Construction in Aggieville

[Belvis Noland]

Alright, who's got the scoop on the massive Hunan Express building on the east end of Aggieville? 

Primarily, why is the facade cinderblock?  No brick, like every other building in Aggieville.  surely, cinderblock isn't the finished product? 

Also, noticed they had a bunch of guys working on the roof Monday night.  rooftop patio?   

[8manpick]

Kevin Chen, the owner of Hunam, built and owns the building that houses Hunam, the apartments behind/above it, and the bar next door which will be called Wabash.  Wabash will have a rooftop patio, and until we saw them removing it at the pre-pak on Saturday, there was a sign on the front that said "Wabash: coming in February."  I doubt they will be open that soon, but I'd imagine they are trying pretty hard to be open for Fake Pat's. I believe that the current facade is indeed the permanent facade.

[Belvis Noland]

Kevin Chen, the owner of Hunam, built and owns the building that houses Hunam, the apartments behind/above it, and the bar next door which will be called Wabash.  Wabash will have a rooftop patio, and until we saw them removing it at the pre-pak on Saturday, there was a sign on the front that said "Wabash: coming in February."  I doubt they will be open that soon, but I'd imagine they are trying pretty hard to be open for Fake Pat's. I believe that the current facade is indeed the permanent facade.

Wow.  don't these things have to proceed through the city council before permits are awarded?  How the eff does a cinderblock building make it through...

[puniraptor]

I don't think it looks bad at all. Hunam looks cool. There are plenty of dogshit looking bldgs in aggieville, its not like there is some unified design.

[camKSU]

Kevin Chen, the owner of Hunam, built and owns the building that houses Hunam, the apartments behind/above it, and the bar next door which will be called Wabash.  Wabash will have a rooftop patio, and until we saw them removing it at the pre-pak on Saturday, there was a sign on the front that said "Wabash: coming in February."  I doubt they will be open that soon, but I'd imagine they are trying pretty hard to be open for Fake Pat's. I believe that the current facade is indeed the permanent facade.

Wow.  don't these things have to proceed through the city council before permits are awarded?  How the eff does a cinderblock building make it through...

Belvis, I don't disagree that a red brick building would have fit into the context of the aggieville street-scape more...

But to say that every building decision should pass through the city council for approval is a little ridiculous and quite frankly fascist. Not to mention the fact that the built environment is an ever changing and evolving patch work of different looking buildings. Aggieville is not mayberry or mainstreet, usa.

[Belvis Noland]

I don't think it looks bad at all. Hunam looks cool. There are plenty of dogshit looking bldgs in aggieville, its not like there is some unified design.

The ground level on Moro looks alright, but the cinderblock facade is a disaster.  There is, generally a unified brick design in Aggieville. 

I was reading through the Minutes regarding the N. Manhattan Hotel that's being built on Bluemont/Manhattan and the City Council was adamant that they incorporate the limestone from Campus and the brick from Aggieville, so that it melded the two areas.  Oddly, nowhere did CC mention incorporating exposed cinderblock.  That 4-story residential building looks like crap w/o a brick/stone facade, unless it's a Section 8 project.   

[8manpick]

Kevin Chen, the owner of Hunam, built and owns the building that houses Hunam, the apartments behind/above it, and the bar next door which will be called Wabash.  Wabash will have a rooftop patio, and until we saw them removing it at the pre-pak on Saturday, there was a sign on the front that said "Wabash: coming in February."  I doubt they will be open that soon, but I'd imagine they are trying pretty hard to be open for Fake Pat's. I believe that the current facade is indeed the permanent facade.

Wow.  don't these things have to proceed through the city council before permits are awarded?  How the eff does a cinderblock building make it through...

Belvis, I don't disagree that a red brick building would have fit into the context of the aggieville street-scape more...

But to say that every building decision should pass through the city council for approval is a little ridiculous and quite frankly fascist. Not to mention the fact that the built environment is an ever changing and evolving patch work of different looking buildings. Aggieville is not mayberry or mainstreet, usa.

Well that is pretty much how most cities work.  If that is facist then, well...

[puniraptor]

I don't think it looks bad at all. Hunam looks cool. There are plenty of dogshit looking bldgs in aggieville, its not like there is some unified design.

The ground level on Moro looks alright, but the cinderblock facade is a disaster.  There is, generally a unified brick design in Aggieville. 

I was reading through the Minutes regarding the N. Manhattan Hotel that's being built on Bluemont/Manhattan and the City Council was adamant that they incorporate the limestone from Campus and the brick from Aggieville, so that it melded the two areas.  Oddly, nowhere did CC mention incorporating exposed cinderblock.  That 4-story residential building looks like crap w/o a brick/stone facade, unless it's a Section 8 project.

I guess I can agree with that. The chain link over the stairwells and balconies really drives home the projekts theme.

[Belvis Noland]

But to say that every building decision should pass through the city council for approval is a little ridiculous and quite frankly fascist.

Rightly or wrongly, the project has to obtain permits through the City and, accordingly, is subject to scrutiny.  In a destination district like Aggieville, I would expect a little higher level scrutiny. 

I'm not saying they need to clad it in marble.  I'm just a little surprised cinderblock got the thumbs up. 

[8manpick]

There are quite a few buildings with non brick facades, especially on the north side of Moro (O'Malley's, Pat's, everything west of Johnny KKKaws, some others.) Also, the last time google did a street view update on Moro, Daylight Donuts was open.

[ksucrcoop]

Kevin Chen, the owner of Hunam, built and owns the building that houses Hunam, the apartments behind/above it, and the bar next door which will be called Wabash.  Wabash will have a rooftop patio, and until we saw them removing it at the pre-pak on Saturday, there was a sign on the front that said "Wabash: coming in February."  I doubt they will be open that soon, but I'd imagine they are trying pretty hard to be open for Fake Pat's. I believe that the current facade is indeed the permanent facade.

