Finally, some sensible commentary from the star

[LenexatoKCMO]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 920657.htm


COMMENTARYLet’s not settle for another refurbishmentBy JOE DONNELLYGuest ColumnistVision: unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight.
This is one definition of the word vision. Over the years our city has been led by men and women of great vision. They have come from the private, public and religious sectors.
In recent years, however, our leaders have lost their sense of vision. They’ve lost their stomach for making hard choices, which has resulted in a floundering downtown and an exodus to the suburbs.
Here are a few examples of that lack of vision:
■ Kemper Arena. Built on cheap land in the wrong place. What growth did Kemper spur in the West Bottoms? Nothing. No hotels, restaurants or jobs.
Finished in 1974 at a cost of $22 million, it became obsolete in the early 1990s.
Rather than fixing the bigger problem and relocating the arena, the city spent $24 million to refurbish it. What did this return to Kansas City? 2,000 extra seats. How many times since 1997 have those seats been full? How much additional tax revenue did they generate? How many jobs did they create?
■ Truman Sports Complex. Built on cheap land in the wrong place. Beautiful stadiums? Without question. What growth has this facility spurred? With the exception of the former Adam’s Mark hotel, nothing. Outside the sports complex, very few jobs or tax revenue has been generated for Jackson County. Where are the restaurants, bars and souvenir shops? Where are the jobs?
Now let’s consider what the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority is asking the citizens of Jackson County to do: refurbish Kauffman Stadium at a cost of $220 million. What purpose does this serve in the long run? It provides the Royals with a wonderful baseball facility and allows owner David Glass the opportunity to earn more revenue, which hopefully will translate into a competitive team.
But the more important question is: Who reaps the financial rewards of this investment besides David Glass? No one. Some say commercial development is being considered for the area surrounding the stadium. Where has that idea been since 1972?
Now let’s dream for a moment. Think about spending $350 million to $450 million and moving the baseball stadium downtown. Build it within walking distance of the Sprint Center, the Power & Light District and the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center. Dream of 100 events a year at the Sprint Center, 75 events a year at the Performing Arts Center and 81 baseball games a year. Millions of new people coming downtown.
This translates into more hotels, more restaurants, more retail stores and, yes, maybe people moving back downtown. Grocery stores. Gas stations. Do we dare dream light rail? More hotel rooms may mean more conventions and greater utilization of Bartle Hall. It’s more tax revenue, more jobs and a stronger community.
To see what great vision can accomplish, we must only look to our west and marvel at the crossroads of Interstate 70 and Interstate 435. This is possible when the public and private sector work together for a common cause. Kansas Speedway is the foundation. Built on that foundation are Cabela’s, Nebraska Furniture Mart, hotels and restaurants. The return on investment of this effort is new jobs and new tax revenue for Wyandotte County for many years to come.
Our city and our community are capable of great things. The leaders of all of our communities must have the courage to look over the horizon and dream great dreams. We don’t need Band-Aids. We need leadership and solutions.
Our entire community is responsible for our future. The solution should not be borne by the Jackson County taxpayer alone. I live in Overland Park, and I am willing to spend my tax dollars for a vibrant downtown.
Let’s not settle for another “Kemper refurbishment.â€

[kard]

God that was a great article!!!  I got excited just reading it.

[KCMax]

Excellent commentary. Great parallels, well-reasoned, great structure.

I wonder how many people are sitting on the fence about this though. Seems like people on either side are clinging pretty fervently to their side saying either "we'll lose the teams", "downtown baseball is better", or "we don't want to subsidize sports." On KC Week in Review however, the panel said polling shows its about 50-50 right now, so I guess persuading just a few voters could have a huge impact.

[GRID]

Great article.  One thing though, why do we have to keep comparing downtown to village west, the two could not be more different when it comes to development.  Throwing big box retail and parking lots on a field in an area that was sorely lacking in retail options is vastly different than rebuilding an aging urban core of a big city.  We should be looking at other urban centers not a beltway retail area.  But whatever it takes for people to understand the main point of the article and I think most people in this town relate more to Village West than to LoDo.

Otherwise, awesome.

Vote no, do this right or just don't do it at all.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Great article.  One thing though, why do we have to keep comparing downtown to village west, the two could not be more different when it comes to development.  Throwing big box retail and parking lots on a field in an area that was sorely lacking in retail options is vastly different than rebuilding an aging urban core of a big city.  We should be looking at other urban centers not a beltway retail area.  But whatever it takes for people to understand the main point of the article and I think most people in this town relate more to Village West than to LoDo.

I think the benefit of the Village West example for those of us arguing for a new park is that it can be played up as a situation where a city did something bold, dramatic and progressive with sports facilities and reaped big time development as a result.  It contrasts very nicely with the Kemper rehab, where the city did something rather timid and short sighted and reaped no development benefit.  Of course we don't want a giant furniture store or big box hunting goods downtown, but that scale of development spin off would be damn nice. 

[kard]

Also with the Village West comparison...  It might plant the idea in some that the stadiums don't need to GO to Village West--they can be part of their own Village West Down Town.

And that was a great history of Kemper areana--doing renovations there wasn't the best idea.  And we shouldn't let the rumor of development at TSC persuade us that the renovations will cause it--that's been said for how long?

[knucklehead]

Wyco has provided $500 million in tax subsidies to village west (that figure will increase to over 700 milliion if the water park is built). You pass out those kind of tax subsidies anywhere and you will get some development.

The whole theory supporting the Village West subsidies is that Wyco was such a barren wasteland that it could give away the sales tax revenue because the sales lost to the new stores at villiage west would have occurred in Joco and missouri if village west had not been built. Therefore they were not giving up any taxes that Wyco would have collected itself.

It is the rob they neighbor philosophy. Not exactly something to be admired.

[TheNorthlander]

Wyco has provided $500 million in tax subsidies to village west (that figure will increase to over 700 milliion if the water park is built). You pass out those kind of tax subsidies anywhere and you will get some development.

Except at TSC.

[GRID]

I don't want to "develop" the TSC, first of all, you have millions of sq ft of retail east of the TSC serving the eastern part of the metro, secondly, it would not help the game experience out there.  Does it matter if there are stores on Blue Ridge Cuttoff or not?  No, the stadium is still an island.

The county needs to sell that land for hotels, even light industrial, for no other reason than to put it to use and make it not look so damn rural or countryfied.

Build the ballpark downtown and rebuild or build a new at the TSC.  Period.  Anything else it a total waste of money.

[dangerboy]

Folks, this is a guest column and is the writer's own opinion. It'ts not a Star columnist or editorial writer.  They always let people write opposing columns when the paper itself takes a position, and the Star is 99% certain to endorse this if they haven't already.

[KCMax]

This guest columnist will be on 810 this afternoon. I think Kietzman said he owns a loft property or something like that.

[lock+load]

Dude lives in OP.  While I appreciate a perspective in the Star other than that of Yael "blue shirt" Abholukah, I don't think Jackson County voters are going to be too persuaded by the opinion of a suburban onlooker.

[KCPowercat]

yeah the guy lost me when he started with the Village west comparision.  Using that example, one could easily write an equally compelling commentary that calls for renovations at TSC and doing a village west type development (with an IKEA????)