Craig Glazer editorial in the Star

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 7:50 am

The Glazers truly are clueless. Not only is this guest column short-sided, simplistic, and ignorant to the real issues facing our city, but its also written poorly. The Star loses credibility for even approaching him. The only reason Glazer wishes Westport to expand into a larger entertainment district is for self-serving reasons. The bottom line is Westport is a neat neighborhood...it's not Bourbon Street....not Beale Street...LEAVE IT ALONE!! The best way to further KC's standing in the great cities of the world is to develop other parts of the city, not overdevelop a neighborhood not capable of handling the massive crowds Glazer thinks Westport needs. His hole-in-the-wall club is lucky to even be in business. Maybe Steiner will bring in a comedy club in Zona Rosa to rid KC of the Glazer family and their antics. Oh yeah...where's your reality TV show Glazer, you loser???

KC should focus on Plaza, Westport

By CRAIG GLAZERSpecial to The Star
Everybody complains about all the problems in Kansas City. We point fingers and we are quick to blame others for our shortcomings as a major metropolitan city.

Let me take this opportunity to offer my expertise on how to turn our city around.

Downtown Kansas City, sad to say, is not going to be turned around anytime soon. What Kansas City needs to concentrate on is making the two winning areas better, the Country Club Plaza and Westport. The Plaza, mostly through private investment, has made a big comeback in the last two years. This has been accomplished by adding more restaurants and night spots, improved shopping and the new movie theaters. All the Plaza needs now is better regional and national promotion and even more evening entertainment.

Westport will never be the Plaza, and it shouldn't be. Westport is Kansas City's only major entertainment district. There are some landlords there now that would like to change Westport into an office and condo apartment area with only a couple of restaurants and bars in the area. A major city needs an entertainment district. Westport really doesn't need to become an industrial park with some apartments.

So here's how to fix it:

The city needs to make a financial investment in its entertainment and freshen Westport. It needs a face-lift with cobblestone streets, new wider sidewalks, lights and more ornate entryways.

The area needs to be allowed to approve more liquor licenses and encourage new restaurants and retail stores that fit an entertainment environment.

More evening activities should be added, including additional food vendors and collapsible kiosks to be placed on streets and sidewalks.

To get rid of the late-night teenager problem, the police department needs to root out bad behavior early in the evening and encourage people who are bothering others to leave. Loitering and hanging out in parking lots cannot be allowed. None of these things are allowed in any entertainment district around the country, so why should they be allowed in Westport?

An entertainment district needs to be run by people that have a proven track record in fixing what is broken. Regarding entertainment in Kansas City, that is a short list. For the Westport area that would include Bill Nigro; Stewart Solomon, who operated Fall-Out and XO; Dave McQuitty, nightclub owner; Chris Fritz, concert promoter; John Lundquist, Beaumont concert promoter; and myself. I am sure there are others but not many.

Westport needs to add parking by adding double- and triple-decking to existing parking lots.

For less than $25 million, or the price of two good baseball players, you can rejuvenate Westport in less than 18 months. The rewards are huge. More city and state taxes, jobs and the buildup of residential living around Westport would happen.

Yes, it comes with a price. But saying no to everything and putting on the brakes to growth has led us to where we are. It's time to fix Westport. If we don't make these changes, we will have to change the name of our city to Des Moines.

Craig Glazer is operations director for Stanford & Sons Restaurant & Comedy House in Westport. He lives in Kansas City.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Â© 2003 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kansascity.com

Hey guys...Glazer said the Plaza made a comeback...I guess we're lucky cause it was looking like the Plaza would turn into another Bannister Mall...freaking moron

KCN · Post by **KCN** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 12:30 pm

He makes some valid points but yeah, it's obvious that he only wants Westort to succeed for his own benefit. I see great things entertainment-wise in downtown's future and there's nothing he can do about it.

kc_devotee · Post by **kc_devotee** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 2:42 pm

I doubt the Star approached him...he likely just submitted this op-ed.

kc_devotee · Post by **kc_devotee** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 2:42 pm

I doubt the Star approached him...he likely just submitted this op-ed.

