urbanSTL

^You sure they scaled it down? The floors don't look at all out of proportion to the buildings on either side of it in the rendering, though there is considerable variation in floor height from building to building. (Or even occasionally from floor to floor.) From the rendering above the building appears to be just north of 80% of the height of KCP&L, which should make it very close to 400'. Which sounds about perfect for a modern 38 story building. Anyway, either way, I love it.

^Don't take the rendering too seriously, it was likely just a pasted eye candy rendering.  Note that it's on top of a surface lot image.  No effort put into this appropriate for the site, probably just a quick and dirty rendering pasted on top of surface lot image.

It's a cool looking building, but horribly inefficient floor plates. Like Hobo says, it was probably never meant to be a serious design. 

Okay okay. I just like it visually. It's good eye candy.

Photos from @KCLIGHTRAIL. Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza demolition. Americo and Burns & Mac redevelopment projects rumored to include a 30 floor tower.

KC again in top 20 for commercial/multi-family building construction starts for 2020 full year, 2nd in Midwest.  Is actually up 20% for 2020 where US avg is down 20%.  

https://rebusinessonline.com/u-s-commer ... odge-data/

hobo digitale wrote: ↑

Jan 26, 2021

KC again in top 20 for commercial/multi-family building construction starts for 2020 full year, 2nd in Midwest.  Is actually up 20% for 2020 where US avg is down 20%.  

https://rebusinessonline.com/u-s-commer ... odge-data/

I read that KC metro house sales volume was up 6% last year while supply was down 50%.

^Would expect a big jump in single family home permits for 2021 as the demand is far higher than supply in KC.  The demand is significant in/near city, not exurbs so hopefully developers pursue more infill and not more sprawl.

BNSF will add a third mainline track from Kansas City across Kansas on their transcon route. Increased intermodal traffic was noted as a cause for this capacity expansion. BNSF is a partner on the 17 million SQFT KC Logistics Park project.

Speaking of logistics, KC has about 12 million sqft under construction with millions more planned.

https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/bn ... 130a0bfcf5

A new Greater Downtown KC report released, with project lists...
https://www.downtownkc.org/wp-content/u ... t-2021.pdf

Population just over 31K, expected to hit over 38K by 2025 if momentum keeps up and planned projects happen.

hobo digitale wrote: ↑

Feb 02, 2021

A new Greater Downtown KC report released, with project lists...
https://www.downtownkc.org/wp-content/u ... t-2021.pdf

Population just over 31K, expected to hit over 38K by 2025 if momentum keeps up and planned projects happen.

We will see if they get there. The efforts by the Mayor and City Council to require 10% of apartment units to be set aside as "affordable" and 10% of units to be set aside as "extremely affordable" in order to get incentives. It's puzzling to me. So either developers are going to crank up the apartment rent or they're just not going to build at all.

I think Nashville requires that for incentives as well, not sure of percentages.  Downtown KC might have enough momentum now that it may not matter.  Or it might.  The developers with current proposals in works will complain and may cancel but other cities don't seem to have issues attracting developers w/out incentives.  KC's not quite an 'It' city though.  We'll see.

I think it's fine to give it a shot.  Many projects have occurred with no incentives so time to stop them for pure market rate units.  But it's important City adjusts if development proposals slow down too much, and need to reduce parking requirements.  Midtown will likely pickup momentum with streetcar extension now a sure thing, which could slow downtown momentum some anyway.

Arnold Development is pursuing the renovation of the old Hardest Federal Complex into a working-class, mixed-use development. US Gov. is actively remediating other parts of the complex. Phase 1 is the renovation of a 12-floor building into 353 apartments. 60% affordable and 40% market rate with a groundfloor food hall. Berkshire Hathway often works with this developer so I wouldn't be surprised if they are providing equity here.

http://northeastnews.net/pages/new-plans-developing-at-hardesty-independence-ave/

Two projects in North Kansas City. As ldai_phs mentioned, NKC is looking at having a streetcar expansion come to their town in the future. These two projects sit close to the previously planned alignment (along Burlington/MO-9. These two projects are also in the periphery of "Downtown NKC".

