Price Mgmt Project at 31st and Main

[FangKC]

I'm starting a new thread on this future project since it appears it will need its' own at some point.

Historic preservation group opposes plan to demolish buildings at 31st and Main in KC

A permit to begin demolishing a block of buildings at 31st and Main streets was filed Thursday, raising concerns about efforts to preserve buildings with historic significance in Kansas City.
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The application lists seven properties on the northeast corner of 31st and Main, which is along the route for the expansion of the KC Streetcar.
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The Historic Kansas City Foundation opposes the demolition.
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The organization would like to see the property developers meet with the Union Hill Neighborhood Association to get input from residents and has called for the city to enact a more thorough demolition review process.
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https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/a ... rylink=cpy

[FangKC]

Doug Price of PriceMgmtCo said he intends to raze the properties, including the 134 year-old Jeserich Building at 3041-45 Main within 30 days and ultimately plans to redevelop the site with a “dense” project.

...

“I have no intention of working with the corner building,” he said.

Price added he was working with Mayor Quinton Lucas to come up with a redevelopment plan.

“The city wants density and I’m going to deliver,” he said.

https://cityscenekc.com/historic-jeseri ... n-for-now/

Welp

[FangKC]

Council places hold on demolition.

https://www.facebook.com/HistoricKC/

[FangKC]

Council places hold on demolition.

https://www.facebook.com/HistoricKC/

Bunch and Shields on Thursday applied to nominate four structures northeast of 31st and Main streets to the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, as the 31st & Main Historic District.

The overlay would encompass the historic Ward and Jeserich buildings, built in 1888 and 1905, respectively, at 3035-37 and 3041-45 Main. Also included are two connector buildings — the Union Hill Commons atrium at 3039 Main and a commercial stretch at 6-10 E. 31st St.

The nomination by Bunch and Shields inhibits the issuance of any permits — including for demolition — for six months or until a decision from the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

A historic designation in spite of PriceMgmtCo.'s demolition plan would represent an exceedingly rare local step. Kansas City only ever issued such a designation against a property owner's wishes for Union Station, and similar past efforts have dissipated elsewhere, such as for the Seventh Church of Christ, Scientist, in the Country Club Plaza.

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... ce=twitter

[FangKC]

Kansas City Council members take ‘extraordinary measure’ to save historic Midtown buildings

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It took swift action from 4th District Council members Eric Bunch and Katheryn Shields, whose district includes midtown, to halt the proposed demolition. Last week, the two applied to put the buildings on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, creating six months of breathing room during which nothing can be done to the structures. If the buildings secure historic landmark status, they become eligible for historic tax credits.

Normally, such requests for historic designation are filed by the building owners. Bunch said the last time a similar action was taken was when officials acted to preserve Union Station around three decades ago.

“I realize that it's a fairly extraordinary measure in order to save this building,” Bunch said. “But we felt that this was important enough, historic enough, to move forward with a way to save it.”

The historic landmark application will be reviewed by the Kansas City Historic Preservation Commission and requires City Council approval.
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Because they are some of the oldest structures still standing on Main Street, it’s all the more important to preserve them, Bunch said.

“This would've been a huge loss. We already have a lot of missing teeth on Main Street, and this would've been just another awful pockmark,” Bunch said.

He noted the city has already lost much of its historic building stock.
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https://www.kcur.org/housing-developmen ... -buildings

[Hammersmith]

Does anyone know the short version of what all this means? If they designate these buildings as historic landmark structures, does that not mean that Price can just say, "Okay, they are historic landmarks. Unfortunately, they are too blighted to be saved because we are idiots who are bad, and we will demolish them anyway. We do not care about or want the historic tax credits."

Is that correct, or do I have it wrong? As I understand it, in this country a property owner could demolish the statue of liberty if he owned it, there is no way for government to permanently protect any building. Is that true?

[TheLastGentleman]

Does anyone know the short version of what all this means? If they designate these buildings as historic landmark structures, does that not mean that Price can just say, "Okay, they are historic landmarks. Unfortunately, they are too blighted to be saved because we are idiots who are bad, and we will demolish them anyway. We do not care about or want the historic tax credits."

Is that correct, or do I have it wrong? As I understand it, in this country a property owner could demolish the statue of liberty if he owned it, there is no way for government to permanently protect any building. Is that true?

There are designations which protect buildings from demolition. I believe National Historic Landmarks and definitely National Monuments are protected. Also cities can have local protective designations. For instance Grand Central Terminal in NYC was saved from demolition by being designated a New York Landmark or something along those lines

[taxi]

I don't know the details and am too lazy to look it up, but I believe Toronto has restrictions on demo and developing historic properties and one requirement is that the new structure retain the historic facade. That would seem a reasonable solution for this situation. It takes extra effort but appears to keep most preservationists and developers happy.

[daGOAT]

Toronto has historic preservation down pact

[watcher64110]

RE: TORONTO. Turn on Street view for Queen Street: MILES of storefronts, this is what a streetcar friendly area should be like:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Queen ... 79.4180164

[Hammersmith]

Fencing has gone up around all of the buildings, as of this week.

[AlkaliAxel]

Price Management "project" at 31st and Main

[FangKC]

Act by Thursday, June 22nd to support the historic designation of the buildings at 31st and Main.

https://www.historickansascity.org/hist ... in-street/

[Chris Stritzel]

In today's Business Journal talking about the historic commission's recommendation that the current buildings be listed on the historic registry; these images were included in the article. They show a very conceptual massing and site plan for a 12-story development. The concept includes attainable housing and a two- to three-story base designed to mimic the existing architecture.

Despite what Price Management said, Doug Price said he's look at being creative with the current buildings, but it'll be hard to do according to him. I'd be happy if they were able to 12-stories here. The only major issue with that is the Main Street Overlay District (which myself and an architect I'm talking to have to abide by elsewhere on the route). Height is limited here to 5-stories due to it falling under the "Neighborhood Main Street" category. A variance could probably be had, but still.
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... gmtco.html

[AlkaliAxel]

Whatever it takes

[normalthings]

In today's Business Journal talking about the historic commission's recommendation that the current buildings be listed on the historic registry; these images were included in the article. They show a very conceptual massing and site plan for a 12-story development. The concept includes attainable housing and a two- to three-story base designed to mimic the existing architecture.

Despite what Price Management said, Doug Price said he's look at being creative with the current buildings, but it'll be hard to do according to him. I'd be happy if they were able to 12-stories here. The only major issue with that is the Main Street Overlay District (which myself and an architect I'm talking to have to abide by elsewhere on the route). Height is limited here to 5-stories due to it falling under the "Neighborhood Main Street" category. A variance could probably be had, but still.
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... gmtco.html

At that point, just bulldoze them.

[TheLastGentleman]

No way in hell they’d actually have the care to do a facadectomy. Also no way in hell they’d have the care to build even 1 story of structure, let alone 12 stories.

If these things get demoed, we’ll be riding our hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars streetcar past a vacant lot for generations

[FangKC]

I expect this block is doomed as well -- at some point.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.053883, ... a=!3m1!1e3

[AlkaliAxel]

How can Price just expect everyone to be okay tearing down the building when they've got literally no plan, not even any renderings.

Like if you want to get the property torn down, atleast be smart enough to put out some renderings of the new plan first. So dumb!

[normalthings]

I expect this block is doomed as well -- at some point.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.053883, ... a=!3m1!1e3

That should absolutely get redeveloped at some point