Caliente!

[paisstat]

I have been watching the progress on this building at 19th and Baltimore and have made reference to it on several occasions.  While there has been a sign on the north facade for a while, I only noticed one on the south side today and it reads 'Kansas City Caliente Cuban Cuisine'.  Additionally, I found this link which is informative.  Seems the parking question is coming into play here as with many projects.  How can we expect density with zoning laws that achieve exactly the opposite?  I say lets get some parking garages, hidden inside new wrap-around buildings of course going up quickly and create as much angled parking as possible.  At the same time, it is due time that surface lots be zoned out of existence and outdated zoning laws that require an x amount of parking spaces for new buildings, businesses, etc should be changed.  That said, looks like the owner of Caliente has worked something out because rehab is coming along nicely now.  Welcome to the neighborhood Caliente.

[ComandanteCero]

do you still have the link?

[paisstat]

I thought I added it, sorry here it is.  http://www.kchispanicnews.com/htdocs/pa ... s_01a.html

[staubio]

Maybe he should install a bike rack.

Man, these parking fiascos drive me insane.

[tat2kc]

Good lord people, let the place open.  First Fridays brings way more cars down, and no one is bitching about lack of parking then.  This place does not need to have 110 parking spaces set aside. Let em park on the street and walk a block or so. It would be great to see people walking a couple blocks, dressed up, to head to a nice Cuban restaurant.  Maybe they'd walk by some of those businesses that are opposing this and even make a purchase!

[scooterj]

The Star talks about the parking issue today...

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 135763.htm (second story, below the Hooters debacle)

That is just stupid.    On First Friday several THOUSAND people pour into the area yet I am always able to drive right in and park.    There is absolutely no need to be forcing parking requirements on any business in that area!

[shinatoo]

I'm sure the other businesses are raising a fuss. The thinking being that if Calientie doesn't provide parking for there clients then it takes away parking for other businesses and those that can't park don't stay. The Calientie group should have done there due diligence. I don't see what right they have to be crying now.

But hell, get them a temporary variance so they can at least get the thing open so I can go eat there.

[Big Red Storm]

Does this prove that we live in a screwed up society or what?  No wonder businesses don't want to move to the core, the city makes it a royal pain in the ass just to start.  This shouldn't even be an issue.  It is truly time to change some of these parking requirements.

[ComandanteCero]

i have a question.  Is it a question of the city simply not allowing this business to open because they don't meet the parking requirements?  Or is it the restaurant trying to assure lenders/financial backers that the numbers are going to work?  My understanding is that many times, the big issue isn't pleasing the city, it's pleasing banks and lenders that there is the industry standard amount of parking in the venture they will be investing in (it makes the investment more financially "secure").

[tat2kc]

Looks like the only way they'll get the spaces they need is to tear down an adjacent building and create a surface lot.  If all the buildings in the crossroads begin to fill, and have these parking restrictions, then you'd better begin to enjoy those nice parking lots!  /

[ignatius]

With such requirements, there would be 2-3 surface lots for every restaurant downtown.

[Big Red Storm]

Looks like the only way they'll get the spaces they need is to tear down an adjacent building and create a surface lot.

I sure hope you're joking, otherwise  .

Is anyone actually working on these parking requirements.  There's no way we can keep these if we want a truly vibrant city.  I sure hope people with power are realizing this.

[Tosspot]

i have a question.  Is it a question of the city simply not allowing this business to open because they don't meet the parking requirements?  Or is it the restaurant trying to assure lenders/financial backers that the numbers are going to work?  My understanding is that many times, the big issue isn't pleasing the city, it's pleasing banks and lenders that there is the industry standard amount of parking in the venture they will be investing in (it makes the investment more financially "secure").

The lending industry typically does not understand anything except suburban sprawl.

As for the parking issue; I would really like to hear an update on that zoning law overhaul City Hall is partaking in with some Chicago consultants; the arcane parking codes are hopefully up for reconsideration with this move. It's an embarrassment to the city that this fiasco has endured this long.

[cdschofield]

Since the nature of the Crossroads boom has been largely grassroots it has caught the city flat footed. Up until recently most of the new businesses in the area have been able to lease a few parking spots from existing lots nearby but now it's getting tight. Since most of the developments in the Crossroads are pretty small projects building a parking garage for each one is overkill. There is a lot of talk and some bickering about parking in the Crossroads community but the problem so far is that there is no consensus. This is the time for the city to step in and help build a few stategically placed public parking garages in the Crossroads.

IMHO there is way too much energy going into the 22nd/23rd Street Replacement and Crosstown Circle Project study and hardly any discussion of a comprehensive parking plan. Quite honestly I think the only reason the 22nd/23rd Street Replacement and Crosstown Circle Project report will not be DOA is the parking aspect of the study, I really don't think there is much support for the streescaping, green spaces or traffic circles called for in the study. In other words, don't gentrify the area just solve the parking problem.

How ironic that a great deal of effort is going into improving the traffic flow into and around the Crossroads when a business in the Crossroads can't even open because there is no parking available.

[WoodDraw]

Is anyone actually working on these parking requirements.  There's no way we can keep these if we want a truly vibrant city.  I sure hope people with power are realizing this.

Yeah, what is the hold up on getting these requirements changed?  This seems completely illogical and counterproductive.

[tat2kc]

I wonder though, how willing some of the property owners would be to leasing parking space to a potential competitor.  Thats what drove Time Equities to end up building a garage on Italian Gardens space. 

Big Red, I was kind of joking, but its actually fairly serious. If a space like Caliente is having difficulty aquiring space for their businesss, what does that say about the other spaces that are currenty vacant and awaiting redevelopment?  If Caliente can't get the spaces they need, how can another business open if there are similar parking requirements? 

[LenexatoKCMO]

Good to hear the owner is still plugging away.  The word around the neighborhood was that it was sunk. 

[scooterj]

Here's the original thread, with the info about the parking debacle.

[Prudhomme]

Hearing is today including Nicholson's challenge. 

10. Case No. 13354-A-4 - 103 West 19th Street - Appeal to the Director of the City Development Department's decision to issue a parking credit of 27 off-street parking spaces to maintain the retail use of the building following enactment of the off-street parking requirements in 1951 and the decision to require only 50 off-street parking spaces for the proposed bar and restaurant (Caliente).

11. Case No. 13354-A-2 - 103 West 19th Street - Request for approval of an auxiliary parking lot and lease agreement at 111 Southwest Boulevard to serve a proposed bar and restaurant (Caliente Restaurant). (Automatically continued from 09-27-05 due to lack of a quorum) - (No Testimony Given)

12. Case No. 13354-A-3 - 103 West 19th Street - Request for approval of an auxiliary parking lot and lease agreement at 1800 Main Street to serve a proposed bar and restaurant (Caliente Restaurant). (Automatically continued from 09-27-05 due to lack of a quorum) - (No Testimony Given)

13. Case No. 13354-A-1 - 103 West 19th Street - Request for a variance to the minimum required number of off-street parking spaces to allow for a bar and restaurant (Caliente Restaurant) within the existing building, plus any other necessary variances. (Automatically continued from 09-27-05 due to lack of a quorum) - (No Testimony Given)



Good article on the previous hearings here:  http://www.kchispanicnews.com/htdocs/pa ... es01b.html

[schugg]

my gosh,  i just want to eat there.  and shake my ass!! /