The Streetcar Lofts proposal, which consists of 5 buildings on multiple under utilized parcels on 31st Street from near Main to DeGroff Way, has been redesigned and won approval.

Led by Sunflower Development Group, and designed by Rosemann and Associates, the project was originally unveiled in a CompassKC submission back in September and since then, it has went through the neighborhood review process and debuted a new look.

Gone are all 5 buildings looking the same. The newest design reveals a classic apartment building style with each building having a different design. Each building will also be clad in a mix of red brick, stone, and black metal accents, adding to the timeless design and obviously pulling inspiration from the surrounding neighborhood.

At the City Plan Commission meeting today (January 15th), the project won unanimous support from commissioners and faced little opposition from neighbors. The Union Hill neighborhood association wrote in support of the proposal.

A slight change in scope has occurred since the initial unveiling. Most notably, the parking count increased from 210 spaces to 235, but the apartment count remains the same at 240 units (48 per building). Building heights have also remained the same at between 4-stories and 6-stories (depending on the location and elevation changes).

The Streetcar Lofts project will begin construction this year and coincide with City-backed enhancements to 31st, which include wider sidewalks, bump outs and landscaping improvements. The project will also be done without an incentive being sought. In doing so, it returns the KC PBS parking lots to the property tax rolls for the first time in decades and contributes to the City in ways that most new projects do not.

The gallery below shows the elevations for all buildings in the plan beginning with “Building 1” at 31st and Walnut and progressing to “Building 5” at 31st and McGee. An aerial view from Google Maps shows the project sites and the last image shows the planned improvements to the 31st Street streetscape.