23rd and Swift (presently vacant parcel)...
Star Development Corporation is planning a 294 unit apartment project on nearly 6 acres of land at 23rd and Swift. The block is bounded by 23rd, Swift, 25th, and Buchanan. Liberty-based J. Price Architecture is the architect on the project. The estimated cost of the project is $59 Million.

The project comes as a result of an RFP for the site. According to the BizJournal...

On Jan. 14, North Kansas City sold the 5.98-acre tract to Star Development, its pick from 10 prospective site developers that responded to an August 2019 request for proposals, according to Clay County property records.

The parties agreed to a $3 million purchase price in a development agreement approved in August 2020.

The 294 apartments will range in size and consist of...
- 204 one-bedroom units with an average size of 712 square feet.
- 81 two-bedroom units averaging 939 square feet.
- 9 two-bedroom units with dens, around 1,280 square feet.

419 parking spaces are included in the plan with 352 of them being in a three-story garage and the remaining 67 being surface.

NKC recommended approval for the project. The development agreement calls for substantial completion in 2023.
BizJournal: https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... t-rfp.html
TIF Commission Agenda (February 18th): http://www.nkc.org/common/pages/Display ... d=17422396

Renderings and Site Plan...









18th and Swift (presently a parking lot)...
Note that the drawings are from February 2020, so things may have changed.

8-story, 191-unit apartment building with 242 parking spaces planned on the parking lot at 18th and Swift. Rosemann and Associates is the architect on this. Sunflower Development is the developer. Curran Park Lofts is the working name.

It was mentioned more recently that the building is 9-stories with 208 apartments and 3500sf of retail space.

The market-rate apartments include 35 studios, and 139 one- and 34 two-bedrooms, ranging from $950 to $1,750 a month. Among these are penthouse units on the building's ninth floor. The community's amenity space includes a rooftop pool delivering views of the Kansas City skyline and Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport.

Estimated cost is $49 Million.
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... s-rfp.html
http://www.nkc.org/common/pages/Display ... d=16386280

Elevation Renderings and Site Plan...

meh
I know its my opinion it looks like an office/medical office park with balconies

At least no surface lots but yeah, not worth posting mid-tier projects here there don't stand out.

sc4mayor wrote: ↑

Feb 19, 2021

Yep...the same ugly stick frame crap you see popping up in every city.  Also, 419 parking spaces for 294 apartments and then 242 spaces for 191 units?  That's awful...especially on a potential streetcar alignment.

Well, North KC's slogan is "Virtually Urban. Supremely Suburban".

I Had no idea downtown KC was held hostage by highways and that it was basically just sea of parking....this is sad

I did some research on KC projects, and had some help of KCRag users, to figure out how many apartments are planned and underway in their City Limits (since I did it here in St. Louis and wanted to compare). The number is 9,511 in 63 projects (actual number varies because some projects are undefined). 

Mapping these out in the original city limits of KC (which Google said is about 61 square miles, to compare to the City of St. Louis's 63 square miles more fairly), there are at least 8,391 apartments planned or underway in the original city limits with an undefined amount planned as a result of 6 projects (60 total projects in original city limits).

To say it again, the City of St. Louis has 7,075 apartments planned or underway in the city limits in 59 different projects.

So in a way, we're both doing equally well all things considered. This isn't meant to be a post about who's doing better, just a comparison. One thing I noticed here is that all their residential development is focused in their own version of the Central Corridor (Riverfront to the Plaza). As soon as things get to Troost (like Delmar), it abruptly stops with the exception of a few projects. South of the Plaza, there are practically no new residential projects going on.

East of Troost is mostly SFH. A lot of new SFH over the past 5 years and some big infill projects are in the works. Projects as big as 100+ rooftops.