We have received our shipment of publication for the Kessler Park Water Reservoir Vision study and are thrilled to be able to share the comprehensive project with our partners and stakeholders. The book is available to purchase or view online here— take a peek and share with anyone that might be interested. We are so proud of the 2021-22 studio for producing such innovative design proposals and are immensely thankful to all of the community members, stakeholders, and area professionals that helped guide the design and provide their insight throughout the year!
This year, KCDC’s studio functions both at the downtown studio location as well as on the Manhattan KS Campus.During a weekend trip, the liveliness of the West Bottoms pulled KCDC student, Anne Pham, who is working from Manhattan, into the First Fridays scene. Pham was filling up on gas at Conoco off 12th Street, when she saw under the I-670 bridge the once vacant parking lot was populated with tents of vendors and consumers. Pham, not a Kansas City local, was surprised by the large, lively event on which what was before an empty pavilion. This was the Strawberry Swing Fall Fest, which brings hundreds of visitors to explore local makers wares as well as the unique architecture of the West Bottoms.
The KCDC Studio went on a site tour with Professor Vladimir Krstic at the beginning of the school year, but during this mid-week day tour the West Bottoms was sparsely populated except for a few trains and freight trucks, expressing it’s important uses by shipping, manufacturing, and light industrial businesses. Yet, the feeling of the West Bottoms was perhaps better communicated by the overwhelming presence of those who love it. This weekend was eye-opening for this member of the Manhattan studio group as it was the first time Pham had seen the site in action to understand the importance of fostering spaces that can adjust to different uses, activities, and crowds.
The 2022-23 KCDC Urban Design Studio has officially kicked off the new academic year with a great new project opportunity that puts us back in the West Bottoms area. The project is focused on a district redevelopment opportunity in partnership with SomeraRoad (the developer) and HOK (the lead design team), and the KCDC is consulting on aspects of public realm, community engagement, and some design development.
Our studio is still developing conceptual diagrams to demonstrate environmental concerns, traffic circulation, railway activity, and overall access to the site as we prepare to gather more specific information targeting topics of interest as we move forward. Our studio’s collaboration with SomeraRoad and HOK has furthered our professional and educational experiences as we continue the analysis and design process. Looking forward, we will be examining physical elements, environmental issues, and demographic data to help illustrate a conceptual understanding of the West Bottoms site.
In the above maps you can see information about the floodplain and land quality for the West Bottoms Area, with the SomeraRoad redevelopment site highlighted in magenta.
On Monday evening, the KCDC helped to organize and hold a public meeting in partnership with HOK that was focused on traffic and business access needs in the direct project site and its surrounding context. Our students were able to personally connect with businessowners, tenants, and professionals on the design team to better understand the issues we must address to redevelop the area in a way that benefits the existing businesses in the West Bottoms. We look forward to meeting new community members and discussing the next steps of research and analysis to meet our project goals.
