8,364 units downtown!!!

[ShowMeKC]

8,364 units have been built/construction/proposed downtown since the year 2,000.

However, in early 2003, only 2,000 units were built/construction/proposed since 2,000. (that figure may be from 2002)

Mind boggoling downtown housing boom. From 1990-2000 the downtown population was increased by 10% and I'm sure we are coming close to passing that or already have.

Amazing progress downtown. We are doing more than just a complete about-face, we are doing an about-face along with continuous leaps. We are also have TONS of housing permits around KC. We have BILLIONS of dollars worth of projects in our downtown alone!

Great times for KC and it will only get better.

[Allan]

Wow. That makes Detroit's numbers look really bad! Oh well, great news for KC!!

[ShowMeKC]

5,000 units from 2000 to 2003 and here is a quote from our mayor at her inaugural address in 2003:

"In the next four years, I expect 10,000 more new and rehabbed housing units to be constructed in the River-Crown-Plaza"

Next four years is 2007! (however, the plaza isn't part of downtown) Which means maybe another 7,000 or 8,000 units downtown (first two listed, the downtown loop and crown center) Which is 14,000 units downtown in 2007 since 2000.

[G W North]

Is the retail increasing at the same rate, or are these buildings without stores on the bottom?

[ShowMeKC]

some have retail, some don't. Like 909 Walnut has retail at the bottom (909 Walnut is/will become the tallest residential building in all cities in the midwest except Minneapolis and Chicago, when renovation completes)

[Allan]

There might not be much new retail now, but the more people who move in, the more retail will be built.

Does KC have a department store in downtown? If they don't already, they're coming very close to having the numbers of residents & office workers that major retailers look for.

[ShowMeKC]

well, they want to put a grocery store in the River Market.

We used to have a Jones Store & Macy's but both arent there anymore and the Jones Store building will be demolished for the KC Live project.

[Allan]

A grocery store is a good thing for downtown. But isn't there one already? I'd think with a population that large that they'd already have a grocery store. Even Downtown Detroit is getting a grocery store soon, and we don't have as many residents downtown as KC has.

[ShowMeKC]

We don't have many people living downtown right now (well, in the loop) but will really soon

[Allan]

Well how many people are in the areas including downtown & the nearby areas? Even Detroit has 10,000 people in downtown & the surrounding areas. I find it hard to believe that given the new development downtown, plus the existing downtown residents and the people living in areas immediately adjacent to downtown that you don't have enough to support some major stores. I forget the exact numbers that major retailers look for, but it's something like 50,000 office workers & 8,000 residents.

[G W North]

There might not be much new retail now, but the more people who move in, the more retail will be built.

There will be more demand, but at the same time, if residential is built without retail on the ground floor, that's less space where new retail can be built.

[ShowMeKC]

actually no... KC Live will build 425,000 sq. ft. of retail space so that gets alot of it done already

[Allan]

There will be more demand, but at the same time, if residential is built without retail on the ground floor, that's less space where new retail can be built.

They'll find room for more retail downtown if the demand is there for more retail space.

[bobliocatt]

8,000+ units in 4 years, that's pretty good. In Jax there have only been around 5,000 proposed, built or underconstruction, in the past 3 years or so.

[Allan]

As far as numbers of people moving downtown, San Diego & Miami are on top. There are new condo towers always being constructed in the downtowns of these cities.

Detroit has added about 700 units downtown since 2002, with more being proposed all the time. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's a start, especially for a city thats population has dropped by more than 50%. In fact, more building permits were issued in the city last year than in the entire 1980s! People are definately begining to discover downtown Detroit .

[ShowMeKC]

We may have more units coming, the state downtown funding "MODESTA" has had the first two KC applicants which is the KC Live! project and an unknown project which hasn't been publicly released.

Some of us believe it is a plan for the East part of the loop (which is literally just parking lots for city gov. buildings).

Someone has talked to his Apt. Manager person, and he said that she told him that she heard a phase 1 of a possible East Loop project would have an additional 300 units. But of course that is just phase 1