Crossroads District
A new day is dawning in Kansas City's Crossroads District, an area fast becoming downtown's cultural heart. Historic buildings and warehouses are being converted into art galleries, loft apartments and eclectic eateries in a grassroots effort to create a vibrant mixed-use living environment.
The Metropolitan Kansas City Performing Arts Center--Plans for the $306 million, state-of-the-art entertainment center were unveiled in May 2002 and officials hope to break ground in 2004. The facility, to be built on more than 17 acres south of Bartle Hall at 16th and Broadway, will include a 2,200-seat theater and opera house, a 1,800-seat orchestra hall and underground parking topped by a lush city park. The Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation has donated almost a third of the center's cost with the remaining funds to come from other charitable foundations and the public sector. BNIM Architects Inc. is collaborating with nationally renowned designer Moshe Safdie on the project. In all, more than 100 design firms and contractors will be involved. The Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera are two of the major anchor tenants.
Another notable project was completed in May, 2002 with the renovation of the Webster House School, now Webster House Antiques, at 16th and Wyandotte. The 30,000-square-foot Romanesque facility, the oldest standing school in Kansas City, was restored by the Helzberg family into an antique gallery, café with room for banquet and meeting facilities. J.E. Dunn was the general contractor.
Another big Crossroads project is under way near the area's geographic center. In the Accardo Arts and Design District, a five-block area bounded by the corners of Broadway and Southwest Boulevard to 17th and Broadway to Central, there are seven buildings targeted for renovation as part of a $20 million project. The largest include the 23,000-square-foot Townsend building and the 36,000-square-foot Electric Building, both of which will be renovated as offices, and the 30,000-square-foot building at 1819 Baltimore, which is being converted to 24 condos with covered parking. The Baltimore facility is scheduled for completion next summer as Phase One of the project. Plans call for all seven buildings to be complete by late 2005. General contractor is Construction Technologies.
With the opening of City Tavern earlier this year, one of the most prominent developments in the Crossroads District is now complete. The $12.5 million renovation of the Freight House Building at 22nd and Baltimore began in 1997 with plans for three restaurants and a 500-space parking lot. The 111-year-old former railroad facility serves as the anchor for the Freight House District, a trendy spot for artists just north of Union Station. The facility's first restaurant, Lidia's Kansas City, opened in 1998 and was followed by Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue in 2000. The developer is Standard Business Services LLC of Wichita.
Other significant developments in the Crossroads District include:
Kansas City Star Production Plant -- The $200 million complex will occupy two city blocks northeast of the current newspaper headquarters at 1729 Grand Blvd. It will feature a glass facade allowing passersby to watch four new 60-foot-tall printing presses in action. The facility, is expected to begin operations in early 2006.
Western Auto Lofts -- Plans were announced in the fall for the redevelopment of the three-building Western Auto complex at 22nd and Grand. The $30 million project would convert the unique 12-story, pie half-shaped main building, as well as two adjacent six-story structures, amounting to 256,000 square feet of space, into 162 loft units and condos. The project could be completed in late 2003. Developers are MCZ Development Corp. of Chicago.