Valentine shops on Southwest Trafficway

[dangerboy]

Management just changed from Patterson to Abnos, which is a 180 degree change in quality.  So much for hoping the recent renovation would attract some quality tenants.

[PumpkinStalker]

I noticed that.  If they can bitch up an old builidng with ridiculous sheet metal and plexiglass materials, by God they will.  Is he some kind of Sheik?  Where they hell does he get his money to own half of Kansas City?  His ugly modifications are all over the place.

[LenexatoKCMO]

I noticed that.  If they can bitch up an old builidng with ridiculous sheet metal and plexiglass materials, by God they will.  Is he some kind of Sheik?  Where they hell does he get his money to own half of Kansas City?  His ugly modifications are all over the place.

Pretty sure there was no architect involved - must have got the tacky metal pieces in some bulk going-out-of-business sale since identical crap went up on the tudor strip on Main.  Nothing says old world tudor like a bunch of faux-industrial metal panals. 

[FangKC]

This is not good.  Abnos has to be among the top five worst developers/property owners in Kansas City. The fact that he's never been able to redevelop the old Firestone Building at 20th and Grand is proof of that.  That's a great old building, and it should have been converted into lofts years ago.

Then there is the old building at 10th and Oak. 

[PumpkinStalker]

Agreed, his shit stinks up Waldo, and we have that monster shell of the old Brandsmart building that he goes and tools around once a year at.  Someone needs to investigate him and find some dirt for lack of permits for his building ornamentation or something.

[FangKC]

One good thing though. If the old Firestone Building is ever renovated using historic tax credits, the old Firestone sign has to go back on top of the building. Abnos has it in storage.

[dangerboy]

I noticed that.  If they can bitch up an old builidng with ridiculous sheet metal and plexiglass materials, by God they will.

He's not the owner, just the leasing agent.  And the new exterior treatments were made before Abnos got the listing, when it was still listed with Greg Patterson.  But now that Abnos is involved, I fear a payday loan store can't be far behind.

[LenexatoKCMO]

One good thing though. If the old Firestone Building is ever renovated using historic tax credits, the old Firestone sign has to go back on top of the building. Abnos has it in storage.

I don't think its in storage - he had it broken up and different letters are used as interior decorating elements on each floor. 

[FangKC]

Well, since the building is mostly empty. I would say those signs are in storage.

[Thaine]

He does like his corrugated metal, though he did a pretty good job on the Romanelli shops.  He ostensibly made his money dba Abdianna Futons.

[slimwhitman]

He does like his corrugated metal, though he did a pretty good job on the Romanelli shops.

Every time I drive by those Romanelli Shops I throw up a little.  That is some of the worst ticky-tacky nonsense I have ever seen (added to otherwise attractive buildings).  Good money thrown at tasteless lipstick.  At least it looks like someone is trying and cares, but whomever came up with those updates along the street has no design background.  Even the plantings along the Wornall sidewalk show no design skills or plant knowledge.

[WSPanic]

His cosmetic updates to the shops on 37th/Trafficway (also leased by Greg Patterson) weren't bad.

But, it's been empty (or near empty) for 2+ years. Does he get some sort of huge tax break on the losses for unoccupied buildings? He doesn't seem in a hurry to fill any of those spaces.

[jillr]

Pumpkin, I'm with you.  His shit does stink up Waldo.  At first I thought his taste questionable.  No there is no question.  Have you seen the batman-camera-angle-doors tacked to the East side of the Brandsmart building?

As far as Romanelli, he effed that up too.  If you look closely at the tile, you'll see it's installed poorly.  And there are slivers of tile running between the full size terra cotta tiles.  Poorly chosen, poorly installed.

I've long thought we should have some way of not allowing him anymore property.  I'm with you on calling for an investigation.

While I'm on a tear, I call for a moritorium on used car lots on Wornall too.

[Midtownkid]

Yeah, I saw what he did to the shops along the trafficway.  That looks so bad, amateur, and tacky.  

I actually ran into Abnos, not realizing it was him at first.  I was walking to the Nelson from my parent's house.  I walked past the strip to take pictures of it.  He was there in the median, also taking pictures.  As i was taking them, he started asking me about the buildings.  I told him the renovation was awful and it totally ruined the building.  He told me he was the owner, but that he was glad to hear feed back.  He seemed pretty clueless about design...he said he has hired an architect here in KC and just let him run with it.  

He asked what I would do to make it better after I told him I was working toward becoming an architect.  I told him it should be restored, painted differently, all the metal and glass shit taken off.  Maybe some awnings?  more like a 1920s look.  He gave me his business card, but I told him I lived in DC.  He said he lived in LA. ??
I should forward him some of these comments about his designs...but I won't!!

The new look reminds me of a really cheap SoCal-modern renovation.  At least no irreversible damage was done.

[Midtownkid]

The shops before renovation, around 2008:





Today:



Basically the goal of this design must have been to cover up everything pretty about the building with cheap materials!



That thing on the chimney is ridiculous!

[grovester]

that's ridiculous!

[FangKC]

I didn't see anything wrong with the buildings in the before pictures.

[mean]

Wow. I can't imagine who'd have thought that was a good idea.

[KCMax]

Wow. WTF.

[PumpkinStalker]

Told you so.  It's all shit.  I need to get a picture of his unfinished monstrosity on Gregory in Waldo.  It's gawdawful.