KCRag Forum

I like the idea of a Bass pro Shop downtown. Would make a good addition for visitors.

Darlene wrote:I like the idea of a Bass pro Shop downtown. Would make a good addition for visitors.

I can't picture where a building that big would fit

Oh JFC

flyingember wrote:

Darlene wrote:I like the idea of a Bass pro Shop downtown. Would make a good addition for visitors.

I can't picture where a building that big would fit

the northloop

Darlene wrote:I like the idea of a Bass pro Shop downtown. Would make a good addition for visitors.

Even though I have a feeling you are some sort of troll just posting stuff like this to get a reaction. All you do is post stuff that you know would get under the skin of downtown dwellers. But, I don't see how a bass pro would be an attraction. Suburban KC has two huge bass pro stores and a cabellas in three directions from downtown that all have massive parking lots. The demographic that shops at Bass Pro or Cabella's is not going to drive past those to come downtown. Generally, the demographic that shops at those stores isn't coming downtown for anything, except a Garth Brooks concert.

Honestly and this may sound extremely cheesy, but I think a large Ferris wheel somewhere downtown would be a good family attraction. Washington Square Park would be great location for a large observation wheel.

GRID wrote:Honestly and this may sound extremely cheesy, but I think a large Ferris wheel somewhere downtown would be a good family attraction. Washington Square Park would be great location for a large observation wheel.

That's the main reason I brought up gondolas in the other thread. It's a silly gimmick, yes, but people like silly gimmicks and novel landmarks. KC, despite having some excellent and unique architecture, doesn't really have a signature icon like, say the St Louis arch. There should be something where, if someone doesn't know much about the city, you can say "it's the city that has the ______" and having a reasonably good chance of recognition

A lot of people that come into Kansas City are country types, whether you all want to admit it of not. They want to see stuff like that. Kansas City isn't a cosmopolitan city that attracts high end tourists.

TheLastGentleman wrote:

GRID wrote:Honestly and this may sound extremely cheesy, but I think a large Ferris wheel somewhere downtown would be a good family attraction. Washington Square Park would be great location for a large observation wheel.

That's the main reason I brought up gondolas in the other thread. It's a silly gimmick, yes, but people like silly gimmicks and novel landmarks. KC, despite having some excellent and unique architecture, doesn't really have a signature icon like, say the St Louis arch. There should be something where, if someone doesn't know much about the city, you can say "it's the city that has the ______" and having a reasonably good chance of recognition

A lot of major cities have observation wheels now and many of them are much larger than anything KC will ever put up. So I don't think it would become a KC icon or anything like that. I just think it would be nice tourist attraction and something for suburban families to do. Put up a 10-15 story (again relatively small) wheel in Washington Park and feed off the energy of the streetcar/union station/crown center and bring some life to Washington Sq Park. The views would be pretty incredible.

GRID wrote:

Darlene wrote:I like the idea of a Bass pro Shop downtown. Would make a good addition for visitors.

Even though I have a feeling you are some sort of troll just posting stuff like this to get a reaction. All you do is post stuff that you know would get under the skin of downtown dwellers. But, I don't see how a bass pro would be an attraction. Suburban KC has two huge bass pro stores and a cabellas in three directions from downtown that all have massive parking lots. The demographic that shops at Bass Pro or Cabella's is not going to drive past those to come downtown. Generally, the demographic that shops at those stores isn't coming downtown for anything, except a Garth Brooks concert.

Honestly and this may sound extremely cheesy, but I think a large Ferris wheel somewhere downtown would be a good family attraction. Washington Square Park would be great location for a large observation wheel.

While she is a troll, I think you are a bit misguided. This is Kansas City. The "Bass Pro Demographic" does come downtown. Almost all of the city falls into the demopgraphic in some way.

Darlene wrote:A lot of people that come into Kansas City are country types, whether you all want to admit it of not. They want to see stuff like that. Kansas City isn't a cosmopolitan city that attracts high end tourists.

