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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

The loft generation

Cindy Hoedel Knight Ridder Newspapers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bohemians, beware: Loft living is going mainstream.

You can still find New York-style lofts with cavernous interiors downtown and in the West Bottoms industrial district. But they are becoming a smaller and smaller part of the loft landscape. New-generation Kansas City lofts are designed to offer the warmth and privacy mainstream homeowners expect.

“Fifty years from now, we may look back on the loft as a classic home style,” said architect Dan Maginn of El Dorado, a Kansas City architectural firm.

Features such as traditional-style kitchens and private garages that open into the home have expanded the pool of potential loft buyers.

Loft apartments lure mainstream renters by offering more than just huge views. Traditional floor plans, fitness centers and club rooms appeal to urban professionals.

Condominiums can be an investment opportunity. Some offer abated property taxes.

Some apartment buildings offer renters the option of applying part of the rent to the purchase price when the units are converted into condominiums down the road.

Loft developers say today’s condominium buyers are a rich mix in terms of age, ethnicity and geographic origin. About the only thing they have in common is not having school-aged children at home.

“There are lots of professional couples, lots of young single people, lots of empty nesters,” said Tracey Wilkinson, sales manager for Western Auto Lofts. “They’re looking for a downtown lifestyle. Or an on-the-go lifestyle. They want to be able to shut up the house and take off when they want to.”

Five lofts in different Kansas City neighborhoods downtown have different appeals for their residents:

Skyline View, Tree-Lined Streets

David Fox, director of photography for Bernstein-Rein Advertising in Kansas City, wanted to live in a “cool, urban space” six years ago. So he moved downtown, but there wasn’t much going on back then. When he found himself frequently driving to the Country Club Plaza for fun, he rented an apartment there.

But a few years later the situation had changed. Fox found himself driving to the Crossroads and the West Side neighborhood for entertainment, so he bought a West Side condo.

Fox enjoys the multilevel layout of his home and the tree-lined streets of the neighborhood. But perhaps the best part is the view. “I love to watch the sun rising over downtown,” he says. “That’s the best.”

The location is convenient as well. Fox can walk to shops and restaurants on nearby streets.

“Everyone asks me about supermarkets,” Fox says. “I’ve never understood that question. Who doesn’t have to get in a car to go to the grocery store? I can be at the grocery store in 10 minutes.”

Dining out and Storm Watching

Empty-nesters Donetta and Randy Kirkman share a 14th-floor loft. The couple wanted a downtown lifestyle so they could live close to work and walk to restaurants and shops, Donetta Kirkman says.

The view from the 14th floor is far from just asphalt and concrete. “It’s a little bit of city and a little country,” Donetta Kirkman says . “You can see all the trees and the river and the (Broadway) bridge … It’s pretty cool watching storms come in.”

Weekend Getaway in the Big City

Steve and Lisa Roatch bought a corner unit downtown as a second residence so the couple can spend weekends downtown with their children, 5 and 9. When their children are adults, Lisa Roatch says, the loft may become the couple’s primary residence.

She chose the location, with its views of Crown Center and Union Station, because she has fond memories of visiting those places while growing up. In addition, she and her family are train buffs, and their historic Western Auto building appears in many train books because it can be seen from the tracks.

“Everyone from here knows that building with its big sign,” Roatch says.

Work and Play

Bob and Nikki Deal are true pioneers of the loft scene. They moved into their loft in the River Market neighborhood 19 years ago.

Like many first-generation loft dwellers, the Deals live and work in their space. They lease four units to accommodate test kitchens for Bob’s food business and a studio for Nikki’s photography.

“My commute is one hallway,” Bob Deal said.

Live It up, Settle down

Newlyweds Peter and Jami Hyde have a five-year plan. They bought a penthouse apartment with a north-facing view of the Convention Center’s Bartle Hall, the light display on the Downtown Marriott and, eventually, the proposed performing arts center. The couple plans to enjoy the cultural offerings of the Crossroads and downtown for five or six years before returning to the suburbs to have children.