By Paul Thompson
Northeast News
May 24, 2017
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCU) earned the unanimous recommendation of the KCMO City Plan Commission on Tuesday, May 16 in favor a plan that would remove eight parcels and nine buildings from the Pendleton Heights Historic District. The recommendation followed a similar effort at the Historic Preservation Commission on Friday, April 28 that failed by a single vote to earn a recommendation of approval for the plan.
The proposal has garnered the support of the neighboring Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association, though other area residents have spoken out against a plan that would result in the demolition of several properties located in the historic district.
Historic Kansas City weighed in on the matter, writing a letter of opposition to the Historic Preservation Commission ahead of the April 28 meeting. That letter sat atop the lengthy packet that was made available ahead of KCU’s May 16 presentation before the City Plan Commission.
“The Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences application to remove eight lots that have nine buildings from the Pendleton Heights Historic District is far from supporting good neighborhood planning,” wrote Historic Kansas City Executive Director Lisa Lassman Briscoe in the letter.
HKC also noted in writing the organization’s objection to the precedent being set by the potential de-listing of the KCU-owned properties in question: 517 Woodland Avenue, 502-20 Maple Boulevard, 1800 Brownell Avenue, 1806 Brownell Avenue, 1810 Brownell Avenue, 1812 Brownell Avenue, 1816 Brownell Avenue, and 418-20 Maple Boulevard.
“The application is turning established procedure on its head in response to an approved Master Planned Development Plan (MPD) by City Council,” read one passage from the letter. “At no point in Landmarks history has a historic resource been removed from an existing district to allow its demolition. That should not be repeated in the future.”
The Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association has previously reached a compromise with KCU that could keep several of the properties pegged for removal from the Pendleton Heights Historic District from demolition, as was originally planned. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the neighborhood and KCU – signed by KCU President and CEO Dr. Marc B. Hahn and PHNA President Jessica Ray – shows that the University has agreed to donate the Queen Anne at 1812 Brownell (built in 1886) and the craftsman bungalow at 1800 Brownell (built in 1909) to PHNA. For its part, the neighborhood association has agreed to identify someone willing to buy the structures for $1 and physically relocate them to KCU-owned plots located on the west side of Maple Boulevard. The MOU also states KCU’s intention to work with PHNA to re-purpose the six-plex at 1810 Brownell for a future use.
According to the MOU, the Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association has several obligations it must adhere to in order to complete the transfer of the properties into PHNA control. The neighborhood must: 1) find an adaptive reuse for the property at 1810 Brownell within four months; 2) relocate the homes at 1800 and 1812 Brownell to new lots at 420 and 520 Maple Blvd within six months; and 3) support KCU’s MPD plan by appearing before the City Plan Commission and Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee, while also delivering a letter of support regarding the MPD.
For its part, KCU has agreed to provide copies of “all existing environmental, engineering, soils, water or other consulting reports and studies conducted on all or any portion of the Project Property,” as well as maps, drawings, title policies, easements, licenses, and leases.
As part of its presentation to the City Plan Commission, KCU offered the results of a feasibility analysis conducted on the Colonial Court Apartments, which the university intends to demolish to make space for a relocated surface parking lot.
The KCU feasibility analysis, conducted by Cohen-Esrey and presented by Chief Operating Officer Ryan M. Huffman, shows that the Colonial Court Apartments were purchased by KCU in December 2016 for $1.1 million. The report indicates that a tour of the apartments was completed on April 7, 2017 with Jim Bowers and Tim Saxe. It further states that all buildings and grounds were toured, and that the structures were deemed to be in below average to poor condition overall. Cohen-Esrey found that the renovation budget would likely come out to $75,000 per unit, and the hard costs of construction and acquisition were estimated at $3,937,500.  Additional soft costs were estimated to drive the total development cost for a rehabilitation of the Colonial Court Apartments to $4,878,327. Huffman concluded that the apartments were infeasible for rehabilitation, citing the low expected rate of return for potential investors.
After receiving the recommendation of the City Plan Commission, the KCU proposal moved swiftly through the City Council’s Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday, May 17, earning a committee advance. The advance allowed the plan to be approved during the City Council legislative session on Thursday, May 18.
Another project unanimously approved by the City Plan Commission on Tuesday, May 16 was a development slated for 2600 Independence Avenue, at the site of a deadly October 2015 fire that took the lives of KCFD firefighters John Mesh and Larry Leggio. The 11,000 square-foot retail space, proposed at the corner of Independence and Prospect, has been estimated at a $1.5 million total investment.
Mary Cyr of Northeast Alliance Together (NEAT) testified in opposition to the development. Northeast neighborhood leaders met with the developer of the project – MAC Corporation President and Senior Project Engineer Robert Andrew – during a community meeting on Wednesday, May 10.
“The majority of the neighborhoods were not in support of the project,” Cyr said. “Our first item of objection is that the building looks like a suburban strip mall, which is not acceptable to the neighborhood.”
Cyr also cited the neighborhood’s general preference for a two or three-story development and desire for a firefighter memorial at the site among the biggest issues that lead to NEAT’s opposition.
Eric Bellamaganya, Vice President of Pendleton Heights, testified in opposition as well.
“On behalf of the neighborhood association, we do not support the development as it stands,” said Bellamaganya. “We don’t believe that this is the highest and best use of this desirable property.”
Andrew countered during his own testimony that the building adheres to the vast majority of zoning guidelines laid out for development along Independence Avenue.
“The zoning currently is for commercial application,” Andrew said. “This building I think fits and ascribes to 99% of the intent.”
Andrew noted that the owners of the site are willing to consider construction of a single-story development now that could eventually be expanded vertically to include additional stories. He added that the owners would be open to including some sort of firefighter memorial within the development if it can be financed from outside sources.
“We have expressed the willingness to work in the community with someone who wants to spearhead that,” said Andrew.
The development will next go before the Historic Preservation Commission in June. It is expected to go before the City Council shortly thereafter.