Been dreaming of one of these in the ville for a long long time.

[puniraptor]

They need to combine wabash and hunan specials. like order 15 drinks and get a free buffet next door

[8manpick]

They need to combine wabash and hunan specials. like order 15 drinks and get a free buffet next door

Underrated Aggieville deal: $2 domestic bottles at Hunam.

[camKSU]

Kevin Chen, the owner of Hunam, built and owns the building that houses Hunam, the apartments behind/above it, and the bar next door which will be called Wabash.  Wabash will have a rooftop patio, and until we saw them removing it at the pre-pak on Saturday, there was a sign on the front that said "Wabash: coming in February."  I doubt they will be open that soon, but I'd imagine they are trying pretty hard to be open for Fake Pat's. I believe that the current facade is indeed the permanent facade.

Wow.  don't these things have to proceed through the city council before permits are awarded?  How the eff does a cinderblock building make it through...

Belvis, I don't disagree that a red brick building would have fit into the context of the aggieville street-scape more...

But to say that every building decision should pass through the city council for approval is a little ridiculous and quite frankly fascist. Not to mention the fact that the built environment is an ever changing and evolving patch work of different looking buildings. Aggieville is not mayberry or mainstreet, usa.

Well that is pretty much how most cities work.  If that is facist then, well...

Not true. They usually pass through the city's building department for code review for a building permit, which is to say they are reviewed for health, safety and welfare... not aesthetics. Usually aesthetics are only reviewed for historic considerations, which the demolished building that was here was not. The city, in most cases, cannot tell you what your building should look like.

[Belvis Noland]

There are quite a few buildings with non brick facades, especially on the north side of Moro (O'Malley's, Pat's, everything west of Johnny KKKaws, some others.) Also, the last time google did a street view update on Moro, Daylight Donuts was open.

Basically, the entirety of Moro, between Manhattan and 11th, is brick.  A few buildings, scattered throughout, use some other cladding.  O'Malley's (wood), Dusty Bookshelf (brick/limestone).  Pat's is actually painted brick, I think.

All new construction has been brick - Tasty China House and the Wahoo Fire and Ice building.   

[Belvis Noland]

Not true. They usually pass through the city's building department for code review for a building permit, which is to say they are reviewed for health, safety and welfare... not aesthetics. Usually aesthetics are only reviewed for historic considerations, which the demolished building that was here was not. The city, in most cases, cannot tell you what your building should look like.

The City can kill a project if it doesn't comport with the guidelines set out in the aggieville master plan.  aesthetic or otherwise.  again, the aesthetics of the N.Manhattan hotel were heavily scrutinized prior to approval.  The Hunan Express project is in the footprint of the Campus Edge masterplan and shouldn've been subject to the same level of scrutiny. 

"The Aggieville - Campus Edge District Plan supplements the Manhattan Urban Area Comprehensive Plan and provides more focused and specific guidance for the location, type, and design of private development within the campus edge redevelopment area and the Aggieville commercial district. The Future Land Use Map contained in the Aggieville - Campus Edge District Plan is used in conjunction with the written goals, principles, and policy recommendations contained in the district plan to guide decision making and when considering redevelopment proposals in the area."  http://www.cityofmhk.com/index.aspx?NID=498

[Belvis Noland]

campus edge master plan:

http://www.cityofmhk.com/DocumentCenter/Home/View/791

[pissclams]

usually a city planning commission would review the building design which would include any aesthetic concerns.  if there is any issue, the final approval decision may get punted to the main council for their final review.

[Rage Against the McKee]

I would imagine the city has better things to worry about than to tell a guy who wants to run a Chinese restaurant and a bar, of all operations, what his building can look like. JFC, people. If the cinderblock design bothers people so much, they just won't go there, the business will close, and the next owner will make it more aesthetically appealing.

[star seed 7]

I think belvis has a bright future ahead of him being an angry Mhk townie.  Bob Strawn will have a bear to deal with in 10 years.

[puniraptor]

I think belvis has a bright future ahead of him being an angry Mhk townie.  Bob Strawn will have a bear to deal with in 10 years.

aaaaawww yeeeeeaaah

[Belvis Noland]

I think belvis has a bright future ahead of him being an angry Mhk townie.  Bob Strawn will have a bear to deal with in 10 years.

aaaaawww yeeeeeaaah

Show of hands, do people like the new design of the West Side at BSFS?  Would you like it as much if it were made of wood?  Or cinderblocks? 

Right, probably not.  because it would look like crap.  And every time you went to a football game, you'd probably say to yourself, hmmmm, that building looks like crap.

That's me in this thread.  But, instead of BSFS, I'm talking about a 4 story project (literally a housing project) in the middle of Aggieville. 

   

[Skipper44]

I think belvis has a bright future ahead of him being an angry Mhk townie.  Bob Strawn will have a bear to deal with in 10 years.

aaaaawww yeeeeeaaah

bncats?

[CNS]

Maybe this is the city taking a shot at aggieville and showing it how much the city hates it.  Trash Orgies? = Cinderblocks approved!!!!!

[wabash909]

I would imagine the city has better things to worry about than to tell a guy who wants to run a Chinese restaurant and a bar, of all operations, what his building can look like. JFC, people. If the cinderblock design bothers people so much, they just won't go there, the business will close, and the next owner will make it more aesthetically appealing.

As always, great perspective.

Architectural review for planning and zoning is on the whole very Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!).  Just build what you want, where you want, no matter what it looks like and no matter how well it is compatible with the surrounding urban fabric.  If it sucks ass, the next guy will fix it.