It's been a little over a month since I last posted here. While it's true that I have had several personal distractions during that time, the events of one particular day led me to "back slowly away from the keyboard..." for a little bit.
Back in August, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple dozen graduate students from the KU School of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning. Following that meeting, I excitedly crafted a long blog post filled with lots of pictures and witty prose.
Then, just before I clicked "publish", I hit some key (still don't know which one) and the entire thing disappeared. Worst of all... no amount of "undo"or "go back" allowed me to recover any of my effort.
It was like an electronic version of "the dog ate my homework".
Well… I'm over that now and it's time to start talking once more. :-)
Over the next few weeks, I'll devote several different blog posts to people and places along Central Avenue. And that brings us back to the story of the students from KU.
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| There are three major "east-west" avenues in District 2 (Minnesota Avenue, Central Avenue and Kansas Avenue). The red line shows the location of Central Avenue within the boundaries of District 2. |
Under the direction of Associate Professor Dr. Shannon Criss and Lecturer Mr. Matt Kleinman, the students were working to identify projects that could serve as the basis for their semester long "studio" assignment. They wanted a project that was real and tangible and not one that was academic and taken from a textbook.
Through a conversation with Dr. Jerry Schultz at the Latino Health For All Coalition, they chose the Central Avenue area inside District 2 (from i-70 on the east to 18th Street on the west) as the focus of their efforts.
On August 26, I was privileged to join Joe Reardon, Steve Curtis, Marty Thoennes, Daniel Serda and Rene Aguirre for an opening meeting and discussion with Dr. Criss, Mr. Kleinmann and the students. That meeting took place at the offices of El Centro on Minnesota Avenue. We discussed the history of the Central Avenue area, how it's changed over time, what it looks like today, and what we see as the challenges and opportunities along the Avenue.
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| One group of KU students visited CHWC in late August to begin gathering data for their project. Their instructor, Matt Kleinmann, is second from the right in the back row. |
I was particularly impressed with Mr. Kleinmann's approach when we talked at CHWC. He really wanted his students to focus on "building community" rather than just engage in the technical acts of designing structures and planning projects.
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| The other group of KU students set up tables at the CABA parade to engage residents and solicit input. Who can resist popsicles?? |
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| This is one of many maps that the students used to help residents focus on the neighborhoods around Central Avenue and identify area or projects that they thought would be excellent for a project. |
Now, for those of you who either haven't ever seen Central Avenue or who haven't been there for quite a while, I thought I'd start a little guided tour. The area that I'll highlight today is the "far east end". There's been quite a bit of activity lately in the few blocks of Central Avenue that are east of 7th Street (between 7th Street and I-70). Here are a few pictures.
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| This large plot of vacant land sits on the northeast corner of 7th and Central. It used to be filled with buildings, but they were gradually demolished over the years. Here's hoping that a new development will occupy this land soon! |
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| Here's the southeast corner of 7th and Central. What major intersection is complete without a fast food place? Many people have told me that the food here is really good. |
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| Here's the north side of Central just east of Tremont. The RevolveKC bike shop is located on the right. A new business, Ramos Upholstery & Custom Designs is currently moving into the shop on the left (the FOKL sign is coming down). They'll be open very soon! |
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| What was old is new again! Many long time residents of the area ate in this restaurant when it was Sophie's Deli. Sophie's closed a couple of years back, but a new owner opened Millie's Cafe and Catering a few months ago. Great breakfast and lunch! |
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| This building housed a coffee shop for a while. It's currently empty, but we're looking forward to a new business soon! |
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| Here's part of the south side of the street between Tremont and 6th Street. This row of shops includes (from right to left): Angel's Dream Boutique, Jose's Barber Shop and the Parker & Parker Law Firm. |
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| Here's the north side of the street at the corner of 6th Street and Central. From left to right, there's a tack shop, Joyeria Estrella (which translates as Star Jewelry) and Chicago's (a recently reopened neighborhood bar). |
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| The east end of Central Avenue is the gateway to just about anywhere you want to go! But don't stay away long because KCK is the place to be! |
~ Brian
bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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