Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Issues concerning Downtown as described by the Downtown Council. River to 31st Street, I-35 to Bruce R. Watkins.
Post Reply
User avatar
Steve52
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1015
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2005 7:26 pm

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by Steve52 »

Why does McMeel need TIF assistance?

Why don't they just prove their mettle and loyalty to KC and invest their own money instead of relying on Tax Payers?

Why aren't we using TIF to finance,

    * Sewer expansion and repair
    * Curb and sidewalk work
    * Storm drainage
    * Traffic control
    * Street construction & expansion
    * Street lighting
    * Water supply
    * Landscaping
    * Park improvements
    * Environmental remediation
    * Bridge construction & repair
    * Parking structures
    * Land Acquisition
Pastense
Strip mall
Strip mall
Posts: 283
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by Pastense »

Steve52 wrote: Why does McMeel need TIF assistance?

Why don't they just prove their mettle and loyalty to KC and invest their own money instead of relying on Tax Payers?

Why aren't we using TIF to finance,

    * Sewer expansion and repair
    * Curb and sidewalk work
    * Storm drainage
    * Traffic control
    * Street construction & expansion
    * Street lighting
    * Water supply
    * Landscaping
    * Park improvements
    * Environmental remediation
    * Bridge construction & repair
    * Parking structures
    * Land Acquisition
How about the preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings as Andrews McMeel is proposing? Is the mayor suggesting that a new policy might not allow TIF projects in downtown? Companies like Andrews McMeel can do the math. Suburban site=almost free parking for 230 employees+no E-tax=happy employees. Downtown location=$80/month parking+E tax+cost of renovation=less profit+grumpy employees. They are stepping up and the city needs to help, that's what TIF is for.
moderne
Oak Tower
Oak Tower
Posts: 5496
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:50 pm
Location: Mount Hope

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by moderne »

Hopefully someday the draw to be in the center will be sufficient without any TIF enticements, but I do not think that critical mass has yet been achieved.  It seems the TIF amount is not that great of an amount for the number of employees and prestige of having Universal DT.  The fact that they want to OWN this internationally important historic gem AND lease additional space in a moribund DT office market is significant.  Last year about this time I was giving some LA people a DT tour and they were amazed that this building was sitting vacant.
zonk
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1250
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2003 12:07 pm
Location: downtown

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by zonk »

this is tee'd up and ready to go....i have a bad feeling that the funk and his so called econ devo committee will ultimiately kill this deal. :(

kiss 230 new downtowners bye bye.
User avatar
KCPowercat
Ambassador
Posts: 33839
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Quality Hill
Contact:

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by KCPowercat »

Steve52 wrote: Why does McMeel need TIF assistance?

Why don't they just prove their mettle and loyalty to KC and invest their own money instead of relying on Tax Payers?

Why aren't we using TIF to finance,

    * Sewer expansion and repair
    * Curb and sidewalk work
    * Storm drainage
    * Traffic control
    * Street construction & expansion
    * Street lighting
    * Water supply
    * Landscaping
    * Park improvements
    * Environmental remediation
    * Bridge construction & repair
    * Parking structures
    * Land Acquisition


TIF's use the increased taxes created by the project to pay off...how do those items you mention create more taxes?  They don't, that's why we can't use TIF for those items.


I see this deal getting killed by Funk.
http://downtownkcmo.blogspot.com

Tweeting live from Big 12 tournament @downtownkc
cdm2p
Western Auto Lofts
Western Auto Lofts
Posts: 664
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:14 pm

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by cdm2p »

KCPowercat wrote: TIF's use the increased taxes created by the project to pay off...how do those items you mention create more taxes?  They don't, that's why we can't use TIF for those items.


I see this deal getting killed by Funk.
Powercat doesn't obviously know TIF.  TIF allows you to use new tax dollars to pay for the cost of public improvements that would otherwise have to be paid for by the developer.  Having said that, TIF does not appear to be the most appropriate tool for this project. 
This deal will not go through without great scrutiny.  On the flip side, Funkhouser only has 1 of 13 votes.  We'll see if he has the necessary votes to kill it after all of the legal and financial analysis is complete. 
Pastense
Strip mall
Strip mall
Posts: 283
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by Pastense »

cdm2p wrote: Having said that, TIF does not appear to be the most appropriate tool for this project. 
Can you suggest what tool is appropriate?
User avatar
KCPowercat
Ambassador
Posts: 33839
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Quality Hill
Contact:

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by KCPowercat »

cdm2p wrote: Powercat doesn't obviously know TIF.  TIF allows you to use new tax dollars to pay for the cost of public improvements that would otherwise have to be paid for by the developer.  Having said that, TIF does not appear to be the most appropriate tool for this project. 
This deal will not go through without great scrutiny.  On the flip side, Funkhouser only has 1 of 13 votes.  We'll see if he has the necessary votes to kill it after all of the legal and financial analysis is complete. 
That's not what Steve's post was asking.  It sounded like he wanted  TIFs to be used to just repair sewers and other infrastructure needs...nothing tied directly to a project/developer.  Sewer upgrades won't create additional tax dollars to pay off the TIF.  My first comment had nothing to do with this project. 
http://downtownkcmo.blogspot.com

Tweeting live from Big 12 tournament @downtownkc
cdm2p
Western Auto Lofts
Western Auto Lofts
Posts: 664
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:14 pm

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by cdm2p »

The improvements paid by TIF do not have to generate tax revenue in order to be reimbursable.  I think the Parvin Road TIF plan pays for sewers.
LenexatoKCMO
City Center Square
City Center Square
Posts: 14667
Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Valentine

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by LenexatoKCMO »

cdm2p wrote: The improvements paid by TIF do not have to generate tax revenue in order to be reimbursable.  I think the Parvin Road TIF plan pays for sewers.
No but they have to be tied to a project that is going to generate the extra tax money.  Building sewers themselves will not generate any revenue to fund a TIF.  TIF isn't just a magical way to make money appear out of the ground to spend however you want. 
User avatar
kard
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 5627
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2006 12:37 pm
Location: Kingdom of Waldo

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by kard »

Keep in mind this won't generate any new tax revenue (at least with the details we know now).  This is moving one well-off business from the Plaza to Downtown.

