Enter the Man Caves
Two Luxury Garage Condos are planned for the Martin City area
By Kathy Feist
It’s the latest trend. Luxury garage condos to store car collections, boats, RVs or work vehicles while also enjoying the benefits of a customized lounge setting.
“It’s home away from home!” says Ray Jagoda, who plans to open Big Garages in Martin City. “It’s a place to have a big screen TV while fixing the car. You can sit down, have a beer, watch TV—that’s where the ‘man cave’ comes from.”
Another facility, KC Kaves, is expected to open later this year at 150 Highway and Wyandotte. The two developments put South Kansas City at the leading edge in the local man cave trend.
KC Kaves plans to begin construction in early July off 150 Hwy and Wyandotte.
KC Kaves
David Losse purchased 20 acres south of the Mercedes-Benz dealership. Most of the property will become a retirement community and a gas station/car wash, but 7 acres will be the site of a 78-unit luxury garage condo facility.
Each unit will be 1,250 square feet (25 feet wide, 50 feet deep and 21 feet tall) with a heated interior. Glazed brick will adorn the exterior with landscaping for privacy. “It will look first class,” says Losse, who’s aiming for a higher end clientele.
While he has yet to set a price, such condos typically range from $30,000 to $150,000. Once purchased, buyers can add lofts, bathrooms, refrigerators, air conditioning, etc. And while there are endless possibilities for the use of a man cave, living in them is a violation of city codes.
“It’s kind of interesting all the things you can use the space for,” says Losse. “I talked to a guy the other day who wants to put in a golf simulator.”
He had hoped to break ground this summer but is waiting on Kansas City’s permit department, which claims to be short-staffed. Nevertheless, he is projecting a November opening date. For information, go to kckaves.com.
UPDATE: Since the publication of this article KC Kaves has announced they will begin construction July 2, 2018.
Big Garages
Ray Jagoda is hesitant to call his garage a man cave. “It’s not exclusive to men,” he says. “Nor is it exclusive to wealthy people. If contractors want to store inventory in our garages, that’s okay with us.”
Big Garages will have 111 units varying from 720 to 1200 square feet. The doors are 14 x 12 feet leading into a 20-foot-tall space. The exterior will include commercial stone, custom landscaping, gated entry and a security surveillance. The units will be insulated and be able to have plumbing as well as electricity and HVAC.
Big Garages is planning on leasing but also will offer a lease-to-own option. Located just 200 feet behind the Martin City Golf Center at 3 E.135th St., it’s just steps away from beer, wine and steaks.
Jagoda says the designs and contracts are set, but the groundbreaking date has yet to be determined. The parent company, Pivotal Properties, LLC, is also building a 198-unit apartment complex just east of Jack Stack BBQ. For information, go to BigGaragesKC.com.