Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort

[kcmetro]

will schlitt do II and III? or even I? personally, i would be happy if they did none of them, then it is less blight to look at in 20 years when the area is dead.

oh wait, legends and vw will somehow be different then fairyland, blue ridge, bannister, metro north, great mall, etc. somehow, it will be different.......

What development IS THE SAME 20 years after it's first built? I don't know of too many. You're setting this up to be an automatic failure by talking about this 20 year outlook. It's hard to predict anything 20 years down the road. But again, Schlitt won't be just some strip mall. VW, sure, but Schlitt isn't associated with that. It's a giant waterpark that, if built to capacity, will be one of the best in the nation. You're telling me we should turn our backs on something like that, just because other KC area attractions failed after 20 years? Oceans of Fun is still open, right? That was built 25 years ago, and I wouldn't call it a failure, but times change and people want newer attractions to visit. Or would you rather KC resemble an antique store, just so the KS side doesn't surpass the MO side in "cool" things to do?

[KCMax]

Then why don't you go on the Zona Rosa threads, the Independence arena thread, the Lee's Summit ballpark/retail village thread (which has already failed), the Crackerneck thread and talk about how they are fads that won't last? Its amusing you get on VW for being built in the middle of nowhere, yet the two destinations you come on here to cheer on the most  - WoF/OoF and the TSC Complex - were both built in a wheatfield.

You hate Kansas. We all know where you're coming from, and it really lessens any credibility you had left.

[kcdcchef]

Then why don't you go on the Zona Rosa threads, the Independence arena thread, the Lee's Summit ballpark/retail village thread (which has already failed), the Crackerneck thread and talk about how they are fads that won't last? Its amusing you get on VW for being built in the middle of nowhere, yet the two destinations you come on here to cheer on the most  - WoF/OoF and the TSC Complex - were both built in a wheatfield.

You hate Kansas. We all know where you're coming from, and it really lessens any credibility you had left.

why dont some of the same ones of you who talk about how great this is go to those same threads and talk about them with the same excitement?? why does development in cow pastures in eastern jack not get you off like development in wheatfields in kansas does?? the answer? you guys have so much love for kansas that you fail to get excited over suburban missouri development.

it is all sprawl, all shit, and all of it will be blight.

What development IS THE SAME 20 years after it's first built? 

funny, crown center and plaza are 35 years and 80 years old respectively, and yet both still draw 5-7m tourists annually.

[KC0KEK]

Read the title of this thread. This isn't just another Bass Pro. It's a unique attraction, just as Legoland might have been for LS.

[KCTigerFan]

VW has been a great success.  Granted, there are many things I would have liked to see them do different (more walkable and connected elements for one) but it is undeniably a success.  It is also different than Oak Park/Bannister comparisons because they made it a truly mixed-use project with a central focus of the Speedway.  It is a major super-regional draw. 

Schlitterbahn will only add to the attractiveness of the development.  I also think it will put the last nail in the coffin of Oceans of Fun.  If WoF has any forward looking staff, they should be planning on a redesign to focus on the WoF property and life without the waterpark feature.  Anyone who has been to the original Schlitterbahn can attest to how nice this park will be.     

[KC0KEK]

I haven't been to the original Schlit and probably won't go to the KS one, mainly because water parks aren't my thing. But I'll root for it regardless on whether it's in KS or MO.

[3 speed]

man, i guess he's the "laughing on the inside" kind of chef...

[the_shadow]

Chef Boyardee,

so The legends is crap while the power and light district is going to awesome??? the best P&L can do is be on equal footing because I don't see how it could be better with the tenants that have been announced.

For the rest of you: don't pay attention to hypocrite....  he/ possibly a she???..doesn't matter....when we make arguments or opinions and we can't back it up...chef says "thats what I thought..blah blah blah I'm right your wrong" but when chef makes a statement and we challenge chef...chef says "I don't have to justify my self to you".

[KCTigerFan]

I am pro-VW and think it is a nice attraction for KC and the region.  That being said, I don't think you can compare what the P&L will be to VW.  They are designed to be very different types of attractions.  The P&L will have an entertainment mix that is more urban and contemporary.  When the additional Cordish concepts and remainder of tenants are announced I think that will create further seperation between them.  Will there be some overlap?  Yes.  But I think each will quickly establish their USP and both will thrive. 

so The legends is crap while the power and light district is going to awesome??? the best P&L can do is be on equal footing because I don't see how it could be better with the tenants that have been announced.

[chrizow]

so The legends is crap while the power and light district is going to awesome??? the best P&L can do is be on equal footing because I don't see how it could be better with the tenants that have been announced.

whether the P+L will be "awesome" is a matter of opinion, but i think it's pretty clear that the P+L has the potential to absolutely BLOW AWAY the VW/Legends area based on its location.  no matter how kickass the Legends area might be, it is basically 10+ miles from anything else.  by contrast, the P+L will serve as a focal point for the entire urban core.  so while, tenant-for-tenant, you may not find the P+L to be a major win over Legends, when you think about the fact that P+L sits within blocks or a 5-minute drive from the plaza, westport, the crossroads, martini corner, the river market, the sprint center, etc., you see how important synergy and location matter.  P+L is a win in my book because it is one piece of a larger urban puzzle, whereas Legends is a self-contained puzzle in the middle of nowhere.  again, which you prefer is a matter of taste, but for those with urban proclivities, there is no doubt that the P+L and environs is preferable.

