Hyatt Hotel Proposed Near Plaza

[Brodees]

$80 million, 12-story development proposed for land now occupied by Victory Court Apartments. "Pay-as-you-go TIF with no city backing." Seems like KC development is really starting to pick up steam again.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/07/10/36 ... oject.html

[zlohban]

Another Plaza fight?

[KC-wildcat]

Oh boy! Fire up the bat signal. Time to save the Plaza... Again. G damn developers fn with our bowl.

[pash]

.

[kboish]

But that is a historic random apartment building off the plaza i had never heard of until today! Save it. progress be damned.

[earthling]

I've been in these apts. They are post war barracks with paper thin walls. I think they were built with intent to be temporary housing - or at least they should have been. There will be no fight for this site. And <40 units on a large site. There's a better use for this spot.

I'd rather see Hyatt shoot for middle of downtown but 2 hotel announcements for the Plaza in one week is impressive.

[Midtownkid]

Apts would be no loss.

Traffic??

Go for it I guess...

[kcjak]

One of the articles I read about the Sorella hotel said that the developers had a lot of proposals submitted from quality hoteliers. I took that as a standard response, but makes you wonder if Four Seasons and other high end chains are still looking seriously at the metro and would jump if the right development came along.

[kboish]

btw. i was just joking about saving them.

The Plaza's urbanity seems to really be spreading north and south into the surrounding neighborhoods in a very good way. Apartments and mixed use to the south. more apartments, hotel, office, retail to the north. Its great IMO.

[earthling]

S side has good 'neighborhood' retail... wish the N side could do something, maybe in the empty lot behind Commerce Bank off Wornall. Is pretty clear that Highwoods has no interest in providing neighborhood retail (market, drugstore).

BTW, $80M for 12 stories sure seems high. The 24 story downtown P&L residential is expected to cost $70M, with cost to add a kitchen in every unit.

[kcjak]

BTW, $80M for 12 stories sure seems high. The 24 story downtown P&L residential is expected to cost $70M, with cost to add a kitchen in every unit.

Includes the 2-3 story garage (which can be pretty expensive) and also demo and site prep, maybe?

[earthling]

Good point, the P&L building already has the site preppred and garage. Still, $80M seems high for this project.

[mean]

TIF? Really? On the plaza? Sigh.

[AJoD]

TIF? Really? On the plaza? Sigh.

An urban redevelopment area! Thank goodness.

[mean]

Yes, certainly better that than a greenfield, but it's still a pretty sad day when you're using incentives like that in your premier urban neighborhood.

[taxi]

Victory Court is now Defeat Court.

[KCMax]

Hyatt hotel project near Plaza draws early criticism

Scott Jacoby, a TIF commissioner representing Jackson County, voted no, and Debbie Siragusa, who represents the Kansas City Public Library, abstained on what usually is considered a routine request for the development to support a blight study and financial analysis for the endeavor.

Jacoby protested that the proposed funding agreement was submitted late to the TIF Commission. Siragusa said the library would be critical of any new TIF plan proposed for the Plaza area...

In addition to demolishing the 1950s apartment complex and building a garage that would include two underground levels, Stone said the project will require design features to connect it with the Plaza.

[chaglang]

Hyatt hotel project near Plaza draws early criticism

“We’ll need assistance to create the type of building that the neighborhood will be proud of,” [Doug] Stone [an attorney at Polsinelli Shughart] said.

Translation: "Dear Plaza, this development you didn't ask for will cost us more to build because of your excessively high standards. We have met the blight, and it is you."

[GRID]

Add up these tiffed hotels on the plaza and the one going up in Briarcliff and you could have a 1000 room hotel downtown where it's actually needed and incentives are warranted.

[MidtownCat]

Add up these tiffed hotels on the plaza and the one going up in Briarcliff and you could have a 1000 room hotel downtown where it's actually needed and incentives are warranted.

Yep. I really don't get it.