KCRag Forum

My point here is to suggest that, *in this specific site and context*, if the architect and developer applied a few basic principles of good urban design the site could potentially become a viable public place that both increases property values and helps connect and support the (existing retail and commercial establishments) along SW Blvd. I said commercial, not retail: this could be anything (restaurant, office, retail (which agreed, v likely wouldn't work here)); and it could be designed in a way that is flexible and allows for its uses to change over time (like how buildings used to be designed).

Designing for an active use on the ground floor facing north, combine it with a small plaza or park space that connects with SW Blvd (which is what, ~50' away?), make some sidewalk improvements, and it's a small gesture towards inducing demand for people to start walking, enjoying themselves, and spending money, along SW Blvd. Ultimately, that's the vision of the GDAP: a walkable downtown.

I know that in reality the City doesn't actually implement its Area plans, and people here will drive somewhere two blocks away, instead of walking (which is fairly understandable, because the city is designed to be driven through). If downtown is to eventually be dense and walkable, though, it will have to be redesigned again: but this time, designed at the scale of humans, not cars.

I understand your point Worm Copy, but this is an odd development site. I'm actually surprised it's getting developed at all right now, and especially with apartments. It sits between two viaducts that have car traffic, and noise from the freeway and trains.

I figured it would have been among the last sites developed downtown, and that it would have been an office building, or parking garage for some adjacent project.

My point being that there are so many more attractive sites in which to build residential downtown. The fact that it's getting developed at all at this point befuddles me.

Looks like the billboard is staying, equally baffling

FangKC wrote:I understand your point Worm Copy, but this is an odd development site. I'm actually surprised it's getting developed at all right now, and especially with apartments. It sits between two viaducts that have car traffic, and noise from the freeway and trains.

I figured it would have been among the last sites developed downtown, and that it would have been an office building, or parking garage for some adjacent project.

My point being that there are so many more attractive sites in which to build residential downtown. The fact that it's getting developed at all at this point befuddles me.

It really is befuddling, I agree; Crossroads / Downtown is awash with better sites sitting vacant / as surface parking. I live adjacent to I-35 about a block north of this site and the noise is really oppressive sometimes...

It's not befuddling when you start looking at land ownership downtown and all the pieces that have to come together

This parcel was easy to buy/get a development agreement with the owner, be by someone that can get the financing for the land and project, has the right zoning and access (this one has billboard issues that limit the size and one is coming down to make it even happen), the lot size lets them do something that fits their experience, they can get financing, etc, etc, etc. That's why it's up next, because that all came together.

There's better looking sites, they just don't have everything lined up.

flyingember wrote:It's not befuddling when you start looking at land ownership downtown and all the pieces that have to come together

This parcel was easy to buy/get a development agreement with the owner, be by someone that can get the financing for the land and project, has the right zoning and access (this one has billboard issues that limit the size and one is coming down to make it even happen), the lot size lets them do something that fits their experience, they can get financing, etc, etc, etc. That's why it's up next, because that all came together.

There's better looking sites, they just don't have everything lined up.

We were referring to the characteristics of this particular site, not the development process generally.

Midtownkid wrote:Looks like the billboard is staying, equally baffling

Visual easements, and so on

The latest City Plan Commission with Staff Reports document available at the KCMO Data site has much more detailed plans for this site. I don't have the time to extract all of the information from this PDF but here is the link: City Plan Commission with Staff Reports. This file is 170+ MB, so it takes forever to download. Start on page 213 for this development. There are some new elevations and drawings not seen before here.

KCDowntown

Downtown Development Map

KCDowntown wrote:This file is 170+ MB, so it takes forever to download.

You must not have Google Fiber

Green light-
construction to begin in January

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... ments.html

Don't think I had seen this new rendering. Also, there is a story about Cityscape in KCBJ...but, not a subscriber.
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/p ... ntial.html

Crossroads West was hard to get done says developer.

Thomas said lenders and equity investors have been more reluctant to support development on the Crossroads West site, which he has called “the hardest site I’ve ever worked on in 25 years.”

http://tinyurl.com/mv3uybk

It's very easy to find a harder site than a suburban greenfield.

one of the buildings is coming down (the roof had collapsed), but i guess that's the bank's move... owners apparently haven't closed on the property yet.

The building at 601 w 23rd had a pre-demo inspection come through KIVA on Dec-30. Hopefully this project is getting closer to starting?

There's been some demo already and there is a huge mound of dirt under the Penn Valley/Broadway viaduct - presumably from this project.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2 ... -Apartment

Also in urban Kansas City, Mo., Cityscape is beginning construction on a 221-unit Crossroads Westside community at the junction of the landmark Crossroads Arts District and the historic Westside neighborhood of downtown.

.

pash wrote:Also mentioned in passing:

Cityscape ... has additional sites under contract in the Kansas City, Mo. market.

Found a new rendering of this development on the Helix website. The design isn't anything groundbreaking, but they are tucking a huge amount of space in a pretty hard to develop area. I'm excited to see the influx of people to the neighborhood.