I have to say that this is something I sort of agree with you on. Alot of tourists in KC come from surrounding rural areas. Additionally, Cabela's and Bass Pro do act as their own attractions(aquarium, shooting gallery, live animals, stuffed animals, restauraunt with non standard meats, etc). In many ways each store is its own small natural history museum. When having visitors (including from overseas), I almost always take them to Cabelas or Bass Pro. They are legitematly pretty cool. I do however agree that maybe the demand is not there for one downtown due to soo many suburban locations.

GRID wrote:

TheLastGentleman wrote:

GRID wrote:Honestly and this may sound extremely cheesy, but I think a large Ferris wheel somewhere downtown would be a good family attraction. Washington Square Park would be great location for a large observation wheel.

That's the main reason I brought up gondolas in the other thread. It's a silly gimmick, yes, but people like silly gimmicks and novel landmarks. KC, despite having some excellent and unique architecture, doesn't really have a signature icon like, say the St Louis arch. There should be something where, if someone doesn't know much about the city, you can say "it's the city that has the ______" and having a reasonably good chance of recognition

A lot of major cities have observation wheels now and many of them are much larger than anything KC will ever put up. So I don't think it would become a KC icon or anything like that. I just think it would be nice tourist attraction and something for suburban families to do. Put up a 10-15 story (again relatively small) wheel in Washington Park and feed off the energy of the streetcar/union station/crown center and bring some life to Washington Sq Park. The views would be pretty incredible.

Or we could take those funds and invest them in our existing, unique landmark that attracts from many demographics. The WW1 Memorial and Museum and Union Station.

Darlene wrote:A lot of people that come into Kansas City are country types, whether you all want to admit it of not. They want to see stuff like that. Kansas City isn't a cosmopolitan city that attracts high end tourists.

And most of those people never make it past Olathe or Independence. Regional tourists do drive to the area from the surrounding rural areas. The more rural type people that shop at bass pro are not going to drive past bass pro in Olathe or Indep to go to (probably a smaller store) downtown where they will have to deal with parking? Most people that visit downtown KC are there for the urban experience, not a gigantic big box fishing store. Makes no sense. KC is not OKC where they have a downtown bass pro.

There is just no demand for something like that in downtown KC. Downtown KC or any major city downtown are a regional draw because they offer something different than the suburbs.

And downtown KC has plenty of more urban types that visit it. I think even most people from the suburbs around KC are looking for a more urban experience when they visit downtown. Otherwise, there is no point in leaving the suburbs in the first place.

ldai_phs wrote:

GRID wrote:

TheLastGentleman wrote: That's the main reason I brought up gondolas in the other thread. It's a silly gimmick, yes, but people like silly gimmicks and novel landmarks. KC, despite having some excellent and unique architecture, doesn't really have a signature icon like, say the St Louis arch. There should be something where, if someone doesn't know much about the city, you can say "it's the city that has the ______" and having a reasonably good chance of recognition

A lot of major cities have observation wheels now and many of them are much larger than anything KC will ever put up. So I don't think it would become a KC icon or anything like that. I just think it would be nice tourist attraction and something for suburban families to do. Put up a 10-15 story (again relatively small) wheel in Washington Park and feed off the energy of the streetcar/union station/crown center and bring some life to Washington Sq Park. The views would be pretty incredible.

Or we could take those funds and invest them in our existing, unique landmark that attracts from many demographics. The WW1 Memorial and Museum and Union Station.

Most wheels are privately funded I think. I just thought it would be a nice little thing to add to downtown for tourists (local and out of town tourists) and help bring some life to a park that is terribly underutilized.

ldai_phs wrote:While she is a troll, I think you are a bit misguided. This is Kansas City. The "Bass Pro Demographic" does come downtown. Almost all of the city falls into the demopgraphic in some way.

Of course they do. Why do you think we have a huge 3 story neon outline of cowboys in our downtown entertainment district.
Might as well embrace our backwardness.

Not to mention a lot of KC area residents are transplants of rural Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. Rural minded people. People that complain about progress, lack of parking, etc.

