:

Need to open a trail along the levee connecting the Town of Kansas Bridge/Berkley Park to the West Bottoms/Rock Island Bridge. Connect the Rock Island Bridge to a larger recreational network,fragments of which exist in the area.

KC has come a long way in many areas, but the city is still REALLY far behind on this type of thing (urban recreation). So at the very least, this might get the ball rolling on some river levee trails etc.