Thank you, Polsinelli, Shughart! (Now let's hear it for JJ's!)

That is some great news, what with the Polsinelli Shughart Law Firm deciding they would, in fact, build their new office building on the site of the West Edge Project. Is it a completely perfect solution? No, probably not, but it comes darn close. They get the new, sleek, mostly all glass office tower they wanted and this West Edge site gets used after all. Of course it will be some time what with having to tear down the shell of a building now, redo the foundation for the new building and then build the new one they want. Let's hear it for JJ's restaurant, their staff and clients and all their patience! This has been, probably, the worst nightmare for them, since they had to put up with the blasting and construction of this Moshe Safdie building, then waiting through this non-occupation mess and now this. I'll say this, you have to know 2 things about JJ's restaurant: first, it's great food, atmosphere and service or they wouldn't have made it. Second, they've done great marketing of the restaurant, in order to survive this business nightmare, on so many levels. Here's to you, JJ's! Salutations! There's light at the end of the tunnel! It's just going to take another year or so until, finally, there's a building across the street from you that's finished and occupied.

Polsinelli Shughart and the West Edge: PLEASE???

From what Kevin Collison at the Star says in the paper today, the Polsinelli Shughart law firm is still considering different locations for its new headquarters in the area. Some of those are a spot still with Highwoods, North of Valencia Place, a downtown block near the Sprint Center, "the proposed Mission Gateway across the State Line" and, finally, thank goodness, "the unfinished West Edge Project." Please, please, for all that's good in this city, let it be the West Edge. It would, hopefully, be a match made in heaven. Someone needs to take over and complete that eyesore, it would keep them on the Plaza and hopefully fill their needs for space. That big hunk of construction needs an occupant and badly. It would be terrific for the Plaza, great for the city and, finally, maybe buy back some goodwill for Polsinelli to the people of the city. Here's hoping. Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/15/3078367/lessons-from-the-balcony-building.html

Action on the West Edge Project??

Holy cow, wouldn't that be great news? The Kansas City Star reports that "A federal bankruptcy judge has agreed to an Aug. 26 auction of the unfinished West Edge project, concluding an eight-month effort to market the forlorn development." For those of us who have lived (me, mostly, anyway) through the original construction and now, nearby, as it sits not even half-completed, this would be great news, indeed. It's sat empty through two winters and more. What a mess. And check this out: Debts totaling $120 million were listed when the project developer, Trilogy Development Co. LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2009. Trilogy was established by advertising mogul Bob Bernstein to build a 203,000-square-foot headquarters for Bernstein-Rein advertising and a 131-room boutique hotel at 48th Street and Belleview Avenue. The developer spent $100 million on the project before filing for bankruptcy with work about two-thirds complete. It will cost an estimated $40 million or more to complete the project. But wait--there's more: Major creditors include the primary lender, BB Syndication Services, a Wisconsin banking consortium, which lent $61.5 million; M&I Bank of Kansas City, which funded the $31.9 million tax-increment financing loan; and J.E. Dunn Construction Co., the general contractor, $13.87 million. CB Richard Ellis began actively marketing the property in January. Last spring, the real estate brokerage firm had identified a potential buyer, a “stalking horse” whose offer would have set the floor for other bidders, but a final deal couldn’t be completed. I think this means we--the citizens of KCMO are just about to "eat" $31.9 million in a TIF loan, but I'm not sure. Here's the big kicker: Several people familiar with the discussions said that offer was about $12 million. Looks like somebody's going to get themselves one heckuva bargain. Sorry 'bout that, Bob! Anyway, here's hoping someone buys the thing and gets the completion of it going. And as soon as possible. It is one big eyesore. Link to original post: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/11/2144283/judge-approves-auction-of-west.html