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Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 1:49 pm
by Mhudson
In my opinion, KC needs its own identity downtown.  The suburbs are the place for things like Borders, Best Buy, etc.  I agree, Big Box stores like these are very convenient, but I'd love to see more small independent bookstores, move stores, etc.  I guess its obvious that most people would want this, but I live in Chicago as of this moment, and its really nice to be able to walk less than a mile and have a choice of five or six different used book stores.  You don't even need borders or barnes and nobles when you have that kind of selection!

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:26 am
by BigBill33
How about a Whole Foods in the Rivermarket area?

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:37 am
by Sussudio
I would like to see a Whole Foods. I'm not sure where. City Market might not be the spot, but somewhere close.

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:11 pm
by beautyfromashes
My mom shops at the Whole Foods in Kansas and they said they are building a larger Whole Foods on Main to replace the current one.  She said they said they were tearing down the current building and would build in the same place, but, Mom's kind of crazy so maybe she heard that wrong.  That would be a shame because it's a cool building.

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:27 pm
by Sussudio
Are you talking about rebuilding on Main in KCMO? There's not a Whole Foods in Kansas City. There's a Wild Oats on Main that's rather cramped.

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:28 pm
by PumpkinStalker
I was wondering that myself.  I thought it was Wild Oats unless they recently changed.  Surely they wouldn't tear down the cool terra cotta building!  Yes, they probably would.  Maybe a facadectomy?

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:30 pm
by chrizow
whole foods own wild oats now, so i wouldn't be surprised if they closed the wild oats on main and opened a large whole foods store nearby.  hopefully they won't tear down that cool little building.  it is one of the only cool old buildings left on main!  main looks like a more cracked out noland road.

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:32 pm
by LenexatoKCMO
chrizow wrote: whole foods own wild oats now, so i wouldn't be surprised if they closed the wild oats on main and opened a large whole foods store nearby.  hopefully they won't tear down that cool little building.  it is one of the only cool old buildings left on main!  main looks like a more cracked out noland road.
Hard to imagine they could gain much sq footage with a tear down on that lot. 

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:32 pm
by Sussudio
I don't see them tearing it down. I see them relocating. I don't think Whole Foods would try to operate in such a small space. Unless, they like the herb shop next door and decide to overtake that too!

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:33 pm
by chrizow
does whole foods/wild oats even own that building?  the building has several tenants in it. 

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:35 pm
by LenexatoKCMO
I thought there was supposed to be a grocery in the proposed holiday inn redevelopment down the block - I always assumed that the grocery store would be the relocated wild oats/WF. 

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:36 pm
by 910penn
Wasn't there a rumor awhile back of them changing the name to whole foods and going into a new construction building on the site of the holiday inn (near the plaza)?

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:37 pm
by Sussudio
chrizow wrote: does whole foods/wild oats even own that building?  the building has several tenants in it. 
I think they rent/lease.

With the Holiday Inn, are they building it in close proximity?

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:42 pm
by beautyfromashes
Sussudio wrote: I think they rent/lease.

With the Holiday Inn, are they building it in close proximity?
Yeah, I think mom heard it a little wrong.  I think they will close the current store and either build a new one on an empty lot or redevelop an existing building (can we hope for the Katz on Main & Westport?)

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:52 pm
by PumpkinStalker
beautyfromashes wrote: Yeah, I think mom heard it a little wrong.  I think they will close the current store and either build a new one on an empty lot or redevelop an existing building (can we hope for the Katz on Main & Westport?)
Which would be KICK ASS.

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:53 pm
by LenexatoKCMO
Sussudio wrote: With the Holiday Inn, are they building it in close proximity?
Spitting distance.  However, I thought the Holiday Inn project had hit some rocky seas and was in jeapordy.  Perhaps the outlook isn't as dire as reported, or Whole Foods has found a Plan B.  

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:59 pm
by bobbyhawks
I thought it would be good to bring this thread back that was started six years ago to see what progress we have made and if our desires for ammenities downtown have changed. There are certainly things we don't have, but there are also things we have that could be better. Here is a summary of what was desired in the past, and it looks like we are covering the food desires better than the non-food desires:

Food
-Big Grocer (Cosentino's was on the calendar but not open yet)
-Small Corner Grocers (Market 3)
-Kosher Deli (German-style deli set to open in Cosby; Anton's?)
-Trader Joe's (both opened a considerable distance away)
-Bakery (Fervere; Farm to Market relocation)
-Good Bagel Shop
-24 Hour Diner (Fran's opened and closed; Town Topic)

Other
-Music Shop
-Video Store (Red Box @ Cosentino's)
-Book Store
-Electronics Store, aka mini Best Buy
-Express/Old Navy/Gap/etc.
-Macy's
-Urban-style Walmart/Target
-Bath and Body Works (closing in CC)
-Boutique Women's Clothing and Accessories (a few options along Main in P&L)
-Office Supplies

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:11 pm
by loftguy
Relatively speaking, Amazon's food choices are more limiting.

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:34 pm
by mean
Music shop, video, and bookstores are pretty much dead at this point anyway.

Re: ?What New Retail Does Downtown Need?

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 4:26 pm
by taxi
I think the biggest need and one that would likely have the greatest chance at success are an office/electronics store (i.e., Office Depot, Staples).