American Royal leaders propose tearing down Kemper

[droopy]

Do they expect spectators to go to watch it? What is the point of the parade if the only people that see it are participating in it?

[shinatoo]

I think if they were to build there new arena out by the Chiefs practice facility they would have a chance at breathing some new life into the whole AR experience. It would also be a good location for Chiefs pregame events and Chiefs/Royals fan fest. Lots to leverage out their.

But i do think they will be moving the parade back DT.

[flyingember]

But i do think they will be moving the parade back DT.

I don't, it involves animals and if you're not holding the parade on active streets you have less issues there. they simplify their problems by keeping it a place they have more control.

[pash]

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[DaveKCMO]

I can't link to the article from this hotel computer, but KC Star reports that the American Royal parade will now march around Kauffman Stadium.

The Cerner boys really hate downtown, don't they?

take your horse shit and go, please!

they wouldn't have access to main street to "stage" those shitting horses going forward anyway.

[kcjak]

Maybe they'll move the parade to the 3-trails/Bannister site in a couple years

[aknowledgeableperson]

They wanted to incorporate the parade with the bbq. Also understand there was a problem concerning the normal route this year.

[flyingember]

They wanted to incorporate the parade with the bbq. Also understand there was a problem concerning the normal route this year.

Read Dave's post two above yours for a good description of the problem

[Highlander]

Wow. Sounds incredibly lame and bush-league.....parading around a parking lot? This will pretty much be the end of parade. Isn't there anybody who tries to think this stuff through in the organizations involved - all you have to do is create a mental picture of how ridiculous this will look to realize it has absolutely no chance of being a positive experience for anybody.

[pash]

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[flyingember]

They clearly already recognized the event is going to die without any changes to their credit.

But I'm expecting it to overlap with the Plaza Art fair in a future year and that will be the death of the Royal. They can't compete with the #1 event for the region.

[FangKC]

Loftguy, the second Foutch proposal just indicates that they have made improvements to the original plan, but they didn't state what they are--other than saying they more partners involved than before.

[rxlexi]

While KC embarrasses itself and it's history by allowing the AR BBQ and Parade to move to the TSC parking lot, Denver is busy creating a nearly billion dollar plan to redevelop it's old stockyards area, which includes what sound like very similar structures to the current American Royal facilities (rodeo/livestock show space, livestock exchange building, old stockyards, old arena, many surface lots, etc.).

http://www.governing.com/topics/urban/g ... pment.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/ ... lized.html

It actually breaks my heart that they will be focusing on animal health, local agriculture and food culture, and urban recreation - these are the perfect growth areas (and also potential regional strengths) for KC and the Bottoms in particular. With regard to animal health, agriculture, cow town heritage, these are our talking points, Animal Health Corridor etc.; frustrating if this comes together successfully in Denver and not KC.

Apologies for the dated links, just read about this today.

[flyingember]

That's what happens when one of the royal guys demands a billion dollars for his business. He has trouble finding money for anything else.

[loftguy]

Loftguy, the second Foutch proposal just indicates that they have made improvements to the original plan, but they didn't state what they are--other than saying they more partners involved than before.

City council members need to garner specifics. There can be no assumptions, otherwise the result is to be less than that imagined.

[loftguy]

While KC embarrasses itself and it's history by allowing the AR BBQ and Parade to move to the TSC parking lot, Denver is busy creating a nearly billion dollar plan to redevelop it's old stockyards area, which includes what sound like very similar structures to the current American Royal facilities (rodeo/livestock show space, livestock exchange building, old stockyards, old arena, many surface lots, etc.).

http://www.governing.com/topics/urban/g ... pment.html

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/blog/ ... lized.html

It actually breaks my heart that they will be focusing on animal health, local agriculture and food culture, and urban recreation - these are the perfect growth areas (and also potential regional strengths) for KC and the Bottoms in particular. With regard to animal health, agriculture, cow town heritage, these are our talking points, Animal Health Corridor etc.; frustrating if this comes together successfully in Denver and not KC.

Apologies for the dated links, just read about this today.

It is shameful and such a loss of history and opportunity. However, the city and KCMo don't carry blame on this one.

The AR leadership has created this outcome.

[FangKC]

Following this whole thing has left me feeling that the AR leadership is acting like a bunch of babies.

In my estimation, there is no reason the Foutch Brothers plan for Kemper couldn't co-exist with a new, smaller arena for the AR built on the existing parking lot east of Kemper. The parking could be relocated to that grassy area to the west of the Stockyards Exchange parking garage, and part of the BBQ event could have been done there, and what remained of the original parking lot east of Kemper. The smaller arena footprint wouldn't have required the entire parking lot east of Kemper.

[flyingember]

The royal wants more parking for the BBQ event. They were never going to do this idea.

And you assume the lot in KS is for sale

[pash]

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[KCLofts]

So did anyone attend the BBQ last weekend? Any reviews on the new location?