Sad...

[Midtownkid]

There is plenty of space available on the arterials where there is already historic mid rises to be lots more mid rise to re-densify the area.

Yes!

[KC_Ari]

From reading these comments it appears most are not aware of what is happening in the "near" east side, that is between Troost and 71 . Younger would be homeowners(white, black and anything else) priced out of other parts of the city are moving in. Some into flips, some by sweat equity. More and more new infill is happening even by normally suburban builders at prices that are too high for most first time homeowners. I do not think the SFH inner blocks need to be rezoned. There is plenty of space available on the arterials where there is already historic mid rises to be lots more mid rise to re-densify the area.

The divide that historic redlining policy created is slowly shifting east from Troost to 71. Because that is what highways do, they create and exacerbate divisions.

I don't see mid rises happening in middle of neighborhoods if you rezone or dezone, and why does it matter if they do? It just simplifies the process of building small scale developments. I personally think it would be awesome to be able to develop a set of townhomes myself; One for me to live in and the rest to sell, but that would not be easy or simple with current hosing regulations. (Not to even touch on the finance aspects.)

[langosta]

From reading these comments it appears most are not aware of what is happening in the "near" east side, that is between Troost and 71 . Younger would be homeowners(white, black and anything else) priced out of other parts of the city are moving in. Some into flips, some by sweat equity. More and more new infill is happening even by normally suburban builders at prices that are too high for most first time homeowners. I do not think the SFH inner blocks need to be rezoned. There is plenty of space available on the arterials where there is already historic mid rises to be lots more mid rise to re-densify the area.

The divide that historic redlining policy created is slowly shifting east from Troost to 71. Because that is what highways do, they create and exacerbate divisions.

I don't see mid rises happening in middle of neighborhoods if you rezone or dezone, and why does it matter if they do? It just simplifies the process of building small scale developments. I personally think it would be awesome to be able to develop a set of townhomes myself; One for me to live in and the rest to sell, but that would not be easy or simple with current hosing regulations. (Not to even touch on the finance aspects.)

A simple 4 floor Midrise would fit into your picture easily no?

[KC_Ari]

From reading these comments it appears most are not aware of what is happening in the "near" east side, that is between Troost and 71 . Younger would be homeowners(white, black and anything else) priced out of other parts of the city are moving in. Some into flips, some by sweat equity. More and more new infill is happening even by normally suburban builders at prices that are too high for most first time homeowners. I do not think the SFH inner blocks need to be rezoned. There is plenty of space available on the arterials where there is already historic mid rises to be lots more mid rise to re-densify the area.

The divide that historic redlining policy created is slowly shifting east from Troost to 71. Because that is what highways do, they create and exacerbate divisions.

I don't see mid rises happening in middle of neighborhoods if you rezone or dezone, and why does it matter if they do? It just simplifies the process of building small scale developments. I personally think it would be awesome to be able to develop a set of townhomes myself; One for me to live in and the rest to sell, but that would not be easy or simple with current hosing regulations. (Not to even touch on the finance aspects.)

A simple 4 floor Midrise would fit into your picture easily no?

Maybe I'm thinking of a different definition for midrise. Anything over five when code starts mandating elevators is what I think of.

[moderne]

The renewal shifting east is not because of the highway, other than a lot of people like the freeway access that the nicer areas to the west do not have. The highway was built 30 years ago. Troost has been the division since WWII, and it is not a freeway. It is an organic thing caused because of location, availability, price. The renewal is not causing division. There is still plenty of substandard housing mixed in with renewal. Some of the renewal is even cheap affordable housing that was previously crappy housing or boarded up buildings. Even fire damaged homes have been rebuilt.

[beautyfromashes]

The renewal shifting east is not because of the highway, other than a lot of people like the freeway access that the nicer areas to the west do not have. The highway was built 30 years ago. Troost has been the division since WWII, and it is not a freeway. It is an organic thing caused because of location, availability, price. The renewal is not causing division. There is still plenty of substandard housing mixed in with renewal. Some of the renewal is even cheap affordable housing that was previously crappy housing or boarded up buildings. Even fire damaged homes have been rebuilt.

We've seen rapid increase in house pricing west of Troost for the last 10 years but I think you're starting to reach prices that can only increase with wage increase across the metro. I think that will slow price growth. However, to the east of Troost there are still houses that are affordable with an average income. Those will continue to increase rapidly until getting closer to the west prices. The massive amount of empty lots is the real question for me. Will you see developers start consolidating lots and starting new builds of entire streets/neighborhoods? Doesn't seem to be happening yet beyond Beacon Hill.

