Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

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FangKC
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by FangKC »

The City should move slowly before demolishing this building. They have a history of being too quick to judge these things (think Cosby Hotel). This is not a downtown building with sidewalks that people walk under. It's an isolated building that could be protected by fences until a expert judgement is made by engineers who know whether it can be stabilized until restoration.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by flyingember »

FangKC wrote:
The City should move slowly before demolishing this building. They have a history of being too quick to judge these things (think Cosby Hotel). This is not a downtown building with sidewalks that people walk under. It's an isolated building that could be protected by fences until a expert judgement is made by engineers who know whether it can be stabilized until restoration.
if it falls down it likely blocks a major freight line. it's so major the railroads put in a train bridge complex just to the north of it

I wouldn't call that something a fence can isolate.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

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Very unlikely. The building used to be a brewery which held a lot of heavy equipment inside. It's likely built with very heavy support structure in its' frame. It's possible the interior frame of the building is reinforced concrete, since even buildings of this vintage used it--especially in the application of buildings that held heavy equipment. It was completed in 1902, so reinforced concrete was being used in heavy manufacturing structures by that time.

The only thing likely to collapse would be outside brick facade that might be compromised by mortar breakdown from the fire. However, buildings of this vintage were built with very thick walls--three or four bricks deep. Should the facade collapse, it would likely just fall directly down to the ground. Preventive measures could be taken to stop bricks from falling on the tracks. Putting up a wood barrier several feet high would accomplish this.

Even the heat from the fire might not have compromised the brick. Keep in mind that fireplaces and chimneys are built with brick and mortar, and can tolerate heat for years.

It will also depend on what part of the building was most damaged by the fire. The western portion could be heavily damaged, and the eastern portion nearest the tracks might be fine.

The real villian would be water damage if the roof was completely burned off the structure. Even without a roof, building walls can stand for many years exposed to the elements.

The guy from Dean Realty seems to indicate that they are going to check the structural integrity of the building before making a judgement. The real concern is the City, which sometimes acts too quickly on the advice of their inspectors to demolish.

If the City can be held off long enough to do a structural survey, it will all depend on whether Dean Realty will want to invest anymore money in stabilizing and protecting the building from further damage until a redevelopment can be done.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

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LenexatoKCMO wrote:
dangerboy wrote: I would guess it will need some kind of specialty use like office or light manufacturing.  The access will be really challenging for housing or retail.
Yeah I would think housing would be challenged by the proximity to the interstate - no matter how thick the windows, there is going to be some significant road noise around the clock in the units that are spitting distance from the traffic lanes. 
Why would this be a problem? Corporate Woods and Children's Mercy Hospital South sit right up against I-435, as well as many apartment complexes near interstates.

A developer could add additional office space in a new structure on the west side of the old brewery building and connect it. The old brewery building itself has very thick brick walls, which would provide noise insulation itself. Much better than glass walled buildings that front the interstates all over the Metro.

The Imperial Brewery site:

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.076426,- ... eg=90&z=19

Other examples of office buildings sitting next to interstate highways.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.933661,- ... 5&t=h&z=18

https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.93384,-9 ... 5&t=h&z=18

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.096579,- ... 5&t=h&z=18

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.105862,- ... g=180&z=19

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.106172,- ... g=180&z=19

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.100835,- ... g=180&z=19

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.097965,- ... 3&t=h&z=18

In New York City:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=New+York ... 48,,0,-9.2

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=New+York ... ,,0,-12.42
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by KCMax »

Burned brewery can be redeveloped
A historic Midtown brewery damaged by a fire last month is structurally sound and can be redeveloped, its owners said Tuesday.

The Imperial Brewery, 2825 Southwest Blvd., has national historic designation and is one of only two pre-prohibition brew houses left in the city.

“We believe it is salvageable,” said John Kornhaus, a vice president with Dean Realty.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by FangKC »

Yay!
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by FangKC »

Dean Realty has a website for the former Imperial Brewery redevelopment. It has lots of photos of the interior. Seems they have replaced the roof.

http://www.imperialbrewery.com/

http://www.imperialbrewery.com/progress_photos/
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

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Ah, Seaboard owned it. That explains a lot.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by rxlexi »

Wow, amazing that this structure is now on the National Register, and has an interested party pushing for redevelopment.

I always assumed it would just slowly, sadly rot until the inevitable demo.

Feel good story of the day, thanks kcrag!
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by mean »

Can't say I'm super stoked about the conceptual site plans, but I guess potential tenants will have to park somewhere.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by flyingember »

I don't care about the parking, I like how it adds a connection from Cambridge Circle with SW Blvd.
it's of course partially in KS but as a business park being downtown adjacent it's a good one to support with improved access
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

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There is parking in their redevelopment plan. Most of it is under the interstate bridge.

http://www.imperialbrewery.com/redevelo ... an_-_B.jpg
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by FangKC »

There is a new article on redevelopment of the Imperial Brewery building. I'm not a subscriber. Could someone post any new details from the article?

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/n ... ility.html
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

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I must get a free article so I pulled out some choice bits.
Interstate 35, which today separates Downtown Business Park and Cambridge Business Park, didn't exist. But Lester Sr. had a vision for that, too.

"So he hired a lobbying firm and sent them back and forth to the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., over a span of 11 years," Lester Jr. said. "And it's fairly well known that he was a causal effect in having I-35 run in between his two ridges, his two major real estate holdings.

"In return (for that I-35 routing), Dad gave them part of the land for I-35. But he did have one very important caveat: that he have a full diamond interchange built to access Cambridge (Business Park)."

And the elder Dean got one other concession: "We get to control that land under I-35 forever," his son said.

That's one of the reasons Dean Realty decided to acquire the adjacent brewery buildings in 2007, got them placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 and started the renovation and salvage efforts that were slowed by a 2012 fire but now have the brewery building "broom clean," Dean said.

...

Dean Realty's current estimate for completing renovation of the Imperial brewery building is $10 million to $15 million, Dean said, and he won't be ready to take that on until a tenant or tenants commit to occupancy.

...


"It could be lofts. It could be office. It could be manufacturing," Dean said. "But right now we've got a brewery looking at it. And we've got a hotel looking at it. In some form or fashion, we're going to get it redeveloped. We don't know how yet. But we've taken good steps to get it cleaned up and safe and largely secured."

During a 13-month salvage operation, Dean said, "we removed almost 1 million pounds of steel" from the brewery building.
Last edited by flyingember on Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by missingkc »

I think there's probably a good bit of hot air in that story about the 35 alignment. Lbooks like a pretty logical way to get out of downtown.

Dean also proudly told the story of how his Father bought every one of 350 houses in a neighborhood that stood where Cambridge is and tore them all down. We know what happens to house values by the time one out of four or five are boarded up and neglected or razed leaving weed filled lots. I'm sure he got the last 50 percent or so very cheaply.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by FangKC »

It would be great if they could get another brewery in that complex.
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by brewcrew1000 »

I'm not sure this is the exact location but it looks a Carvana is going in on 29th street and 35
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by KCPowercat »

It's across 35
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Re: Imperial Brewery (across from Margaritas)

Post by kcjak »

An article in the Biz Journal (which I can't view) mentions the Imperial Brewery as part of a new development proposal from Copaken Brooks and Dean Realty. Can anyone provide more details?

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... s_headline

I'd love to see something like what San Antonio has done with The Pearl, but am guessing it will just be a business park. At this point, anything to get the building renovated would be welcomed.
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