[knucklehead]

My problem with Schiiterbahn is the massive tax subsidies it is getting (more than 200 million in tax increment financing).

Since when do we give huge tax subsidies for amusement parks buiilt on greenfields?

Does Worlds of Fun get massive tax subsidies every time it puts in a new rollar coaster?

Legands/Village West/Schitterbahn are getting over $700 million in TIF (Star Bonds which are TIF with a different name).

$700 million is a ton of money.

[KC0KEK]

Agreed on the public subsidies. That shit needs to stop on both sides of the state line.

[aknowledgeableperson]

whether the P+L will be "awesome" is a matter of opinion, but i think it's pretty clear that the P+L has the potential to absolutely BLOW AWAY the VW/Legends area based on its location.  no matter how kickass the Legends area might be, it is basically 10+ miles from anything else.  by contrast, the P+L will serve as a focal point for the entire urban core.  so while, tenant-for-tenant, you may not find the P+L to be a major win over Legends, when you think about the fact that P+L sits within blocks or a 5-minute drive from the plaza, westport, the crossroads, martini corner, the river market, the sprint center, etc., you see how important synergy and location matter.  P+L is a win in my book because it is one piece of a larger urban puzzle, whereas Legends is a self-contained puzzle in the middle of nowhere.  again, which you prefer is a matter of taste, but for those with urban proclivities, there is no doubt that the P+L and environs is preferable.

Funny.  I live in south KC and I can get to either dt or vw or 40 hiway/I70 in just about the same amount of time.  One may be closer by 5 to 10 minutes but if one can park by the door instead of a garage a few blocks away that will make up the time difference.

An urbanite assumes that what is going on in the dt area is lasting but in 10 to 15 years it may just end up being a fad that ended when the next generation came around.

Nobody knows what will be in 5 years let alone 10, 15, or 20. 

[Maitre D]

that was one of the most ignorant things i've seen written in quite some time.....

Oh, I don't know about that.  He's had some real masterpieces on this forum.

[chrizow]

Nobody knows what will be in 5 years let alone 10, 15, or 20. 

really?  you don't say?!

Village West is roughly 30 miles from SKC and the P+L is roughly 16 miles.  if it takes you as long or longer to get to your destination downtown, that's a problem! 

regardless, your comment about distance entirely missed the point i was trying to make.  i wasn't saying that downtown is more proximate to people's residences, i was saying it is more proximate to other attractions.  there is nothing within 10 miles of the Legends area, whereas within a very short distance from the P+L you have the river market, quality hill, crossroads, midtown, the plaza, etc.  there are literally something like 200 (quality) restaurants in that area, probably 100 bars, and lots of options for the arts, nightlife, culture, museums, etc. 

of course no one can predict whether the P+L will "outlast" Legends or whatever and, frankly, i think that's the wrong question to ask.  for the most part, i don't think the P+L and Legends are necessarily competitors aside from the fact that they share a few tenants.  the experiences at each will be totally different, and the reasons for going to either are totally different.  i seriously doubt very many people will be asking themselves "i want famous dave's, should i drive 29 miles to VW or 16 to the P+L?!"  nope.  rather, people will go to either place based on some other consideration.  if you want to buy a TV or some coveralls or attend a race or t-bones game, you'll go to the Legends area and hang out.  if you want to meet friends in the city, attend an event at the sprint center or other downtown venues, blow off steam after work, etc. you'll go to the P+L.

[aknowledgeableperson]

I can go to the VW traveling 65 to 70 miles per hour.  To go to DT for most of the stretch I am traveling at either 45 to 55 miles per hour and have three stop lights to contend with.  That is why travel times are close to being equal.

I see your point about other attractions but given the highway between DT and VW the travel time between the two is not all that great.  Is VW remote?  Yes it is.  But given the area's highway system travel time from one point to another is not all that bad when compared to driving on city streets and waiting on traffic lights and traffic to clear to make a left turn.

[FergMePleez]

I think VW may be more appealing to those of us who live "out west" (Desoto, Eudora, Kansas City (west), Lawrence, Lenexa, Olathe, etc).  It is the one and only of it's kind in the area and offers a variety plate of restaurants, entertainment and shopping.  I was reading about the Pin Up bowling estab. located in VW and it sounds like a very unique experience.  The more widespread the development in the Desoto/ Eudora and Bonner Springs areas, the more traffic is likely to come to VW.  It is definitely a nice alternative to the Oak Park Mall in my opinion.  I would rather hit up the VW shops and eateries over anything surrounding the OP Mall.  I wouldn't compare it to the P&L district as much as I would compare it to the OP Mall and surrounding area.  It is all relative to location and preference. 

[KCMax]

KC Biz journal reports Entertainment Properties has advanced an additional $47.8 million to Schlitt in addition to the $150 million previously committed.

[kcdcchef]

just want to make sure i understand this.......

2 years from now you wheatfield worshippers expect the grandest water park in the world to open, in the middle of a field in kansas, and yet NOTHING has happened yet beyond some road work. and a lot of stuff in print.

umm, yeah, okay. this project is going to be a doozy!!

[3 speed]

jeez, cook, don't look now but your insecurity is showing.  why are you so afraid of kansas?