[KC_Ari]

The renewal shifting east is not because of the highway, other than a lot of people like the freeway access that the nicer areas to the west do not have. The highway was built 30 years ago. Troost has been the division since WWII, and it is not a freeway. It is an organic thing caused because of location, availability, price. The renewal is not causing division. There is still plenty of substandard housing mixed in with renewal. Some of the renewal is even cheap affordable housing that was previously crappy housing or boarded up buildings. Even fire damaged homes have been rebuilt.

I never said it caused it, Just that it seems to be this new cliff where new investment hasn't seemed to cross it. That could very much just be my perception. Plenty of the area west of the freeway still visibly shows years of disrepair and neglect that will likely still take decades to recover from.

[moderne]

Maybe having 71 as a demarcation is a positive thing for the neighborhoods between it and Troost. It does not seem as overwhelming a goal to renew this area as when it is perceived as contiguous with the rest of the huge expanse of east side disinvestment.

[herrfrank]

The renewal shifting east is not because of the highway, other than a lot of people like the freeway access that the nicer areas to the west do not have. The highway was built 30 years ago. Troost has been the division since WWII, and it is not a freeway. It is an organic thing caused because of location, availability, price. The renewal is not causing division. There is still plenty of substandard housing mixed in with renewal. Some of the renewal is even cheap affordable housing that was previously crappy housing or boarded up buildings. Even fire damaged homes have been rebuilt.

Slight nitpick -- Troost was a major arterial with dense retail and multifamily housing well into the 1960s. It looked like Westport does now. Around 1965 was when it became more of a division/ barrier, and of course something like half of the buildings on Troost burned to the ground or were "cleared for slum renewal" from 1968-1988.

As recently as 1979, I remember mostly dense buildings along Troost from Brush Creek to 31st -- many were abandoned -- but the density was more or less intact. An enormous number of buildings and density was removed in Kansas City in the 1980s and 1990s. We went from looking like Chicago to Omaha, essentially.

71 Highway which runs just east of Prospect for much of its alignment, was cleared for ROW in the 1970s. It was not built until the 1990s.

[moderne]

Troost became the barrier much earlier than 1965, although Troost retained a lot of vitality up until 1965. Troost became the barrier, at least north of Brush Creek after WWII when the first black family moved south of the 27th st black/white divide and promptly got burnt out. The lot just south of 27th on Paseo is still a vacant lot today. In the early sixties the intersection of 31st still had the Isis cinema, Jones Store, JC Penney, Bakers Shoes, etc. A lot was torn down in the eighties including one of the most spectacular Deco terra cotta facades in KC. 3027 Troost was covered in pastel colored floral motif

[Highlander]

The renewal shifting east is not because of the highway, other than a lot of people like the freeway access that the nicer areas to the west do not have. The highway was built 30 years ago. Troost has been the division since WWII, and it is not a freeway. It is an organic thing caused because of location, availability, price. The renewal is not causing division. There is still plenty of substandard housing mixed in with renewal. Some of the renewal is even cheap affordable housing that was previously crappy housing or boarded up buildings. Even fire damaged homes have been rebuilt.

Slight nitpick -- Troost was a major arterial with dense retail and multifamily housing well into the 1960s. It looked like Westport does now. Around 1965 was when it became more of a division/ barrier, and of course something like half of the buildings on Troost burned to the ground or were "cleared for slum renewal" from 1968-1988.

As recently as 1979, I remember mostly dense buildings along Troost from Brush Creek to 31st -- many were abandoned -- but the density was more or less intact. An enormous number of buildings and density was removed in Kansas City in the 1980s and 1990s. We went from looking like Chicago to Omaha, essentially.

71 Highway which runs just east of Prospect for much of its alignment, was cleared for ROW in the 1970s. It was not built until the 1990s.

My parents moved under threat of eminent domain from the 71 highway ROW (from around 52cd street) in about 1964 or so. They were certainly already securing the land for the highway before 1970. I remember Prospect being a pretty viable street at that time and it was until the 70's, especially further south near Research Medical.

In the 60's and 70's Troost started becoming a place to go for a Used Car. I notice a couple of used car lots are still around today.

I suspect there will be creeping gentrification from Troost eastward to US 71 starting in the north where it already has began and slowly creeping southward to Brush creek (with Paseo being the eastward boundary in the south). Notice the small node of gentrification with homes going in a couple of blocks east of Troost and just north of 45th.

[KC_Ari]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/e9Ch8AVmsPK3vJxu9

The corner of 39th and Woodland is at the edge of this area and it has some really good looking buildings, if they could just be restored.

[moderne]

That was at one time a nice little street car node. There is some new housing being planned a block or 2 south of there.