KCLover wrote:Why do you think we have a huge 3 story neon outline of cowboys in our downtown entertainment district

A fine example of cordish's aesthetics being a bit too context sensitive

ldai_phs wrote:

GRID wrote:

Darlene wrote:I like the idea of a Bass pro Shop downtown. Would make a good addition for visitors.

Even though I have a feeling you are some sort of troll just posting stuff like this to get a reaction. All you do is post stuff that you know would get under the skin of downtown dwellers. But, I don't see how a bass pro would be an attraction. Suburban KC has two huge bass pro stores and a cabellas in three directions from downtown that all have massive parking lots. The demographic that shops at Bass Pro or Cabella's is not going to drive past those to come downtown. Generally, the demographic that shops at those stores isn't coming downtown for anything, except a Garth Brooks concert.

Honestly and this may sound extremely cheesy, but I think a large Ferris wheel somewhere downtown would be a good family attraction. Washington Square Park would be great location for a large observation wheel.

While she is a troll, I think you are a bit misguided. This is Kansas City. The "Bass Pro Demographic" does come downtown. Almost all of the city falls into the demopgraphic in some way.

I am in both demographics. Not saying anyone thinks a downtown bass pro shop is actually a good idea, but it is possible to enjoy both urban living and phony redneck dress up games.

I think we need to take a page from Memphis and build a large downtown pyramid Bass Pro on the river:

http://www.memphistravel.com/trip-ideas ... id-memphis

TheLastGentleman wrote:

KCLover wrote:Why do you think we have a huge 3 story neon outline of cowboys in our downtown entertainment district

A fine example of cordish's aesthetics being a bit too context sensitive

It's Cordish stereotyping of KC in hyperdrive. KC region never had a true 'cowboy' culture, which is a SW thing. There is no major country/western music that came out of KCs early years, it was ragtime to blues to jazz.

KC region had a 'cattleman' ranching culture that transported to the stockyards, which is very different than cowboy rodeo culture - more similar to Cincy/Chicago stockyards. Even Florida had a 'cattleman' culture more similar to KC's than Texas. KC's stockyards had essentially blue collar workers in blue collar digs or streetwear of the time, not cowboy rodeo getups that Cordish stereotypes. Though wearing cowboy hats came later to stockyards everywhere, not a unique KC thing though. Was really more of a railyard culture with cows/meat packing as a product and blue collar workers, not Texas/OK true cowboys.

If it weren't for the rails, KC wouldn't have become the major city in region (edit: BTW, Leavenworth/St Joe area was almost selected for first rail bridge over MO River instead of KC). The rail is what particularly should be emphasized as that is what took KC to next phase after a trading post. Cows and meat packing were the main products involved at the time, but the cowboy culture was a SW thing. Somehow many are embracing a mythological KC cowboy culture that never brewed as its own thing, or falsely think 'cattlemen' is the same.

KCLover wrote:

ldai_phs wrote:While she is a troll, I think you are a bit misguided. This is Kansas City. The "Bass Pro Demographic" does come downtown. Almost all of the city falls into the demopgraphic in some way.

Of course they do. Why do you think we have a huge 3 story neon outline of cowboys in our downtown entertainment district.
Might as well embrace our backwardness.

Not to mention a lot of KC area residents are transplants of rural Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. Rural minded people. People that complain about progress, lack of parking, etc.

Why is rural/coyboy automaticaly "backwardness"? I think you are stereotyping.

Two words for THE Kansas City attraction: "Tornado Tower" &

KC's early years kicked into gear as a rail center and is now #1 to #2 rail center depending on how measured. That is what should be emphasized as a KC identity. The cowboy representation as a key regional historical component is an outsider myth that some somehow think they should embrace, yet the cattle drives turned into blue collar railyard/stockyard/meatpacking culture like Chicago and Cincy, not SW rodeo culture. The music that came out of KC clearly indicates which culture it brewed - it was ragtime/blues/jazz, not country/western (as Cordish seems to falsely perpetuate, and apparently some locals who don't really understand KC history).

KC indeed has history as a 'cowtown' that can be embraced as well (Chicago was too) but Cordish needs to fix this and dump the cowboy myth theme. There's a difference.