Jo Co's bid for H&R Block

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Fri Dec 19, 2003 6:56 pm

The Star mentioned that Jo Co's offer for the H&R Block location was across the street from Sprint on Nall. I guess since Sprint has been puking all over itself for past couple years, they thought they could stop the bleeding by adding more corporate jobs across the street.

Although I spend time in Jo Co and have friends and relatives that live there, the attempt is just another example of screwed up suburban mentality. They don't understand that Block wanted an actual environment, not a box at an intersection. It also seems like So Jo Co wanted Block there because they were worried about losing their affluent dominance in the metro.

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 12:47 pm

freaking poachers.

Good2Great · Post by **Good2Great** » Sat Dec 20, 2003 10:50 pm

KC wrote:freaking poachers.

Will you wise up??! I can say with 1000000% confidence that Kansas did not approach H&R Block, but rather it was H&R Block (or it's consultant) that requested a proposal.

Your glass ceiling has turned into a box...... (break glass in case brain in inaccessable)

ShowME · Post by **ShowME** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 3:55 am

Maybe corporations will realize that the state of Kansas is an absolute joke. Does the state have any character or backbone to speak of. Yes we know about the Flint Hill's.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 9:40 am

ShowME wrote:Maybe corporations will realize that the state of Kansas is an absolute joke. Does the state have any character or backbone to speak of. Yes we know about the Flint Hill's.

And what exactly do they do that is different from any other state? Kentucky offers incentives and tax breaks to lure businesses from Cincinnati...NJ from NYC...Indiana from Chicago...etc. It's all about greed...America was built on it.

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 12:36 pm

I don't care who approached who......that type of activity doesn't help anybody in the metro. I'm sure there are millions of companies looking to move from a metro like Cinci to somewhere else but the burbs never look to pull them in....I'm sure they ask for RFQ's as well....wonder why that is?

This type of activity no matter which side of the state it happens on is bad and the reason I wish this metro wasn't on a state line.

Giving tax breaks to build in greenfields is even worse.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 3:12 pm

Why doesnt KC go after more companies outside of the metro too? All that shit talking about Kansas trying to steal companies and Missouri tries to get Waddell and Reed. Meanwhile the only thing KCK can steal from KCMO is the shrine rodeo. Wisen up, all Kansans arent out to get Missouri. Some of us are content living in our farms bailing hay.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Sun Dec 21, 2003 8:58 pm

KC wrote:I wish this metro wasn't on a state line.

I'm glad our metro is on a State Line. Gives me two states to be proud of instead of one. Greed is greed, and I absolutely hate greedy fvckers! If there wasn't a State Line, maybe a suburb like Blue Springs or Lee's Summit would've taken on the role as an Olathe or Overland Park and would be tryin' to lure companies outside of downtown. You can say they wouldn't, but suburban office parks need tenants too. Look at St. Louis, the surrounding Missouri cities (St. Charles, Chesterfield, Maryland Heights, etc.) have been stealin' businesses from St. Louis city through incentives.

kcmajik · Post by **kcmajik** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 2:21 am

you have a very good point...hmmmmm.......

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 9:18 am

problem is with 2 states you don't have one state board governing all of these tax breaks....you have 2 states competing so one state can try to "outbid" the other.

DMW.....you need to understand what I'm saying. I don't like it EITHER direction......nobody is winning. I'm fine with W&R staying in KS...although they used to be in MO until the tax breaks were such that they moved. I agree that the entire metro (listening KCADC?) needs to get their butts outside of the metro and bring in some new blood.

Good2Great · Post by **Good2Great** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:16 am

KC wrote: (listening KCADC?) .

KCADC goes out of its way to stay out of RETENTION projects in the metro. 99% or MORE of their effort is focused on recruiting from around the country. Dragging them into this discussion is evidence of your limited knowledge of KC Development. Nice website though. Stick with the pretty pictures and leave the dialogue to those in the game.

KCPowercat · Post by **KCPowercat** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:23 am

I understand they recruit from outside the area, that's why I named them....I think they should be doing a better job.

http://www.smartkc.com/1_kcnews/1c_arti ... c_2003.htm

I don't see this as a "great" job for them this year.

Highlights -

$5M donut factory
$11M Oldcastle production factory
$5M Liftetime distribution factory
BNSF jobs in topeka

Yup, I'm not in the game...if I was, I'd be embarrassed at the job I was doing.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 8:35 am

KC wrote:I understand they recruit from outside the area, that's why I named them....I think they should be doing a better job.

http://www.smartkc.com/1_kcnews/1c_arti ... c_2003.htm

I don't see this as a "great" job for them this year.

