Development
Westside Townhome Proposal Rec Delayed by Plan Commission
By Kevin Collison A proposal to build nine townhomes on long-vacant property at 29th and Belleview was delayed Tuesday by the City Plan Commission over a procedural glitch and complaints by some neighbors about communication issues. Remez Partnership wants to build six, two-bedroom and three, three-bedroom townhomes on a half-acre lot in the Westside neighborhood…
Katz Redevelopment Plan Sparks Incentive Debate on Streetcar Route
By Kevin Collison An apartment plan that would save the landmark Katz Drugstore has become the opening salvo in a City Hall debate over how–or whether–tax incentives should be available to assist developments planned along the new streetcar extension down Main. Lux Living plans to seek a 25-year property tax abatement to help finance the…
Troost Apartment Plan Moving Forward After Incentive Approval
By Kevin Collison Work on twin apartment projects totaling 52 units at the southeast and southwest corners of 27th and Troost is expected to begin in late summer following approval of a tax incentive package Wednesday. The $8 million project is being developed by Exact Partners, the firm which redeveloped the nearby historic Wonder Bread…
Work May Begin Late Summer on $50M Westport High Apartment Project
By Kevin Collison The renovation of the historic Westport High School into a 138-unit apartment project could begin by late summer following approval of a sales tax incentive by a city development agency Thursday. The board of the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority unanimously approved a sales tax exemption on construction materials for the $50 million…
Renovated Lightwell Tower Brightens Downtown Office Market
By Kevin Collison The wall of live plants is flourishing, the tired 90s interior look gone, the contemporary art from the Haw Gallery is hung and the old pool table from the St. Louis Playboy club is racked and ready. lightwell, the $85 million overhaul of the former City Center Square office tower, is pitching…
Big Apartment Project Proposed for Volker Neighborhood by KU Med
By Kevin Collison Milhaus, one of the city’s most prolific apartment builders, is pursuing a 224-unit project in the Volker neighborhood on what’s now a parking lot across State Line Road from the KU Med campus. The proposed Jamestown Square development would be located on what’s now a large surface lot serving businesses along 39th…
Plans for Hotel, Mid-Rise Apartments, Move Forward on Riverfront
By Kevin Collison A Port KC committee recommended this week the agency sell two parcels along the downtown riverfront to developers pursuing two projects, a 120-room boutique hotel and a seven-story apartment plan. The developer of the five-story hotel, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been in negotiations with Port KC for almost two…
Plaza Jack Henry Redevelopment Plan Now Includes Endangered Church
By Kevin Collison A big Country Club Plaza redevelopment that will renovate much of the former Jack Henry building as a fitness club has expanded to include an endangered church next door prized by historic preservationists. Matt Pennington, president of Drake Development, recently announced a Chiefs Fit, a joint fitness venture between the Kansas City…
Downtown Apartment Plans Totaling $412M Filed Before New City Incentive Deadline
By Kevin Collison City Hall’s deadline before tighter tax incentive policies took effect prompted a final batch of applications for several downtown apartment proposals totaling 1,200 units, the largest a $254 million development at 15th and Main. The biggest proposal was submitted by an entity called Sky Real Estate LLC. It calls for a 506-unit…
Canadian Team’s ‘Complete Vision’ for East Village Wins Prestigious ULI Competition
By Kevin Collison The East Village would bloom as a new “intergenerational” downtown neighborhood with 1,500 apartments and a food-focused vibe in the winning proposal of this year’s ULI/Hines Student Urban Design Competition. The FUSION plan prepared by graduate students from three Canadian universities–Ryerson, York and the University of Toronto–was selected from four finalist concepts…