Plaza move-ins (ongoing)

[kcjak]

We still need to find a solution to the teen mobs that run around on the Plaza on the weekends. On Saturday night around 10:15 a guy on his bike was attacked by a group of teens near the Nichols fountain - pushed off his bike, robbed, beaten. I make a conscious effort to stay away from the Plaza on Saturday nights for dinner or movies...how many people stay away more often or all the time because of the perception of problems happening all the time?

[flyingember]

The solution is to provide alternatives to standing around on the plaza. More jobs for teens would be a good start.

[mgh7676]

I don't know if there has ever been a time that teens didn't congregate...the plaza just happens to be the popular spot right now. Won't be surprised if downtown eventually ends up being the hang out. Teens will be teens..

[brewcrew1000]

I have still yet to see this whole Teen mob issue that the media talks about. I actually want to see it just to see what its like. Also the ones that are walking around that late are most likely not residents but they are tourists heading back to the hotels. If they are seeing that kind of stuff going on its going to have a really harmful affect on the plaza. Norman Jean from Tulsa and Debbie from Des Moines have a weekend girl trip to the Plaza, they see this teen flashmob happen and are shocked. They comeback to the office and tell everyone what they saw. Those weekend girls trips to the plaza are replaced with weekend girls trips to the Branson Outlet mall and the downward trend on the plaza continues.

[kcjak]

I disagree with a couple of these comments. Regarding more jobs - are most teens really going to be working at 9 or 10 on a Saturday night? From what I've read and seen from the media, the mayor and council reps is that the teens claim they don't have anything to do and even with the mayor's efforts to open community centers there is still a problem. A LOT of people from the area go out to eat on the Plaza on a weekend night, even if there are more tourists walking around or shopping. I live in midtown and and avoid the Plaza on Saturday nights because when I've gone to a movie it's been a gauntlet of unsupervised kids running around and being rude.

If you'd like to experience it first-hand, wait until the next Saturday night where there is great weather and go to the Plaza and get out and walk around.

[MidtownCat]

I have still yet to see this whole Teen mob issue that the media talks about. I actually want to see it just to see what its like. Also the ones that are walking around that late are most likely not residents but they are tourists heading back to the hotels. If they are seeing that kind of stuff going on its going to have a really harmful affect on the plaza. Norman Jean from Tulsa and Debbie from Des Moines have a weekend girl trip to the Plaza, they see this teen flashmob happen and are shocked. They comeback to the office and tell everyone what they saw. Those weekend girls trips to the plaza are replaced with weekend girls trips to the Branson Outlet mall and the downward trend on the plaza continues.

Yeah the good thing is that now that The Plaza is no longer an actual regional tourist attraction, we won't have to worry about tourists from places like Omaha, Tulsa and Des Moines in general. There is plenty of mediocre retail and boarded up storefronts in any of those towns, no reason to travel to KC for more of the same.

[taxi]

The answer is not more jobs, it's Jesus. Save our teen mobs.

[FangKC]

It's the movie theaters attracting teens. The Cinemark Palace and Tivoli theaters are the ONLY movie theaters serving a vast swath of central and east KC neighborhoods. The Tivoli doesn't show the big blockbuster movies, so the teens go to the Cinemark. The biggest demographic for films is the under-21 crowd.

Many teens don't have cars, so they take the bus. The bus system is set up so that it's easier to go to the Plaza to see a movie than any of the other movie theaters in the region. In some cases, it's the only theater that can be accessed by bus for them, and still be able to make it home before the buses stop running.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/movi ... a=!3m1!1e3

You want to stop the teens on the Plaza. Then open a multiplex theater on the east side.

[MidtownCat]

It's the movie theaters attracting teens. The Cinemark Palace and Tivoli theaters are the ONLY movie theaters serving a vast swath of central and east KC neighborhoods. The Tivoli doesn't show the big blockbuster movies, so the teens go to the Cinemark. The biggest demographic for films is the under-21 crowd.

Many teens don't have cars, so they take the bus. The bus system is set up so that it's easier to go to the Plaza to see a movie than any of the other movie theaters in the region. In some cases, it's the only theater that can be accessed by bus for them, and still be able to make it home before the buses stop running.

https://www.google.com/maps/search/movi ... a=!3m1!1e3

You want to stop the teens on the Plaza. Then open a multiplex theater on the east side.

We should probably just go the Halls route and board up the Cinemark. Problem solved.

[JBmidtown]

Oh god shut up.

[nomadcowatbk]

The Plaza has basically devolved into a poor man's version of Town Center at 119th and Nall with some nice Christmas lights. It's essentially the only difference at this stage.

This is just wrong, Town Center does not have tennis courts or a run off creek.

but it does have a drug store

[chrizow]

i dont know if it's closing or what, but the Zoom toy store is having an unusual sale right now. most, if not all, of the store is 50-75% off.

[taxi]

Too bad, if that's the case. I love that store and it's one of the few I ever visit on the Plaza.

[MidtownCat]

i dont know if it's closing or what, but the Zoom toy store is having an unusual sale right now. most, if not all, of the store is 50-75% off.

Yeah, I'm sure it's nothing.

[nomadcowatbk]

i dont know if it's closing or what, but the Zoom toy store is having an unusual sale right now. most, if not all, of the store is 50-75% off.

isn't this time of year slow for toy sales?

[flyingember]

i dont know if it's closing or what, but the Zoom toy store is having an unusual sale right now. most, if not all, of the store is 50-75% off.

isn't this time of year slow for toy sales?

after Christmas, yes

[KCtoBrooklyn]

A new project just showed up on the city's development tracker map: 4711 Belleview on the west edge of the Plaza. 6 Story, 167 unit apartment building. Designed by everyone's favorite, NSPJ.

The building is bland enough and short enough that it hopefully shouldn't offend the "Save Our Plaza" folks. It is replacing surface parking and vacant land. That is probably the best thing I can say about this project:

http://maps.kcmo.org/kcgis/rest/service ... ments/8968

[AlbertHammond]

A new project just showed up on the city's development tracker map: 4711 Belleview on the west edge of the Plaza. 6 Story, 167 unit apartment building. Designed by everyone's favorite, NSPJ.

Another sad way to destroy the relationship to the public realm...
Shaded areas are where the parking garage is next to the streetscape. Very destructive to the pedestrian experience.

[missingkc]

How should the pedestrian experience be solved? Not only in this instance, but generally?

[Eon Blue]

Active street frontage...retail, walk-up units, etc. Go walk down Delaware between 3rd & Independence or Walnut south of City Market, then walk down 3rd west of Wyandotte and observe the difference.