Ferrous Park

"Eight architectural firms from around the world are finalists for a townhouse development in Ferrous Park." This story is reported in the Kansas City Star, who is calling it, "an unusual plan to build six townhouses on a vacant Crossroads block."

The Park development is spearheaded by Jeff Rumaner, a sculptor and entrepreneur who goes by the name Stretch, a name that sounds more fitting for a dachshund. The site, next to a sculpture park by Stretch, if the entries are any indication, should make for an interesting part of the semi-industrial area (hence the name Ferrous, I'm guessing).

Six of the entries are included in the KC Star article:


Beth Blostein and Bart Overly of Columbus, Ohio


El Dorado Inc. of Kansas City, with Marlon Blackwell of Fayetteville, Arkansas


Alejandro Gaona of Mexico


Rockhill Associates of Lawrence, Kansas


Johnsen Schmaling Architects of Milwaukee, Wisconsin


Undurraga & Deves of Chile

System Architecture of New York and Jun Igarashi Architects of Japan are the two other competitors.

According to the article, the jury (comprised of KU Architecture dean John Gaunt, Tom Stiller of Square One Collaborative and a partner in the development, Greg Nook of J.E. Dunn Construction Co., director of the Municipal Art Commission of Kansas City Porter Arneill, an old professor of mine at K-State Vladimir Krstic, and Stretch himself) would choose two to five proposals in their voting yesterday. I'll post the results here, when known.