Brookfield Building?

[scooterj]

Anyone know what's up with the street level retail spaces in the Brookfield Building (11th & Baltimore)?  A couple of them were destroyed by a fire that started in Kaya Japanese restaurant back on February 7, and since then, absolutely nothing noticable has been done to clean them up.  Out of 5  active street level retail spaces in that building, only the optometrist office has remained open since the fire.

[KCDowntown]

Someone broke the optometrist's glass recently.  Right now, the left half of the space is covered with plywood.


Also regarding this building, I saw a sign on the front door of this place calling it the Gotham Arts Building.  Something about the whole building being turned into a place for artists.  That was way back during the summer though and I haven't heard anything since.

KCDowntown

[lock+load]

Is the barber shop closed?

[KCPowercat]

barber shop is still open.

[Tosspot]

this building would seem to be vacated daily by mid-afternoon. my dad drives by with the #51 bus and was pondering it as I joyrode around with him last night. somethin' ain't right.

last year for awhile i worked across the street in the City Center Square building, and a few times sampled that little Mexican restaurant on the north side of the brookfield building. then one week, they were just gone. and the signage still remains. fishy.

[bellastagiona]

i know the optometrist (dr. i. d. fudemberg), and found out that apparently the basement of the building flooded back in january(ish) and totalled every ground-floor space.  he's relocating to another building downtown (can't remember which just now) and will reopen on april 1.  good guy to go to -- he's been in the business since our parents were all in short pants/skirts, he's honest, reliable, and inexpensive. 

[kcdcchef]

i know the optometrist (dr. i. d. fudemberg), and found out that apparently the basement of the building flooded back in january(ish) and totalled every ground-floor space.  he's relocating to another building downtown (can't remember which just now) and will reopen on april 1.  good guy to go to -- he's been in the business since our parents were all in short pants/skirts, he's honest, reliable, and inexpensive. 

i concur, i bought my glasses from fudemberg years back, honest man.

star ran a piece on him, about this, a month or 2 ago, saying he has stayed downtown for 40 years, and this may be his death knell, because, they will offer him space in a redone downtown, for 2 times the price, and he is pissed off about that. i do not blame him.

[Tosspot]

see, it's stuff like this that lends credence to the theory that half baked urban renewal schemes never ended.

old buildings that command less rent money are vital to a thriving urban neighborhood. and we're succeeding in pushing out the honest mainstay businesses so we can have our instant urbanity in a can that is the power and light district. same urban renewal mentality, different decade.

except for that justrite rubber stamp guy, I'm glad they kicked his ass to the curb.

[lock+load]

This building has become quite an eyesore at street level.  Are the upper floors occupied at all?

[schugg]

This building has become quite an eyesore at street level.  Are the upper floors occupied at all?

anyone have a pic?

[lock+load]

Story this week in the Pitch about the Brookfield building.  It is owned by the same person(s) developing the View, and is completely empty.

[scooterj]

Today there are workers on ropes washing the windows of the Brookfield Building.  This isn't something one would normally have done to an abandoned building unless something was about to start happening in it.  Has anyone heard anything?

[voltopt]

http://kivaweb.kcmo.org/kivanet/2/land/ ... pin=122545

i'm not sure if this is the same building, but it looks like there are permits filed in april and may for 101 w 11th street.

they seem to be tenant finish/remodel permits, and they seem to be for office use.
(also for backflow preventer and fire suppression system)

http://kivaweb.kcmo.org/kivanet/2/permi ... id=1191500