New apartments are planned near Kansas City’s St. Luke’s Hospital
A bare plot of land that formerly held six residences will become an 18-unit gated apartment building, designed to be attractive to employees at nearby St. Luke’s Hospital.
The project, named the Vernon on Washington, is to break ground in late September between 44th and 46th streets on Washington, a half block west of the Plaza area hospital. Leasing is expected to begin in late summer 2016.
The owner-developers include Peter Holt, a St. Luke’s physician, and his son, Travis Holt, who is with Brush Creek Partners. They are pursuing a market-rate apartment project under the company name Jewel Box Homes.
A rezoning change to accommodate the project density was unanimously approved Wednesday by the Kansas City Planning, Zoning & Economic Development Committee. Final City Council approval is expected Thursday. No public subsidies are involved in the project, and there was no opposition.
“We’ve received neighborhood association approval and have worked hand in glove with the St. Luke’s Foundation on the design,” said Travis Holt.
The hospital foundation has been involved in extensive property acquisition and renovation in the neighborhood, rehabbing or building single-family bungalows, apartments and townhomes in a several-block area west of the hospital.
The Vernon on Washington is to be a three-story building with six apartments per floor, a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, each with a balcony or patio. It will include 25 ground-level parking spaces and outdoor gathering space on a half-acre site that has been vacant for four years.
Generator Studio is the project architect. Lutjen is the landscape engineer. Zipco Contracting is the general contractor.
Holt said the apartments will be a “tech-heavy investment” with many smart-energy features such as programmable thermostats and window blinds to improve energy efficiency.
This story was originally published August 26, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "New apartments are planned near Kansas City’s St. Luke’s Hospital."