I'm glad they're interested in Downtown, but it's just shuffling stuff around within the core.
Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator
Pastense
Strip mall
Strip mall
Posts: 283
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by Pastense »

Kard wrote: Keep in mind this won't generate any new tax revenue (at least with the details we know now).  This is moving one well-off business from the Plaza to Downtown.
I'm glad they're interested in Downtown, but it's just shuffling stuff around within the core.
Keep in mind that the City is on the line for revenue shortfalls in the Power & Light District. It may make economic sense for the City to support "shuffling" in order to protect its investment in downtown by expanding the employment base, even if it's not net new jobs for the city as a whole. H&R Block as a prime example. Hopefully, the new administration will compute the value of reducing the city's risk as they evaluate the GSA location options. Give GSA free parking downtown if they agree to eliminate any cafeteria from their plans. In the case of Andrews McMeel (and H&R Block) their former space will no doubt be filled through a local expansion or a new user eventually resulting in a net tax revenue gain. And the city helps preserve an historic building. Actually, that isn't a bad strategy. Move, and subsidize, tenants out of prime (Plaza, Crown Center) office spaces when they're willing to go downtown, and let less adventuresome(?) companies move into the more conventional(?) districts. Maybe over time they'll see downtown as an option and the cycle will continue?
User avatar
DaveKCMO
Ambassador
Posts: 20042
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:22 pm
Location: Crossroads
Contact:

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by DaveKCMO »

Pastense wrote: Give GSA free parking downtown if they agree to eliminate any cafeteria from their plans. In the case of Andrews McMeel (and H&R Block) their former space will no doubt be filled through a local expansion or a new user eventually resulting in a net tax revenue gain. And the city helps preserve an historic building. Actually, that isn't a bad strategy. Move, and subsidize, tenants out of prime (Plaza, Crown Center) office spaces when they're willing to go downtown, and let less adventuresome(?) companies move into the more conventional(?) districts. Maybe over time they'll see downtown as an option and the cycle will continue?
wow! a convincing argument for incentives (i'm serious!). the cafeteria idea is interesting, but somehow i think the feds would be the least likely to cave to such a demand. i'd rather see a LEED platinum certification instead, but the line of thinking is good.
User avatar
FangKC
City Hall
City Hall
Posts: 18142
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 10:02 pm
Location: Old Northeast -- Indian Mound

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by FangKC »

I think it would be a much cheaper strategy to hire a truck with a sound system to drive around playing Petula Clark's "Downtown." Park the truck outside suburban office buildings and crank up the noise. Tenants will get the message and come downtown in droves like lemmings.  Just sayin'
Last edited by FangKC on Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
There is no fifth destination.
KCTigerFan
Valencia Place
Valencia Place
Posts: 1843
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 10:41 am
Location: Brookside (KCMO)

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by KCTigerFan »

One of the other spots in the mix for AMU is (was) the Gateway project in Mission.
Pastense
Strip mall
Strip mall
Posts: 283
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:46 am
Location: Kansas City

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by Pastense »

DaveKCMO wrote: wow! a convincing argument for incentives (i'm serious!). the cafeteria idea is interesting, but somehow i think the feds would be the least likely to cave to such a demand. i'd rather see a LEED platinum certification instead, but the line of thinking is good.
On the other hand, sending GSA to the Riverfront virtually guarantees that there will be a cafeteria because there are no other options.  GSA employees on the Riverfront will have little or no spin-off benefit. You can't create much of a business district based on 2,000 employees. They'll drive in, work and drive out. At least in Downtown there's the chance they'll be enticed to go out for lunch or stay after work for entertainment.
mean
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 11233
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:00 am
Location: Historic Northeast

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by mean »

This project is a joke, you people will fall for anything. Projects like this is precisely why Funk is mayor, and if he supports this then we'll really know he's the hypocrite some have been accusing him of being.
"It is not to my good friend's heresy that I impute his honesty. On the contrary, 'tis his honesty that has brought upon him the character of heretic." -- Ben Franklin
User avatar
KCPowercat
Ambassador
Posts: 33839
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Quality Hill
Contact:

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by KCPowercat »

Mrs. Funkhouser told me to.  Good enough for the mayor, good enough for me :)
http://downtownkcmo.blogspot.com

Tweeting live from Big 12 tournament @downtownkc
mean
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 11233
Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2003 9:00 am
Location: Historic Northeast

Re: Andrews McMeel Publishing to Boley Bldg.

Post by mean »

Crap, I was hoping she wouldn't give such poor advice.  :P
"It is not to my good friend's heresy that I impute his honesty. On the contrary, 'tis his honesty that has brought upon him the character of heretic." -- Ben Franklin
Post Reply