OFFICIAL: Penn Valley Park (Ideas+redeveloment)

[kboish]

Funding finally came available through tax increment financing dollars from the Federal Reserve?s new regional headquarters just south of Penn Valley Park.

The TIF plan provided about $925,000 for the theater building project, plus more than $2 million for future roadway, landscaping and lake improvements to the park. Those construction phases should begin this fall.

Well look at that...TIF helping do something good.  Just think if they develop the side of the park where the federal reserve is on main into nice condos/apt using TIF funds how nice (and bankrolled) the park would be...but I guess TIF is just to controversial...

[FangKC]

Since 2000, the Just Off Broadway Theatre has served as the venue for more than 60 performing arts and film companies, which produced nearly 200 shows that attracted more than 40,000 audience members.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/05/29 ... z1RMhvxsws

If there are that many community performing arts companies in the Metro, I would seem to me that the Lyric Theater could be repurposed into another live theater venue.  Something needs to be done with it, and I hate seeing it sit unused.

I saw among the Chamber of Commerce "Big Ideas" was a suggestion for moving UMKC's Conservatory of Music and Dance downtown. The Lyric would be a logical place.

[brewcrew1000]

Has anyone ever heard of this event?
KC Freedom Festival at Penn Valley last weekend in July

http://www.kcfreedomfest.com/entertainment.html

Kelly Pickler is performing one of the nights but then all the other nights it seems to be all R&B type stuff, kind of a weird event and the website doesn't really explain much. 

[jupiterkansas]

The Lyric stage is too big for most live theatre. Just Off Broadway is the perfect size and I'm glad it's finally going to become a real theatre.

I like the idea of the UMKC Conservatory in the Lyric, but I don't know why the Chamber would have to get involved, and I don't know how I feel about UMKC spreading itself out all over town.

[FangKC]

It was just submitted as an idea in the Chamber of Commerce's request for public contribution of "big ideas" for the Metro.

[kucer]

Work has begun on this...

http://www.grandarts.com/

[DaveKCMO]

Work has begun on this...

http://www.grandarts.com/

wow. i'm not even sure i believe it.

[grovester]

Ha!  Audacious, I must say.

[KCMax]

Aggie Stackhaus is going to blow a gasket.

[moderne]

Looks like a good backdrop for a Michelle Bachman rally. 

[chrizow]

Looks like a good backdrop for a Michelle Bachman rally.   

especially if they fill the shipping containers with feces.

[DaveKCMO]

...and corn dogs.

[chrizow]

...and corn dogs.

[grovester]

That first one should have been the Newsweek cover.

[grovester]

Some national press on the Grand Arts installation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44748691/ns/us_news-life/

[kboish]

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/11/32 ... orial.html

Along with the foundation fixes glad they will be cleaning up the bursh along the main side.

This will be paid for using the Fed Reserve TIF and the Liberty Memorials endowement.

[FangKC]

I'm glad they are removing some of that brush along Main Street. I've always wished they would do that in the past because I think the Memorial should be more visible as you drive along Main.

They could improve that view a lot if, after removing the brush and large trees, re-landscape it with more of a garden environment with blooming and scenic trees and shrubs.

[Midtownkid]

They could improve that view a lot if, after removing the brush and large trees, re-landscape it with more of a garden environment with blooming and scenic trees and shrubs.

That would be great!~ Also, the giant 'mall' to the south could be nicer if it was landscaped more, perhaps with native flowers and other easy-to-maintain plants.

Pedestrian lighting!? I wonder if that will be places on the north lawn. That space is crying out for more features. It seems so barren now. (maybe that is part of the statement tho)

Cutting back the brush is a great idea. More places need to do this. I think Roanoke Park is in the process of doing that too. If you look at historic pics of KC, these parks had little brush. They looked cleaner that way. One can see the interesting outcroppings much more easily that way too. Sounds like some good things coming for LM!

[kboish]

I agree that they need to do something with the "south lawn" area of PV park. Seems like if the leveled out the area to the southeast of the drive they could put in a multi-purpose sports field. Wouldn't need much I would think...probably could use it for a pick up game of soccer or football, but would be nice to have an actual field there.

[kcjak]

I can't see anything happening on the north lawn any time soon. Remember a few years ago the proposal to install those stainless steel orbs that would evoke a sense of them rising out of the lawn? People got so worked up about it that it got shut down fast. Too bad, in my opinion.