The Future of Crown Center

[medleyj]

It will be starting April 29th at Crown Center Square running every other Tuesday,  produce and other products from local farmers.

Dates are: April 29 - May 13, 27 - June 10, 24 - July 8, 22 - August 5, 19 - September 2, 16, 30

Phone: 816-274-8444
Admission: FREE
Time: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Those time suck. If they'd make it 1 to 6 or something like that I could buy stuff on the way home.

[PumpkinStalker]

Crown Center marks 40 years of progress
( Tuesday, September 16, 2008 7:14 AM )

Forty years ago today, Hallmark founder J.C. Hall's vision of a "city within a city" began to take shape. The first phase of the Crown Center development -- which featured an underground parking facility, five-building office complex and landscaped central square -- broke ground on Sept. 16, 1968, and was completed in 1971.

In the early 1960s, the area around Hallmark's headquarters was filled with rutted parking lots, abandoned warehouses and a limestone hill cluttered with signs. Crown Center has reversed the decline, and its existence has spurred remarkable redevelopment nearby.

"It was with amazing foresight and patience that J.C. Hall envisioned the Crown Center complex," says Bill Lucas, president - Crown Center. "In the last 40 years, generations of Kansas Citians and out-of-town guests have enjoyed the thriving community that Crown Center has become."

Crown Center is forecast to generate approximately $120 million in revenue in 2008.

New tenants, strong events
The complex has seen a variety of additions through the years, including the opening of the Westin and Hyatt hotels; the addition of retail shops and additional office buildings; the arrival of anchor tenants such as the American Restaurant, Halls department store and The American Heartland Theatre; and the honor of hosting the Kansas City Mayor's Christmas Tree and related events.

The new Off Center Theatre, which opened in January and showcases edgy and innovative productions, has seen sell-out weekends. It also has succeeded in attracting new people to Crown Center.

Community events also are a cornerstone of the Crown Center complex.

This year:

The Irish Festival hosted 90,000 guests, 10 percent more than last year.
The first-ever Jiggle Jam, an event held for children in May, attracted 22,000.
Farmers markets, introduced this year, attracted shoppers to Crown Center Square every other Tuesday, April to September.
Free outdoor movies attracted approximately 4,150 attendees, and free concerts attracted approximately 7,125 attendees.
The Fiesta in the Heartland attendance increased 6 percent to 18,000.
"Our retailers and restaurants see a boost in sales during the events but more importantly, the events keep Crown Center relevant," Bill says. "When you're located in an urban area, you have to work hard to remind consumers that you're there and that you're not hard to get to. These events make a difference."

Power & Light district provides a boost
The recent opening of the Power & Light entertainment district in neighboring downtown Kansas City has provided a complementary venue to Crown Center, Bill adds.

"For the most part, we don't compete because we appeal to different parts of the market," he explains. "Our target is families, hotel guests, conventioneers, adults, grandparents and office workers. Their target is younger adults and high-end food and beverage clientele. Since the Power & Light district has opened, our traffic has been up, and our food and beverage sales have been stable. We're happy that it brings awareness to the urban core."

Strong growth, challenging future
Crown Center has seen consistent growth in revenue in the last several years, but the sluggish economy is slowing things down this year.

"The first part of 2008 seemed very promising, but sales have softened," Bill reports. "We anticipate a soft environment in the next 14 months as well."

He offers the following assessment of Crown Center's major business areas:

Hotels are outperforming their competition with higher occupancy rates than other area hotels.
Office buildings are stable, with 94 percent of space leased.
Food and beverage sales as a whole are up 3 percent for the year.
Crown Center needs to do a better job of attracting new residents and expanding its residential and housing offerings.
Urban retail is challenging due to the location. Improving retail sales is Crown Center's biggest challenge.


A plan for tomorrow
Crown Center has 12 additional acres to develop and is revising its plan for future development. While the plan will be driven by market conditions and is subject to further modification, Bill says the next 20 years should see the addition of nearly 2 million square feet of office space in as many as four new office buildings. A two-acre park located south of 2600 Grand will be the focal point around which new buildings cluster.

Innovative retail stores to serve the expanded office community, additional residential units, structured parking to support all new construction, and linkage to all areas of the complex by pedestrian passageways also are planned for future development.

"I'd like to see more emphasis on residential space and another hotel, but that will require more consumer demand," Bill says. "We have the vision to increase the vitality of Crown Center. For now, our job is to remain relevant and exciting and to outperform our competitors."

[2taall]

Crown Center is kickass, I was in KC and loved it.

[PumpkinStalker]

I'm going to reopen this thread because I get tired of the title of the old one re-hashing same old same old.

So as Max noted, Big Momma's opened today.  A lady who seemed to have authority - maybe Big Momma herself - was just outside the door to the place with a tray of pieces of her red velvet cake and german chocolate cake, giving out samples.  Their big cinnamon rolls are about 9 inches square, although they have some smaller ones.  Very soft, chewy, and a great sugary icing.  I like my cinnamon rolls drowning in cinnamon, so I could use a bit more in the dough, but these are very good.  They will also have coffee drinks, some salads and I thought I saw some sandwiches on the menu.  The cases are pretty bare right now, but this is their first day, I'm sure they'll fill up once they have the business to risk a little shrink.  

