Discuss items in the urban core outside of Downtown as described above. Everything in the core including the east side (18th & Vine area), Northeast, Plaza, Westport, Brookside, Valentine, Waldo, 39th street, & the entire midtown area.
WoodDraw wrote: ↑Wed May 04, 2022 2:15 pm
The plaza owners should be forced to spend a week in a proper Italian or Spanish plaza.
The solution is so obvious. Just pedestrianize it and have parking around the edges. Upzone everything as it comes up for development.
They already have the infrastructure because of the plaza art fair. Just set that shit up in what are now way too massive streets and surround them with tables. Have live music. Let stores set up kiosks to sell coffee or sports stuff.
Yeah have been pushing this for years, good to see some momentum building for right-sizing the Plaza... viewtopic.php?p=565582
And just to take the plaza up one more level. That would be a good spot to have a tram line go right through it from say the Mission transit center right trough the plaza along a pedestrian only right of way to connect up with the Main Street transit center. Just like you see in so many European cities as well.
WoodDraw wrote: ↑Wed May 04, 2022 2:15 pm
The plaza owners should be forced to spend a week in a proper Italian or Spanish plaza.
The solution is so obvious. Just pedestrianize it and have parking around the edges. Upzone everything as it comes up for development.
They already have the infrastructure because of the plaza art fair. Just set that shit up in what are now way too massive streets and surround them with tables. Have live music. Let stores set up kiosks to sell coffee or sports stuff.
Yep. The place is literally perfect for it.
They could embrace doing more events then too. If you’re from kc, what are the events you think of the plaza for?
I would say thanksgiving, art fair, Easter, fountain day/Mother’s Day spring time.
There’s no reason they can’t expand this. There’s a lot of people that want to be outside in an urban area but don’t want to go to power and light or Westport. Not everything has to be an alcoholic orgy - dressed up kids taking pictures with the Easter bunny works too!
It would be pretty simple to close off Nichols Road, 48th, Pennsylvania, Central and Wyandotte and make them pedestrian only with a couple of exceptions. The exceptions being allowing cars access to the parking garage behind Classic Cup via Central (from 47th), allowing access to the former Halls building parking via Wyandotte (from Ward Parkway) and allowing access as far as the parking lot behind Kona Grill via Pennsylvannia from Ward Parkway. I believe the remainder of the parking lots could all be reached via open streets. That's a lot of room for pedestrian to roam without the interference of cars. Also convert the surface lot behind Starbucks/classic cup to a true plaza with a major fountain (allowing a single point for entrance/exit from the parking garage below as near to the Central Street as possible. Only a minor amount of surface parking would be impacted. All garages would still be accessible.
Highlander wrote: ↑Mon May 09, 2022 7:36 pm
It would be pretty simple to close off Nichols Road, 48th, Pennsylvania, Central and Wyandotte and make them pedestrian only with a couple of exceptions. The exceptions being allowing cars access to the parking garage behind Classic Cup via Central (from 47th), allowing access to the former Halls building parking via Wyandotte (from Ward Parkway) and allowing access as far as the parking lot behind Kona Grill via Pennsylvannia from Ward Parkway. I believe the remainder of the parking lots could all be reached via open streets. That's a lot of room for pedestrian to roam without the interference of cars. Also convert the surface lot behind Starbucks/classic cup to a true plaza with a major fountain (allowing a single point for entrance/exit from the parking garage below as near to the Central Street as possible. Only a minor amount of surface parking would be impacted. All garages would still be accessible.
It would be fantastic to re-build some whole blocks of Plaza shopping and garages with mid-rise residential and updated hidden parking garages with limited routes in and out but residential facing pedestrian only plaza. Making the plaza an actual plaza for once.
Plaza retailers are already more challenged during cold and inclement weather; closing off streets like Nichols would be a deal breaker for a lot of people who want to park or get dropped off near a particular store. I’m in favor of widening sidewalks in some way though — Nichols in particular.
msmith011 wrote: ↑Tue May 10, 2022 11:40 pm
Plaza retailers are already more challenged during cold and inclement weather; closing off streets like Nichols would be a deal breaker for a lot of people who want to park or get dropped off near a particular store. I’m in favor of widening sidewalks in some way though — Nichols in particular.
Or just do it. You can find little reasons to not do anything...this will *help* the retailers.
1. Those same retailers would prob get a sizeable increase in sales for the other 10 months of the year
2. Even during Nov-Dec. people are always gonna be going to the Plaza no matter what for the lights, black Friday, Christmas shopping, etc.
3. We should stop worrying about retail there in general and worry more about neighborhood amenities anyway
For pedestrian street, Nichols Rd is truly doable as the logistics are already figured out and has been in practice for decades with the Plaza Art Fair. The rest of the roads can't be blocked for the most part w/out blocking the garages.
Nichols Rd should be turned into a true full time real Euro style "plaza". At least one block, the rest can be seasonal or for events. And The Plaza should offer more outdoor events year round, like once a month.
earthling wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 10:03 am
For pedestrian street, Nichols Rd is truly doable as the logistics are already figured out and has been in practice for decades with the Plaza Art Fair. The rest of the roads can't be blocked for the most part w/out blocking the garages.
Nichols Rd should be turned into a true full time real Euro style "plaza". At least one block, the rest can be seasonal or for events. And The Plaza should offer more outdoor events year round, like once a month.
I agree. 47th might be higher impact if it was pedestrianized, but Nichols could be done very quickly. The logistics of doing it would be easy and would probably invite a hell of a lot less backlash.
Exactly. Just get Nichols shut down, add more residential amenities and you’re there. Idk why anyone would be against this. This might actually save retail on the Plaza too.
earthling wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 10:03 am
For pedestrian street, Nichols Rd is truly doable as the logistics are already figured out and has been in practice for decades with the Plaza Art Fair. The rest of the roads can't be blocked for the most part w/out blocking the garages.
Nichols Rd should be turned into a true full time real Euro style "plaza". At least one block, the rest can be seasonal or for events. And The Plaza should offer more outdoor events year round, like once a month.
Check out google maps. As you probably know, the entrances to the garages on Central, Wyandotte and Pennsylvania are generally only a quarter of a block or so off of Ward Parkway or 47th so about 80% of these streets could be turned over to pedestrians only. These streets do not carry that much traffic and are not that critical beyond access to garages. Wornall/Broadway, Jefferson and Baltimore could remain as through going streets. As for deliveries, where needed, they can use the pedestrianized streets as access. Delivery trucks use pedestrian streets in Europe for access on a regular basis.
earthling wrote: ↑Wed May 11, 2022 10:03 am
For pedestrian street, Nichols Rd is truly doable as the logistics are already figured out and has been in practice for decades with the Plaza Art Fair. The rest of the roads can't be blocked for the most part w/out blocking the garages.
Nichols Rd should be turned into a true full time real Euro style "plaza". At least one block, the rest can be seasonal or for events. And The Plaza should offer more outdoor events year round, like once a month.
Check out google maps. As you probably know, the entrances to the garages on Central, Wyandotte and Pennsylvania are generally only a quarter of a block or so off of Ward Parkway or 47th so about 80% of these streets could be turned over to pedestrians only. These streets do not carry that much traffic and are not that critical beyond access to garages. Wornall/Broadway, Jefferson and Baltimore could remain as through going streets. As for deliveries, where needed, they can use the pedestrianized streets as access. Delivery trucks use pedestrian streets in Europe for access on a regular basis.
Yeah this is easily the right move. Question is how do we ever get this to happen.
