KANSAS CITY | 14th and Wyandotte | 340 FT | 30 FLOORS

[Chris Stritzel]

St. Louis-based LuxLiving has proposed a 30-story high-rise on a long-vacant, and eyesore, parking lot at 14th and Wyandotte in Downtown Kansas City. The site sits immediately west of the Power and Light Building. The proposed building, if approved, will rise 30-stories and include 300 apartments, 200 hotel rooms, and 430 parking spaces. The ground floor will include lobby spaces for the hotel and apartments as well as two retail spaces.

Plans are currently conceptual. The size of the building has sparked a debate on other forums and social media over its height and connection to the Power and Light Building. Many, including myself, wish to see the building have a gap added between it and the Power and Light Building instead of giving the illusion of the two being connected. Presently, the western side of the Power and Light Building is blank because a second P&L Tower was to have been built back in the day, but plans never materialized.

According to a BizJournal report, and posts on social media, a tax incentive will be sought but it's unclear what type of incentive.

If built, this high-rise will wake up a sleepy part of downtown that presently has few residential units, little ground-floor activation, and is quiet most of the time. 14th and Wyandotte sits just a few blocks away from Barney Allis Plaza, which also has a plan for a 10-story apartment building, and sits one block west of the future site of Cordish's 4 Light Tower. The Lux tower is just across the street from the recently completed 1400 Baltimore office tower, which will become the home of BlueCross BlueShield of KC (BlueKC) in 2025.

Additionally, the Lux plans are the first true "luxury" high-rise proposed in Downtown KC outside of Cordish's Light Towers.

The DLR Group is the architect with SK Design Group handling engineering and Humphreys and Partners handling landscape architecture.

Preliminary renderings and elevations...







Current conditions...



Here's what's proposed about a block northwest of the Lux site at Barney Allis Plaza. 10-stories, 226 apartments (20% affordable) + the reconstruction of Barney Allis Plaza.

[Dale]

Yes please.

[sentinel]

Looks awesome!! Build it!

[KevinFromTexas]

Modern architecture is a total snooze-fest compared to old school stuff. I couldn't take my eyes off its neighbor in those diagrams.

[DZH22]

It's too fat. My city has the same problem with building too many horribly proportioned buildings. Look at the way it muscles in on and walls off the view of that beautiful historic tower next door. Blech. Architecture sure ain't what it used to be.

[shakman]

Very nice! Please be built!

[Chris Stritzel]

The design has been revised and looks better now. Density and usages remain the same, but the project was reduced in height by about 30ft.

[Dale]

Odds on this going forward ?

[colemonkee]

Much, much better!

[Chris Stritzel]

Originally Posted by Dale

Odds on this going forward ?

It all depends on the incentive ask. If Lux asks for too much, the City Council will more likely than not shoot the incentive request down. I believe the project rides fully on that since most people are much more in favor of the project now than initially (thanks to the design revision). Looking at the upcoming City of KC Plan Commission dockets, the project is set to go before them on May 2nd with follow up meetings before the City Council in the middle and end of May. That's only for plan approval, not incentive. I imagine incentives will be applied for after plan approval.

Odds of advancing: 70%

[Dale]

Originally Posted by Chris Stritzel

It all depends on the incentive ask. If Lux asks for too much, the City Council will more likely than not shoot the incentive request down. I believe the project rides fully on that since most people are much more in favor of the project now than initially (thanks to the design revision). Looking at the upcoming City of KC Plan Commission dockets, the project is set to go before them on May 2nd with follow up meetings before the City Council in the middle and end of May. That's only for plan approval, not incentive. I imagine incentives will be applied for after plan approval.

Odds of advancing: 70%

Not bad!

[DetroitSky]

The new massing reminds of an NYC setback style high rise from the ‘30s. I like it.

[Chris Stritzel]

Formal renderings were included in the latest submittal to CompassKC. It really makes this project look nice. As seen in the elevations, the height is now 340ft (thread title will have to be updated as a result). Project will go before the Planning Commission on May 2nd.

[Chris Stritzel]

Planning Commission approved this 8-0. The development team says construction is likely to start in 2024.