OFFICIAL - Loews Convention Hotel (formerly Hyatt)

[NorthOak]

come on KC, come up with an extra $50 mil

[JBmidtown]

Now THAT'S a hotel!!!

[smh]

I'd like to see them kill the honkey tube and turn Wyandotte into a shared space. Taking pedestrians off the street is bad policy, even if they are only going across the street.

[pash]

.

[earthling]

come on KC, come up with an extra $50 mil

Plausible if they include residential component, which they should be doing anyway to reduce long term risk of project.

[UrbanKC]

Question: why the obsession over height?

I think it offers no real additional value other than touching on the whole "mine is bigger than yours" debate.

I'd say the whole era of skyscrapers and super-scrapers is "so 20th Century" as far as the developed world goes. Developing countries are the ones engaging in it, and it really isn't providing them much more value than it did for us.

[NorthOak]

Question: why the obsession over height?

Desire is not necessarily obsession.

I think it offers no real additional value other than touching on the whole "mine is bigger than yours" debate.

Aesthetics, views, prestige, population density as it relates to economic advantages....
I could list more. Of course it's all in the eye of the beholder.

I'd say the whole era of skyscrapers and super-scrapers is "so 20th Century" as far as the developed world goes. Developing countries are the ones engaging in it, and it really isn't providing them much more value than it did for us.

Disagree - it's not only developing cities/countries - even the most prestigious, developed European cities are doing it now.
Which large, growing cities world-wide are not doing skyscrapers and building up?
You might be able to count them on one hand.
From London to Warsaw, from Moscow to Perth, everyone is going up.
In KC's case we clearly need more infill than height, but why can't a guy dream a little?

[brewcrew1000]

Question: why the obsession over height?

I think it offers no real additional value other than touching on the whole "mine is bigger than yours" debate.

I'd say the whole era of skyscrapers and super-scrapers is "so 20th Century" as far as the developed world goes. Developing countries are the ones engaging in it, and it really isn't providing them much more value than it did for us.

I agree, Dubai is one vanity laced, dick measuring contest of a city with its skyscrapers but in reality it has no soul or character. Its just a fake place with lots of tall buildings

[mister816]

I'd say the whole era of skyscrapers and super-scrapers is "so 20th Century" as far as the developed world goes. Developing countries are the ones engaging in it, and it really isn't providing them much more value than it did for us.

The World's Latest "Developing Countries"
Detroit, MI


Atlanta, GA


Milwaukee, WI

[JBmidtown]

Someone should show those renderings to the hack architects that are designing the Hyatt Regency.

[miz.jordan17]

Someone should show those renderings to the hack architects that are designing the Hyatt Regency.

They're just doing their jobs. If a client asks to you to value engineer, obviously you can't have exactly what you want. And if it bothers everyone, they should talk to council members to see if there's anything to pressure developers into making changes. Is there a game plan for real action here, or is everyone just complaining on an online forum?

[mykn]

Someone should show those renderings to the hack architects that are designing the Hyatt Regency.

I know one of the architects that worked on this project. He tried but you ultimately have to do what you're told. If I can remember right, I think he said the original public design was toned down from their original idea.

[mister816]

yea, I don't blame the architects at all. They were just doing what they are paid to do. I am disappointed in Kansas City in general. This is what we are depending on to save our tourism and put feet in the convention center. I understand that the city has a tight budget due in part to what CFRG is doing but at some point they have to realize that the vocal minority doesn't run this town and do something progressive. This was our chance and we blew it.

[JBmidtown]

Ugh so Pash can throw the architects under the bus for the Riverwest town homes but I get reprimanded for the hotel. Yeesh I see how it is y'all.

:'(

[KCPowercat]

yea, I don't blame the architects at all. They were just doing what they are paid to do. I am disappointed in Kansas City in general. This is what we are depending on to save our tourism and put feet in the convention center. I understand that the city has a tight budget due in part to what CFRG is doing but at some point they have to realize that the vocal minority doesn't run this town and do something progressive. This was our chance and we blew it.

I'm not sure why KC is to blame here. The tight budget only has to do with the developers....they ultimately got 75% of the project paid for by incentives...that's not a bad deal.

[mister816]

did they push for more? correct me if i'm wrong but I though that the developers had a set number and they negotiated with the city to get what they were looking for. We could have allowed for more if we so chose right?

[KCPowercat]

I see what you are saying....feels like the city is settling.

[flyingember]

This is what we are depending on to save our tourism and put feet in the convention center.

Do you think the people in the hotel really care what it looks like? The convention goers aren't booking the room in most cases.

We are not depending on this to save tourism, we are depending on this to provide enough cost effective rooms so we can book more conventions where people walk from their airplane to a bus to the hotel to the convention hall to the hotel and back to the airport.

Tourism is the rest of downtown so people who want to and have the time to have a place to explore.

We want the city to put it's money into making it safe to walk out of the hotel and go to Union Station, a club, a restaurant or such and let the larger number of customers drive business growth.

[wahoowa]

The World's Latest "Developing Countries"
Detroit, MI

i meeaann...

Atlanta, GA
Milwaukee, WI

... point taken!

[mister816]

This is what we are depending on to save our tourism and put feet in the convention center.

Do you think the people in the hotel really care what it looks like? The convention goers aren't booking the room in most cases.

We are not depending on this to save tourism, we are depending on this to provide enough cost effective rooms so we can book more conventions where people walk from their airplane to a bus to the hotel to the convention hall to the hotel and back to the airport.

Tourism is the rest of downtown so people who want to and have the time to have a place to explore.

We want the city to put it's money into making it safe to walk out of the hotel and go to Union Station, a club, a restaurant or such and let the larger number of customers drive business growth.

No, Convention goers do not care but you can bet your ass that convention planners do. They want to make an impression on their guests and this is one of many factors that make the planners choose KC over Indianapolis, Cleveland and other mid sized cities.