Downtown Needs Some Basics Now!!!!!

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:28 am

Downtown (KCK) Needs Some Basics Now!!!!!

We need:

1. A large grocery store, the shitty, small, and over priced Apple Market can die.
2. A Wal-mart, I mean come on, the nearest store other than Family Dollar is 6 or 7 miles away from the majority of the population of KCK.
3. Entertainment, I know we are poor, but we don't just sit and stare at the wall all day, at least give us a movie theater.
4. Restaurants, huge selection of chinese and mexican within a mile, not to mention fast food, but nothing else, at least get a Cici's, Pizza Street, or Ryan's near here.

We don't need:

1. ANY MORE CHURCHES!!!!!
2. Blighted houses surrounding downtown
3. Any more government buildings
4. Pan-handlers, literally this place is full of people who want money, rides, help, or something. I hate it when I go downtown, I have at least 2 or 3 people bothering me.

Post by **staubio** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 10:37 am

You want a Wal-Mart in downtown KCK? I don't think that would do much to change the city stereotypes.

No offense -- I know Wal-Mart is holding you over right now -- but I wouldn't wish for a Wal-Mart anywhere, but particularly not in the urban core. I don't see Wal-Mart gracefully integrating a store into the streetscape like Target did in MPLS, and that only happened after lobbing gobs of tax incentives at them.

Post by **bahua** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 12:04 pm

Walmart doesn't play well with other businesses. It kills them. It targets and kills them. To want walmart in any part of your town is to welcome blight.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 12:38 pm

staubio wrote:You want a Wal-Mart in downtown KCK? I don't think that would do much to change the city stereotypes.

No offense -- I know Wal-Mart is holding you over right now -- but I wouldn't wish for a Wal-Mart anywhere, but particularly not in the urban core. I don't see Wal-Mart gracefully integrating a store into the streetscape like Target did in MPLS, and that only happened after lobbing gobs of tax incentives at them.

Im not talking about aesthetically looking good, or helping downtown become a huge beautiful place. Im talking about giving the people who live in this area, what they need, which just happens to be a wal-mart. I know that big box stores are ugly, but it has to be better than blighted neighborhoods, empty buildings, and decaying structures.

Post by **bahua** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 4:47 pm

Walmart creates blighted neighborhoods, and protects their status as such, and it has little to do with its appearance. Getting a walmart in downtown KCK is a short term solution with disastrous long-term effects.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 5:15 pm

How can it create a blighted neighborhood? They are all already blighted!!!!!! Take a look around, aside from the brand new housing they built for low income people, the area is surrounded by old, ugly, trashy, dirty houses that appear to be falling apart except when you face the reality that people live there.

Besides they build brand new wal-marts in the fancy JOCO suburbs, and a supercenter hires 500 people. I don't see the area around 75th street at the Overland Park wal-mart as blighted. I mean they keep building more and more out in Overland Park. OP has 6 wal-mart stores if you include the neighborhood markets and sam's club. Is OP blighted? I don't think so. This is a silly comment.

Right now, and for a very long time, inner city KCK residents have had almost no choice in any sort of retail. How can you convince anyone to move into an area, when you can't even name a store within 5 miles that sells new clothing. These jobs can go to some of the 13% of KCK residents who are unemployed.

I am done, I know its hard for you to understand what my point is, I tend to ramble on at times.

Post by **staubio** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 6:19 pm

DeadManWalking wrote: inner city KCK residents have had almost no choice in any sort of retail

Well, Wal-Mart will be sure to take care of any choice you might have if they come to down. They would drive all other potential players out of this market in a hurry.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Tue Jan 13, 2004 7:25 pm

staubio wrote:
DeadManWalking wrote: inner city KCK residents have had almost no choice in any sort of retail
Well, Wal-Mart will be sure to take care of any choice you might have if they come to down. They would drive all other potential players out of this market in a hurry.

Uh what other potential buyers? Don't know if you have been around here lately.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 12:38 am

Unfortunately, I have to agree with DMW here. The only thing that downtown WYCO has goin' for it now is family-owned eateries, ethnic specialty stores and some places that sell artificial/fake name brand clothing. These places will still survive with a Wal-mart in place.

Post by **staubio** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 1:34 am

Well... that will be the only thing that is going for it in the future. Get Wal-Mart and you won't get anything else. I'm not saying Wal-Mart creates blight, but I think it would prevent strong infill investment in the future. It is going to be hard to get rid of the smiling Wal-Mart once you change your mind and KCK starts to come around -- you'll be stuck with them and they'll hold you down.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 1:38 am

staubio wrote:Well... that will be the only thing that is going for it in the future. Get Wal-Mart and you won't get anything else. I'm not saying Wal-Mart creates blight, but I think it would prevent strong infill investment in the future. It is going to be hard to get rid of the smiling Wal-Mart once you change your mind and KCK starts to come around -- you'll be stuck with them and they'll hold you down.

Many on this forum think downtown KCK will never come around.

nota · Post by **nota** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 8:30 am

DeadManWalking wrote:How can it create a blighted neighborhood? They are all already blighted!!!!!! Take a look around, aside from the brand new housing they built for low income people, the area is surrounded by old, ugly, trashy, dirty houses that appear to be falling apart except when you face the reality that people live there.

Besides they build brand new wal-marts in the fancy JOCO suburbs, and a supercenter hires 500 people. I don't see the area around 75th street at the Overland Park wal-mart as blighted. I mean they keep building more and more out in Overland Park. OP has 6 wal-mart stores if you include the neighborhood markets and sam's club. Is OP blighted? I don't think so. This is a silly comment.

Right now, and for a very long time, inner city KCK residents have had almost no choice in any sort of retail. How can you convince anyone to move into an area, when you can't even name a store within 5 miles that sells new clothing. These jobs can go to some of the 13% of KCK residents who are unemployed.

I am done, I know its hard for you to understand what my point is, I tend to ramble on at times.

Set your sights a little higher. Look for a Target if you want a good neighbor store. They attract higher caliber neighbors too.

Post by **bahua** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 6:14 pm

How is Target appreciably different from Walmart? It's another big-box store, that employs people for next to nothing, puts almost any other store out of business, and thus creates poverty.