Tornado tower resurfaces

[jayhawkjames]

Hi all. I've been reading many posts on this board for a year now, but decided to finally register.  Took this article from the Bonner Springs Chieftain...

http://www.bonnersprings.com/section/news/story/7879

Tornado tower resurfaces
Chieftain staff

Thursday, January 12, 2006

The Bonner Springs City Council reached a consensus Monday to enter into a development agreement to erect a 650-foot "Tornado Tower" near 110th and Riverview.

At its meeting Monday, the Council heard a presentation by Tom and Diane Overby and Norman Garr for a development proposal for the Kansas Landmark Tower Project. The three presented their vision of an entertainment and tourism attraction that would consist of a 650-foot tower shaped like an active tornado, 143,00 square feet of retail and entertainment, an IMAX theater and an amusement center.

The project is similar to one proposed in Edwardsville last year.

The council reached a consensus to go forward in negotiating a development agreement with the project's backers. Marcia Ashford, economic devolment director of the city, said the agreement would require the investors to pay the city's up-front costs for the project's land --75 acres south of Riverview and west of 110th Street -- to be made a redevelopment district, which is necessary to secure sales tax or other kinds of bond funding for the project.


650 feet!  That's 20 feet taller than the St. Louis Arch!  I know this guy has been trying to get this project off the ground for several years, so I don't know what to think. 

I live just north of the speedway, and I am assuming this location is very near the 110th street exit on I-70.  I might have to go check out the proposed site after work.

[KCMax]

Good Lord no .

Why celebrate a tornado? Are the citizens of New Orleans going to build a statue of a hurricane????

[kard]

It will contrast nicely with the crosses and Jesus billboards.

[Highlander]

Kansas residents would do well to disassociate themselves to all references to Tornadoes and the Wizard of Oz.  Nothing has done more to hurt the state's image than the Wicked Witch of the west riding here bicycle across the flat dusty Kansas plain in pursuit of Dorothy and Toto followed by the ensuing storm.  Kansas City's image has been in a decades-long slump through guilt by name association.

Let Oklahoma  build it, they and northern central Texas (whose motto should be: Even more flat than Kansas) have the highest incidence of tornadoes per area unit per year.   

[Hillykansas,batman]

I heard that in the original book that the movie was based off of, Dorothy lived in Nebraska, but the people making the movie decided to move her to Kansas.  Is that true?

[jayhawkjames]

Well, I checked out the location of the proposed site. 

It’s exactly where I thought it was going to be.  If you are traveling East bound on I-70, a person would take the 110th street exit.  If you take a left off the 110th street exit, this is main entry/exit for the Kansas Speedway off of I-70.

If you take a right and go 1 block, that is Riverview street where this site is proposed.

What can I say about the area?  It’s about ¼th mile off of I-70.  The 75 acres is currently pasture, and appears to be very hilly.  The site is surrounded by a few homes with very large lots.  The first home before you hit Riverview probably sits on 10 acres, and has a very nice collection of El Commino’s scattered behind the house.  It appeared that much of the surrounding farmland was for sale and zoned for commercial use.

So if anyone cares, that is the skinny.

[bahua]

It's always better to annex and build on farmland than to infill neighborhoods that would be perfect for such a development. Yank yank.

But a 650-foot tornado sculpture kind of seems like a giant "Kick Me" sign for Kansas.

[BVC]

Man, was I stoked to read this...  What a beacon for my birth state and childhood home...  What are you guys so negative about, this thing is awesome...



I'd rather read post frm Michael all day than look at this thing one time...

[kard]

I'd expect it to be built and immediately destroyed by a tornado.

[bahua]

I almost spat breakfast liquid all over my keyboard, just now.

[KCMax]

I heard that in the original book that the movie was based off of, Dorothy lived in Nebraska, but the people making the movie decided to move her to Kansas.  Is that true?

I think the book never mentions where Dorothy is from, only calling it flat and gray, so draw your own conclusions. I think the Wizard was from Omaha though.

[dangerboy]

But a 650-foot tornado sculpture kind of seems like a giant "Kick Me" sign for Kansas.

It's important to have something in the pipeline, so it can be ready to go when Letterman and Leno get ready for something to replace the evolution jokes.  Kudos to Kansas for keeping the coastal comics well stocked with material.

[warwickland]

i suspect lawrence is going to establish itself as an independent and walled city-state any time now. it's too bad the university of kansas is called the university of kansas.

[GRID]

Anybody up for a petition?  We can start this weekend at Sunfresh in Westport, Clay Chastains old hangout.

"Do you as a resident of Kansas City, Missouri wish to change the name of your city ...."

It's long overdue.

Westport, hell I don't care, possemtrot!  Gotta be better than "Kansas" City.

KCMO could not be any different than the image that KS potrays it as.

[lock+load]

Anybody up for a petition?  We can start this weekend at Sunfresh in Westport, Clay Chastains old hangout.

"Do you as a resident of Kansas City, Missouri wish to change the name of your city ...."

It's long overdue.

Westport, hell I don't care, possemtrot!  Gotta be better than "Kansas" City.

KCMO could not be any different than the image that KS potrays it as.

This is retarded.  Missouri is as assbackward as Kansas.  For you to pontificate about "Kansas" being what holds Kansas City back is absurd.  No one outside of Kansas City has heard of "Westport," oh except those in St. Louis that have their own Westport.  Way to drive your city into oblivion.

[dangerboy]

I'm always pushing for Kauffman City, so as to keep the initials KC...

[ShowME]

Another reason why I'm glad the state of Missouri has St. Louis and the Gateway Arch.  This fits Kansas perfectly!

[BVC]

Anybody up for a petition?  We can start this weekend at Sunfresh in Westport, Clay Chastains old hangout.

"Do you as a resident of Kansas City, Missouri wish to change the name of your city ...."

It's long overdue.

Westport, hell I don't care, possemtrot!  Gotta be better than "Kansas" City.

KCMO could not be any different than the image that KS potrays it as.

Hate to break it to you GRID but Missouri was "The Wizard of Oz" away from being shit all over in lieu of Kansas.  Maybe keep it in mind if that can fit in with the repugnantly loathsome attitude for Kansas, JoCo, etc.  The best part of having moved to a different metro is that the attitudes are fresh, optimistic, and invincible.  GRID's sort of comments do NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING for the area except give 60% of the metro something to bitch about.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Never mind the fact that the "developer" is a lone crackpot who will never have the financial backing to actually pull this off - this is clearly a perfect opportunity to bash Kansas.    God forbid this forum would ever let an opportunity to stereotype and bash Kansas and Kansans pass us by.  The militant anti-Kansas crowd can't ever take the high road.  Oh - no, not here,  its time to start talking about changing the name of the city like a bunch of raving lunatics.    ](*,)

[BVC]

Never mind the fact that the "developer" is a lone crackpot who will never have the financial backing to actually pull this off - this is clearly a perfect opportunity to bash Kansas.    God forbid this forum would ever let an opportunity to stereotype and bash Kansas and Kansans pass us by.  The militant anti-Kansas crowd can't ever take the high road.  Oh - no, not here,  its time to start talking about changing the name of the city like a bunch of raving lunatics.    ](*,)

Good point, one dipshit hillbilly is somehow representative of an entire state to this site's "braintrust."