[trailerkid]

I'm going to reopen this thread because I get tired of the title of the old one re-hashing same old same old.

So as Max noted, Big Momma's opened today.  A lady who seemed to have authority - maybe Big Momma herself - was just outside the door to the place with a tray of pieces of her red velvet cake and german chocolate cake, giving out samples.  Their big cinnamon rolls are about 9 inches square, although they have some smaller ones.  Very soft, chewy, and a great sugary icing.  I like my cinnamon rolls drowning in cinnamon, so I could use a bit more in the dough, but these are very good.  They will also have coffee drinks, some salads and I thought I saw some sandwiches on the menu.  The cases are pretty bare right now, but this is their first day, I'm sure they'll fill up once they have the business to risk a little shrink.  

today is not their first day. it was july 1.

the rolls are decent and i wish them all the luck in the world...very nice people. i could do without the religious messages on the packaging, but whatever.

three little pigs bbq is also now open. does anyone know if they bbq on site in crown center? isn't it impossible to do a true bbq smoker inside a food court?

[PumpkinStalker]

today is not their first day. it was july 1.

the rolls are decent and i wish them all the luck in the world...very nice people. i could do without the religious messages on the packaging, but whatever.

Stand corrected then...

In any case, she did tell me to have a blessed day on the way out.  Not in a pushy way, just an old grandmotherly, southern baptist kind of way.  It didn't offend me or anything.

[trailerkid]

Stand corrected then...

In any case, she did tell me to have a blessed day on the way out.  Not in a pushy way, just an old grandmotherly, southern baptist kind of way.  It didn't offend me or anything.

yeah...i didn't mean anything like that. that lady was really sweet and i hope big momma's becomes a hotspot for that poor food court. i just don't like mixing religion with your customers.

[PumpkinStalker]

Franklin Covey to be replaced with Sportibles sports memorabillia. Function junction is currenty expanding.

[Slappy the Wang]

Franklin Covey to be replaced with Sportibles sports memorabillia. Function junction is currenty expanding.

Those two sentences of "jubilation" are exactly why I don't go there anymore. 

[PumpkinStalker]

I dont make the news, I just report it.

[DaveKCMO]

i love function junction. it's a very practical store to have nearby, and the prices are good.

[PumpkinStalker]

I don't like the other thread for it's negativity.

So, Butch is opening a Screenland theater at CC.  This is the first I had heard of it, but it's opening in December.  I really love that we are surrounded by awesome theaters in the downtown area now.  And kudos to Butch for taking a risk with AMC and his other theater nearby.  Sounds like this one will be similar to the one on 17th.

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment ... 31440.html

[grovester]

He's a real asset to the city/metro area.  This will be the 4th theater he's opened, with only the Granada in KCK not being successful, tho I think it may be used for events.

[PumpkinStalker]

He's a real asset to the city/metro area.  This will be the 4th theater he's opened, with only the Granada in KCK not being successful, though I think it may be used for events.

Agreed.  Shame Granada didn't work out.  I went opening night, and a few times after that.  It was always DEAD.  Quite often there was ONE other couple in the theater, almost creepy since it's a huge theater.  But, it was easy to sneak around the basement where the giant machines were - boilers, elevators for the organ to raise up and down, etc.  Wish they could pick it up and move it somewhere profitable.  The atmospheric aspect was fun, and the spanish/pirate/knight in shining armor motifs were cool.

[loftguy]

We all need to keep in mind the need to patronize the Screenland theaters.  When we have gone recently, there have only been a handful of viewers, even on Friday/Saturday evening prime time.

And Butch is a great guy.  We're really lucky that he has this well executed obsession.

[DaveKCMO]

neat! i hope he gets digital projectors.

[trailerkid]

awesome news!

i just wish there was more extensive remodeling done (a martini bar added, new finishings) on the complex than just new movie posters and the like.

also, why not open M-W? the foot traffic and attention he'll get in crown center will be 20X what he gets in the Xroads.

[PumpkinStalker]

awesome news!

i just wish there was more extensive remodeling done (a martini bar added, new finishings) on the complex than just new movie posters and the like.

also, why not open M-W? the foot traffic and attention he'll get in crown center will be 20X what he gets in the Xroads.

Agreed, it would be nice to get a liquor license in there.  Hell, even Crayola Cafe has a liquor license and serves drinks.  I would imagine he would pursue this.  Especially since he wants to do some combo live play/movie options partnering with the Off Center Theater which often has adult oriented performances. 

And wouldn't hotel business help the M-W showings?  Seems like an easy win especially with Butch's touches.  His theaters always have appeal.

[DaveKCMO]

the theater already serves liquor.

[PumpkinStalker]

the theater already serves liquor.

Sweet.  So since they're using the same concession stand I'm assuming the license applies to that whole area and people can take drinks in his theaters?  I don't know how the licenses work.