West Bottoms Redevelopment

[aknowledgeableperson]

Don't think so. May go back to Wheeler. Believe it was him who thought of a aerial tram between dt and Kemper.

[KC-wildcat]

I like the fact that the City is overtly recognizing the value of WB in terms of Downtown growth/development. By investing in the study, I think City Hall has shown that it won't ignore the WB. I don't think it's a message that City Hall is prioritizing WB. I think most would agree that we shouldn't divert city resources to WB when those same resources could be spread across undeveloped portions of XRoads, RMarket.

Ignoring the WB is a recipe for disaster, however. We've seen the negative effects that ignorance and carelesness have had on the development of the CBD. Large swaths of beautiful buildings along Grand, Main and the north side of the CBD have been replaced by parking lots. Why??? because we didn't invest in careful, insightful planning and redevelopment strategies.

Let's not make the same mistake with WB. preserve what's still there. be prudent and careful about future redevelopment. I think City Hall has done the smart thing.

[pash]

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[zlohban]

Had the best hamburger (ever?) at the Royal Bistro Cafe across from the Stockyard Building. It was perfection, juicy, hot, salty with good flavor served on a thin english muffin. This is my third visit each trying something different. So far everything has been above my expectations including the service.

[FangKC]

I think the soccer fields could be a good idea.

I agree that landscaping could improve the aesthetic of the area. Simply placing some street trees along some streets would improve things.

I've tried to think of ideas to fill some of the old warehouses, and one of them was to create sort of a design center with decorators, specialty furniture outlet, antique merchants, woodworkers, furniture rehabbers, cabinet makers, metal-workers, upholsterers, custom draperies and curtains, flooring center, a bath and fixture outlet, specialty tile, architectural salvage, and vintage bathtub re-enameling.

[IraGlacialis]

The Star’s editorial | Igniting a brighter future for the West Bottoms

Here’s one unusual idea: Install a temporary tower and let people ride a zip line from downtown Kansas City down into the heart of the West Bottoms. Sounds pretty exciting, actually.

No, no it doesn't.

What actually sounds appealing is reinstalling the traditional cable cars that go from the top of the hill to WB. Maybe have a line that goes along 12th St.

[chingon]

there's potential for a bistate redevelopment project in the West Bottoms that doesn't really exist elsewhere.

Stadia.

[KCMax]

Collison: Don’t shift redevelopment focus to the West Bottoms

The West Bottoms is an important part of the city’s fabric, no question. But right now its redevelopment should not be a priority for the city....

But the time for major public investments may be up to a decade away or more. Too much work is left redeveloping downtown for the city to shift any significant resources to the West Bottoms. The top priority should be providing excellent fire protection for its historic brick warehouses to ensure they’ll remain intact for future redevelopment.

Leave the West Bottoms alone to the quiet, organic redevelopment already occurring for now.

[FangKC]

I think the City needs to concentrate on other areas first, and let the West Bottoms change on its' own. The cheap rents in those old warehouses will probably solve the problem.

Fire protection is certainly an issue. Several old buildings have been lost to fire. The loss of the Loose-Wiles Biscuit building being among the most tragic historically-speaking.

I imagine a lot of those old buildings have really antiquated electrical systems, and the larger ones would probably benefit from some retrofitting with water sprinklers.

[WinchesterMysteryHouse]

Again, I don't understand the need to have sparse development sprinkled throughout downtown, which then undermines the critical mass needed to create a city.
Let the demand create the supply. Population here is about 100K short of needing multiple sections of downtown re-done. Especially from the topdown. Especially clueless is the suggestion that the WB needs more public art, when its an artwork in itself. The vinyl signage everywhere now detracts from its grandeur, enough

[kboish]

I agree. Focus and reinforce areas of the city already invested in. The only thing the city should be doing is removing any potential barriers to "organic" growth. rezoning or whatever may be needed...

[WinchesterMysteryHouse]

N'ah, fuck a big bunch of re-zoning and taxation there, that's anti-organic growth, prices out fringe ideas.

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[Stockton]

I think the most simple and straightforward answer to the original question and title of this thread is: lack of demand. I mean, there hasn't even been enough demand to fully build out or occupy the polished and manufactured Power and Light District or to fully yuppify/polish existing relatively successful urban districts (RM, Crossroads, Westport area). Short of a major influx of people in the way Denver received Californians, I don't see much happening - at any rate of speed anyway. Like others have said, the West Bottoms is pretty far down on the list, particularly with what's on our plate not "there" yet.

