DowntownKC.net

I did a big update to the Power and Light district tenant list page, so be sure to check it out. Included is a very useful interactive map of the district that highlights who is open or coming soon, along with their location.

I’ve also begun creating individualized pages for each tenant which I hope will contain useful information. So far I’ve added pages for Vinino and Raglan Road. Let me know if there is additional info that you feel should be added to those pages.

I came across this map on kansascitylightrail.org of the possible light rail routes the city is currently debating. It’s hosted on Google maps, so yes, you can scroll around.

I’m not sure what the difference between the blue and yellow lines are. Hmm…

The optimal routes for the light rail to be successful in Kansas City are:

• Use the current MAX route as a guide. KC is lucky in that most everything worth going to is in a straight line; river market, downtown, crown center, westport, plaza, brookside, waldo.
• Given that the average cost / mile of light rail is about $60-$70 million, auxiliary lines need to be carefully thought out. Westport to the sports complex is a straight shot and makes a lot of sense. I don’t think a Waldo to the Zoo would be used enough to make it worth $250 million. Downtown to the Speedway would cost $1 bilion, which makes it way out of the realm of possibility.
• Stop by Zona Rosa on your way from downtown to the airport. No brainer

What route modifications would you like to see?

Wow, what a fun night!

Last night marked the opening for many of the core tenants in the Live! block in Kansas City’s Power & Light district, and here’s a great video that was originally posted in the previous post’s comments, but it absolutely deserves its own post.

Video includes:

• Angels’ Rock Bar
• Howl at the Moon
• Raglan Road Irish Pub
• Tengo sed Cantina
• The Living Room
• Fuego

Update: Here is the original blog post.

KC developer fined (KC Star)

A Kansas City developer will pay $200,000 in penalties and fines for removing asbestos illegally while rehabbing a tower of condominiums.

Matt Abbott, 34, pleaded guilty Monday to criminal charges in connection with the improper removal of asbestos from a building in Kansas City. Abbott is the owner of The Manhattan condominiums, also known as University Tower apartments.

Interestingly, in 2005, the developers for The View (which is next door to The Manhattan) were charged for improper asbestos removal.

The View will pay fine for asbestos removal

The DNR said it had received a complaint about renovations at the former Vista Del Rio building, at 600 Admiral Blvd., and sent an investigator to the site on Dec. 15, 17 and 19, 2003.

The department concluded that the company hadn’t notified the proper authorities about the asbestos-abatement project and that it had used untrained, uncertified workers who improperly removed materials that contained asbestos.

The workers were spraying the material with a high-powered pressure washer and improperly packaging and containing it for disposal, the DNR said.

The settlement alleges that the company violated the state’s Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants law and the Missouri Air Conservation law.

I gotta imagine if The View was only charged $20k, and Abbott was charged $100k as well as settling a civil suit for another $100k, that criminal charges, if not imminent, are seriously being considered.

Abbott told Judge Scott O. Wright that he was guilty of violating the Toxic Substances Control Act and that his corporation, Manhattan K.C. LLC, was guilty of violating the Clean Air Act. The charge against Abbott is a misdemeanor and carries a penalty of up to one year in jail. The charge against the corporation is a felony.

It will be interesting to see how this impacts the rest of the project. Last I heard, only a few units were left, and with this news, I must say they might be a hard sell at this point for any knowledgeable buyers. What really irritates me is when I was looking at buying at the Manhattan, I spoke with Matt about how the Asbestos removal process went, and he flat out lied to me and my family by saying it went fine. I also feel sorry for the prior residents, who were already poor, they then had to be subjected to improper asbestos removal while they resided on the floors below.

Looks like the proposed residential development project at 100 Wyandotte in the river market is finally underway

Downtown housing proposed with river view (Kansas City Star)

Biggest new residential project in downtown KC since ’80s is to be built on former rail yard in River Market.

A desolate corner of the River Market is slated to be transformed into a 326-unit, upscale apartment development beginning this fall, downtown’s biggest new residential project since Quality Hill.

The Morgan Group of Houston has completed planning for a market-rate apartment complex, tentatively called 100 Wyandotte, geared toward younger professionals.

The location is an empty 7.4-acre tract that was once a Kansas City Southern rail yard and the historical starting point of the railroad referred to as “milepost zero.” The site occupies the northwest edge of the River Market overlooking the Missouri River.

“It was a great piece of property and a rare opportunity to purchase a piece that large,” said Karen Covington, a spokeswoman for the Texas company. “We think it will be a great asset to the community.”

The new residential project, which is expected to be completed in mid-2009, comes at a time when the River Market area is enjoying a marked upsurge in investment. The old Cold Storage Building recently reopened as a 224-unit apartment building, HOK Sport occupied a new headquarters building last year, and new condominium projects have been built as well.

Click for more…

I’m absolutely thrilled at the idea of another upscale project being built next to the 1st & Main building along the river, especially one of this magnitude. With that opening in 2009, the 300+ unit Columbus Park project hopefully being near completion at that point, Bridgework Lofts phase II underway, the River Market, and downtown area in general, will become a very attractive place. If the River Market can keep up this momentum, it could become one of the most desirable places to live in the downtown area because of it’s urban neighborhood feel along with great views to the north (river) & south (downtown).