Developers Envision Eight Homes Overlooking Downtown

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Thu, Apr. 13, 2006
Developers envision eight homes overlooking downtown Luxury West Side condos planned By KEVIN COLLISON The Kansas City Star Two brothers are testing the market for luxury housing with a sweeping skyline view by proposing eight homes atop a West Side bluff overlooking downtown. Christopher and Andrew Wilson have assembled the necessary properties along Jefferson Street and want to build a block-long stretch of 3,000- to 5,000-square-foot, three-level houses that would include elevators, wine cellars, balconies, multiple fireplaces and two-car garages. "It's urban infill with the views of all that's happening downtown," said Andrew Wilson. Christopher Wilson added, "You'll have all the benefits of downtown, but in a single-family house." The design of the houses calls for a traditional brick facade facing the neighborhood west across Jefferson. The east side would be more contemporary, with plenty of windows and outdoor terraces to take advantage of the downtown panorama. Prices are expected to start at $1.2 million. The project, which has the working title Jefferson Heights, would probably sweep away two neighborhood fixtures. The developers have bought the futuristic L-shaped house at 1745 Jefferson, a high-profile landmark overlooking Interstate 35 since 1981. They also have an option to buy the Good Shepherd Lutheran Mission at 1755 Jefferson. For the time being, the 1745 Jefferson house will be used as a showroom to tout the views available to prospective buyers and demonstrate the level of finish expected in the houses. It could remain standing if someone wants to buy it, but the current plan shows it being demolished to make way for the development. Tom Eckert, the business manager at Good Shepherd, said the neighborhood has changed dramatically since the charitable center opened 30 years ago. He described the Wilsons as cordial. "I think we'll come to an agreement," he said. "We're an urban ministry. When we first moved here, this was a poor neighborhood." The brothers hope to avoid the problems that shelved another upscale housing plan a year ago that wanted to capture the same downtown view. That plan, pursued by William Hayes, a Leavenworth developer, called for building five condos priced at more than $1 million each about two blocks farther north on the same bluff at 16th and Jefferson streets. It was shot down by neighborhood opponents who thought large multiunit projects could overwhelm the neighborhood. They persuaded the city to rezone the area to allow only single-family houses and duplexes. The Wilsons say their plan for eight single-family homes meets the new zoning requirements. Kathy Kirby, a spokeswoman for the West Side Planning Group, said that the Wilsons had not briefed her group about the project but that it appeared to meet the new zoning requirements. "There's a general concern about gentrification and its impact . but if something is within zoning, you can't dictate what people are investing in their homes," she said. The Jefferson Heights development is scheduled to be included in this year's Urban Tour sponsored by the Downtown Council ( www.downtownkc.org ). The event will be held May 5-6. The Wilson brothers were born in Kansas City and later moved to Houston with their family. They returned to the area and received their degrees at the University of Kansas. Their father, Floyd C. Wilson, is chairman and CEO of Petrohawk Energy Corp. in Houston. He is a partner with his sons in their real estate ventures as part of the Wilson Group of Companies. Andrew lived in Chicago before returning, and Christopher had been in St. Louis. They became involved in the real estate industry when they started PriceMark Mortgage Corp. in 1998. Their first venture in development -- still a work in progress -- was the 2003 renovation of a former office building at 4528 Belleview Ave. near the Country Club Plaza. The Wilson Group originally planned to continue using the 30-year-old building for offices but decided the market would be better for residential condos. They gutted the 16,000-square-foot, three-story structure, blew out the back side to add more space and created nine luxury condos ranging in size from 1,560 to 1,950 square feet. The units were priced between $500,000 and $700,000. Amenities included granite countertops, hardwood floors, and high-end kitchen appliances and cabinetry. To insulate for sound, the developers used 1-inch insulated pane glass where the units front Belleview. So far, the project, called Belleview Plaza, has sold one condo, and the developers are repositioning it by bringing in another real estate agency, Prudential Kansas City Realty, and hiring a marketing firm, Big City. "I don't think anyone believes it has gone as well as it could," Andrew Wilson said. Although the project is still seeking individual buyers, it is also being marketed to corporations interested in buying residential units to accommodate employees for longer stays or for use as entertainment suites. "First and foremost, it's residential, but now we're teaming with Prudential and Big City to turn over every marketing stone we can think of," Andrew Wilson said.