[loftguy]

I think the most simple and straightforward answer to the original question and title of this thread is: lack of demand. I mean, there hasn't even been enough demand to fully build out or occupy the polished and manufactured Power and Light District or to fully yuppify/polish existing relatively successful urban districts (RM, Crossroads, Westport area). Short of a major influx of people in the way Denver received Californians, I don't see much happening - at any rate of speed anyway. Like others have said, the West Bottoms is pretty far down on the list, particularly with what's on our plate not "there" yet.

I disagree, Stockton. We have a chicken and egg situation. The "lack of demand", is actually a result of a lack of density. We don't have enough residents to support fully finishing out (storefronts, parking lot infill, etc..).

We need many more thousands of people who reside downtown, and I and many others believe the demand exists for that housing, if we can just find out how to get it built, with what is nearly non-existant lending for construction.

[kcjak]

I think the most simple and straightforward answer to the original question and title of this thread is: lack of demand. I mean, there hasn't even been enough demand to fully build out or occupy the polished and manufactured Power and Light District or to fully yuppify/polish existing relatively successful urban districts (RM, Crossroads, Westport area). Short of a major influx of people in the way Denver received Californians, I don't see much happening - at any rate of speed anyway. Like others have said, the West Bottoms is pretty far down on the list, particularly with what's on our plate not "there" yet.

I see your point, but I also disagree. My understanding is that renovating many of the larger, multi-story buildings is cost-prohibitive due to rewiring, removal of asbestos and lead-based paint, making the buildings ADA compliant, rezoned, etc. On top of that maybe what's lacking is someone to spearhead the drive for redevelopment.

Banks may be unwilling to lend for condo conversions, but is financing available to do something like 909 Walnut where units are initially rentals and then move to condos down the road? I think places like the lofts in the Crossroads would've filled up well before the Crossroads revitalization took place - no one had the vision or financing to do anything about it.

[Midtownkid]

I think people would be more willing to live places like the Crossroads and inside the Loop before the WB. Property owners in the Crossroads needs to pool together to build garages, replacing their required surface parking. Then, that land would be available for new development. It seems like there is lots of develop-ready land in the Xraods...but really most of it is 'needed' for parking. ugg, so frustrating.

[loftguy]

I think the most simple and straightforward answer to the original question and title of this thread is: lack of demand. I mean, there hasn't even been enough demand to fully build out or occupy the polished and manufactured Power and Light District or to fully yuppify/polish existing relatively successful urban districts (RM, Crossroads, Westport area). Short of a major influx of people in the way Denver received Californians, I don't see much happening - at any rate of speed anyway. Like others have said, the West Bottoms is pretty far down on the list, particularly with what's on our plate not "there" yet.

I see your point, but I also disagree. My understanding is that renovating many of the larger, multi-story buildings is cost-prohibitive due to rewiring, removal of asbestos and lead-based paint, making the buildings ADA compliant, rezoned, etc. On top of that maybe what's lacking is someone to spearhead the drive for redevelopment.

Banks may be unwilling to lend for condo conversions, but is financing available to do something like 909 Walnut where units are initially rentals and then move to condos down the road? I think places like the lofts in the Crossroads would've filled up well before the Crossroads revitalization took place - no one had the vision or financing to do anything about it.

Redevelopment of historic buildings is expensive, but typically it is relatively comparable to new construction costs, and the end product is typically more attactive, and the result more "green".

Financing for all types of construction is prohibitive. There is no lending currently for apartment development, in anything that approaches lending practices from the past thirty years. Translation: If you want to build apartments, you need half of the cost of construction in hand, as the lenders are only going to provide a loan of 50% on the project.

Kcjak, I don't understand your last comment about the Crossroads.

[kcjak]

I'm having trouble getting my thoughts out today, but I feel like a lot of development opportunities are missed due to lack of vision (Crossroads a decade ago) moreso than a lack of demand (West Bottoms). If a building like the Stuart Hall building had been developed for residential back in the early 1990s I think there would've been a market it. If Quality Hill and the Garment District were successful in attracting residential, why wasn't the Crossroads developed sooner?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I don't see the WB not being developed because of a lack of demand (or financing) but rather a complete and total lack of options. I think if one of the larger buildings were redeveloped there would be no problem filing it with tenants. Just my two cents.