Post by **dangerboy** » Sun Jul 20, 2003 3:58 pm

Westport can't handle the current load, it would be stupid to add more bars. As many on here have discussed before, the best thing for Westport and the rest of the city is to move the big clubs Downtown where there is plenty of space, parking, and need for activity. Westport would do much better as a neighborhood entertainment center, not a regional entertainment district. It simply isn't big enough, and there is nowhere to expand it.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Mon Jul 21, 2003 5:40 pm

dangerboy wrote:Westport can't handle the current load, it would be stupid to add more bars. As many on here have discussed before, the best thing for Westport and the rest of the city is to move the big clubs Downtown where there is plenty of space, parking, and need for activity. Westport would do much better as a neighborhood entertainment center, not a regional entertainment district. It simply isn't big enough, and there is nowhere to expand it.

Although it would be nice to build an entertainment district from the ground up in downtown near the former Power & Light District, I think it would be easier to focus on the areas around and along Broadway (in downtown). Add some more "XO" type clubs near places like the Quaff, Peanut, etc. all within easy walkin' distance from one another. While I do think Westport needs "some" of the things that Glazer was discussing, I believe it should remain a unique neighborhood with independent shops, restaurants and pubs. I'd perfer to see places like Have A Nice Day Cafe, America's Pub and XO in downtown.

Post by **bahua** » Tue Jul 22, 2003 4:39 am

QueSi2Opie, yes.

dangerboy, yes.

I agree wholly with you two. I disagree wholly with mister Glazer's idea of adding even more parking to the already swollen ranks of Westport. If he wants KC to be a major city, and have an entertainment district that becomes a major city, then he needs to find ways to discourage people from driving to Westport. I love the idea of building housing within easy walking distance of it, and fail to see how doing so would turn the area into an industrial park.

Industrial parks(according to my opinion of the general thought of it) are suburban spaced out, sprinklered eyesores that make a habit of wasting land. To turn westport into this would not only fundamentally transform the area, but it would also reduce the area's productivity by orders of magnitude.

I like westport, but all it needs, in my opinion, is further encouragement from the city for businesses to open, and further discouragement from the city to people who want to drive to a bar(causing traffic), get drunk, and drive home.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Tue Jul 22, 2003 8:49 pm

bahua wrote:QueSi2Opie, yes.

dangerboy, yes.

I agree wholly with you two. I disagree wholly with mister Glazer's idea of adding even more parking to the already swollen ranks of Westport. If he wants KC to be a major city, and have an entertainment district that becomes a major city, then he needs to find ways to discourage people from driving to Westport. I love the idea of building housing within easy walking distance of it, and fail to see how doing so would turn the area into an industrial park.

Industrial parks(according to my opinion of the general thought of it) are suburban spaced out, sprinklered eyesores that make a habit of wasting land. To turn westport into this would not only fundamentally transform the area, but it would also reduce the area's productivity by orders of magnitude.

I like westport, but all it needs, in my opinion, is further encouragement from the city for businesses to open, and further discouragement from the city to people who want to drive to a bar(causing traffic), get drunk, and drive home.

Westport is like NY's Greenwich Village...the industrial park comment by Glazer was absolutely idiotic. Adding more parking to Westport would kill the unique neighborhood feeling completely. Besides, if you limit parking in Westport, maybe more people would be persuaded to go to places like Aqua, Empire Room, Velvet Dog or even downtown for their entertainment...those places could then burst with late-night street life. Hell, I think that whole area near the weather tower has the potential to boom in the future as an entertainment district. They already have two highly popular clubs right across the street from one another.

FangKC · Post by **FangKC** » Wed Aug 13, 2003 10:47 pm

The problem with expanding Westport is that the people who already live in the adjacent areas complain about the crowds, noise, parking problems, and litter.

Westport doesn't need more bars and clubs. What it does need is more housing to provide residents whom will frequent the existing establishments throughout the week--not just on weekends.

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