Status and future of the River Market area??

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
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FangKC
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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KC’s Arabia Steamboat Museum plans to ship out from City Market in a few years
The sprawling Arabia Steamboat Museum has served as an anchor tenant in Kansas City’s City Market since 1991. But now it appears those days are coming to an end.
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Hawley said in addition to raising the rent, city officials have told him there are plans to surround his museum with bars and restaurants. Hawley said, even with insurance, his priceless collection cannot be housed in a building with the possibility of water leaks and other hazards.
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Hawley insists he's not bitter and is now planning an even larger, more ambitious museum to overall steamboat history -- just not in Kansas City.

A proposed bill in the Missouri legislature would create a Steamboat Legacy Fund. Hawley believes that would help build an enormous museum, housing possibly six more unearthed steamboats, in Jefferson City.
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“I’m doing all I can do, honest to goodness, all I can do to keep this boat here in the state of Missouri,” Hawley said. “Whether it’s in Kansas City, St Joe, Independence, Jeff City. I’ll turn up every rock and see if there’s anyway to go there.”
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https://fox4kc.com/2019/02/14/kcs-arabi ... few-years/
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by KCPowercat »

Writing has been on the wall for awhile. Maybe we can redo that whole building and reopen walnut?
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FangKC
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by FangKC »

This is an opportunity to solve two problems. Isle of Capri casino has struggled. Steamboat Arabia needs to move and expand. Combine the two and Isle of Capri can have an attraction. Put the collection in a separate building with no water pipes on top of the parking garage. Build the museum entrance/gift shop/bathrooms in a structure next to the garage with elevators that take you up. Build the hotel across the road. The Port Authority owns the casino and garage, and could issue bonds and perhaps get funding from the Steamboat Legacy Fund for the Arabia portion.

Putting the museum on top of the garage would make sure it would above any potential flooding that might happen in a freak flood event.

If the garage cannot support an additional structure, combine it with a hotel, but place the collection in a separate building.

I can't imagine the museum would do that well in Jefferson City or St. Joseph. A museum like that needs to be in a convention city with mass transit, because you need a tourist stream.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by WoodDraw »

It would be nice to keep the museum downtown, but it's quite expensive.

My understanding is that they've been asking for significant incentives to go anywhere. I'd be more interested in the City taking it over as a public museum with private help. I don't think they're interested in that though.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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I don't think they realize that Kansas City is probably the best location for the museum. You are probably correct they are just looking for incentives to stay.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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Looking Ahead to Medical Marijuana, Clinic Opens In River Market
Medical marijuana is not yet available for purchase in Missouri, but patients may be able to jump start the process and get it with the help of a newly opened clinic.

The Green Clinic opened for business this week in a fourth floor loft at 415 Delaware in the River Market, with two full-time doctors on staff to determine whether patients qualify to obtain medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana, which was approved in November through a ballot measure, won’t be available until at least early 2020, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and the state won’t start accepting patient applications until July 4.

But Green Clinic founder and CEO Emily Branch says there’s already demand from patients.
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https://cityscenekc.com/looking-ahead-t ... er-market/
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by TheLastGentleman »

KCPowercat wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:48 pm Writing has been on the wall for awhile. Maybe we can redo that whole building and reopen walnut?
Absolutely. They could even build back up to walnut like it used to be to tighten things up. There's a reason the Brown and Loe sticks out so much further than everything else.

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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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KCPowercat wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:48 pm Writing has been on the wall for awhile. Maybe we can redo that whole building and reopen walnut?
Yes. A few things:

1. Walnut is being reconfigured this year to pass directly through the Market, just like it used to do before the 50s.
2. A replacement tenant has approached the city.
3. The Arabia's lease is so lopsided that taxpayers should personally give them the boot, thus I would not expect incentives.
4. The Arabia is why we no longer have City Market concerts (sound damages old stuff?).

Also, Cascone's is calling it quits after 90 years. On Facebook, they're blaming the streetcar. :roll:
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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DaveKCMO wrote: Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:57 pmWalnut is being reconfigured this year to pass directly through the Market, just like it used to do before the 50s.
Exciting! Any chance something similar could be done with Main?
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by KCPowercat »

Sounds like Anton's might finally get his place in river market with cascones closing.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by normalthings »

Also, Cascone's is calling it quits after 90 years. On Facebook, they're blaming the streetcar. :roll:
I had never tried going until the streetcar opened. The few times I have tried going , they have been closed. Was it any good?
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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It was diner food but not as good as like even city diner
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by normalthings »

KCPowercat wrote: Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:30 pm It was dinner food but not as good as like even city diner
So the streetcar did kill them then. It made it easier to travel to better food.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by horizons82 »

Tangential to all this Arabia/Walnut good news, wasn't there a plan at one time to ditch the parking lots that arabia uses? The ones on Grand? I'd love to see those lots gone and given over to an active use, be it buildings or park space.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by HalcyonKC »

DaveKCMO wrote: Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:57 pm
KCPowercat wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 8:48 pm Writing has been on the wall for awhile. Maybe we can redo that whole building and reopen walnut?
Yes. A few things:

1. Walnut is being reconfigured this year to pass directly through the Market, just like it used to do before the 50s.
2. A replacement tenant has approached the city.
3. The Arabia's lease is so lopsided that taxpayers should personally give them the boot, thus I would not expect incentives.
4. The Arabia is why we no longer have City Market concerts (sound damages old stuff?).

Also, Cascone's is calling it quits after 90 years. On Facebook, they're blaming the streetcar. :roll:
I went and looked at Cascone's Facebook page. Some guy claimed the streetcar brought too many customers to the area so that nobody could park and it drove off all the customers. Huh? I didn't follow the logic.
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by TheLastGentleman »

Nobody goes there anymore. It's too busy.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by tower »

TheLastGentleman wrote: Sun Feb 17, 2019 3:22 pm
DaveKCMO wrote: Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:57 pmWalnut is being reconfigured this year to pass directly through the Market, just like it used to do before the 50s.
Exciting! Any chance something similar could be done with Main?
Wait, wouldn't that basically de-pedestrianize Walnut? Not that it was ever completely pedestrianized, but I still don't get what the benefit would be.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

Post by TheLastGentleman »

tower wrote: Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:27 pmWait, wouldn't that basically de-pedestrianize Walnut? Not that it was ever completely pedestrianized, but I still don't get what the benefit would be.
Walnut has to wrap around the market stalls on normal days and is completely closed during market days. Sending it straight from one side to the other would solve both problems. Also, I'm no expert, but I'd assume businesses would rather locate along a regular street with exposure from car traffic than a pedestrian mall.

Of course, if there becomes a need to pedestrianize everything for the farmer's market or events, they can just put up some temporary bollards and open things up later. No need for it to be permanent
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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Last edited by mister816 on Sun Feb 17, 2019 9:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Status and future of the River Market area??

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