Highlights -

$5M donut factory
$11M Oldcastle production factory
$5M Liftetime distribution factory
BNSF jobs in topeka

Yup, I'm not in the game...if I was, I'd be embarrassed at the job I was doing.

I checked out that page and that council seems to be targeting blue collar businesses. This is not a bad thing, however we want bigger names with more employees. A manufacturing plant in fairfax that hires 60 people is great, but what about an employer of 100 or more people? What about a company that most people have heard of? What about regional HQ's, or world HQ's?

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:57 pm

You're absolutely right DeadMan...

A lot of places think that because somewhere has a certain reputation as being industrial or blighted that attracting jobs equates factories. This kind of thinking must stop. In order to revitalize cities, there must be well-paid and even high paid employees there. Economic development needs to mean more than keeping American Airlines by subsidizing them or attracting a new tool plant by TIFs. Kansas trying to attract Block at 119th and Nall typifies this kind of thinking. But Block wanted a cool locationa that meant something as well as a good deal. Hell, if urban Kansas City, Kansas would've offered Block an inventive, financially viable location that created an attractive environment-- they might have been higher on the list than OP.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 9:09 am

trailerkid wrote:You're absolutely right DeadMan...

A lot of places think that because somewhere has a certain reputation as being industrial or blighted that attracting jobs equates factories. This kind of thinking must stop. In order to revitalize cities, there must be well-paid and even high paid employees there. Economic development needs to mean more than keeping American Airlines by subsidizing them or attracting a new tool plant by TIFs. Kansas trying to attract Block at 119th and Nall typifies this kind of thinking. But Block wanted a cool locationa that meant something as well as a good deal. Hell, if urban Kansas City, Kansas would've offered Block an inventive, financially viable location that created an attractive environment-- they might have been higher on the list than OP.

Problem is that area doesnt exist, so KCK was out of the running before it even started. Not that it mattered, but Im glad H&R Block chose downtown. This is where the oppurtunity for true tourism to Kansas City is a good possibility.

Post by **mean** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 2:01 pm

Problem is that area doesnt exist, so KCK was out of the running before it even started.

I don't see why downtown KCK couldn't be a viable option. Build a HQ on top of a parking garage across from the Brotherhood Building or something. There are several spots around 8th and State that could have had potential if offered with the right incentives. Not that Block would really want to leave KCMO, they've always been pretty loyal, but that doesn't mean KCK couldn't be attracting something down there.

-Associate in Applied Science, major Computer Info. Systems, June 2000, GPA 3.5
-CompTia A+ Certification, Oct. 2003
-Bachelors of Science, major Technical Management, Devry University, Fall 2004
-Current Job = Wal-Mart.....

I don't intend to derail this thread, but your sig caught my eye, as I'm a completely non-educated highschool dropout with no secondary education and no certifications, and I work as a programmer / analyst / DBA for a marketing firm. WTF? Twisted.

KCK · Post by **KCK** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 5:44 pm

mean wrote:
Problem is that area doesnt exist, so KCK was out of the running before it even started.
I don't see why downtown KCK couldn't be a viable option. Build a HQ on top of a parking garage across from the Brotherhood Building or something. There are several spots around 8th and State that could have had potential if offered with the right incentives. Not that Block would really want to leave KCMO, they've always been pretty loyal, but that doesn't mean KCK couldn't be attracting something down there.

-Associate in Applied Science, major Computer Info. Systems, June 2000, GPA 3.5
-CompTia A+ Certification, Oct. 2003
-Bachelors of Science, major Technical Management, Devry University, Fall 2004
-Current Job = Wal-Mart.....
I don't intend to derail this thread, but your sig caught my eye, as I'm a completely non-educated highschool dropout with no secondary education and no certifications, and I work as a programmer / analyst / DBA for a marketing firm. WTF? Twisted.

If you notice I wont actually earn the bachelors until next year, however I have 2 associates degrees, and my A+ certification, and Im working on my Linux+ and MCP. If all else fails I will go into business for myself.

Back to the subject, KCK wouldn't have been a viable option because:

1. The city government(Marinovich) was not interested in it (biggest problem)
2. The best places for Block to have built would have required tearing down existing infrastructure
3. KCK's image would not have been seen as appealing to Block.

There are more reasons, but these are the big ones. The mayor isn't interested in any downtown KCK development that isn't federal buildings or Unified Government buildings. I wish I could find a few investors interested in building some mid rise office buildings in downtown KCK. Im not looking for a huge skyline, but just a modest one to let people know that more than farmers live here when they look over the river. Besides downtown KCK is so much closer to downtown KCMO than Overland Park is, and it receives probably more tax breaks than OP can because of its urban blighted infrastructure. So how is OP swaying business away so far south of downtown?

Post by **mean** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 7:17 pm

KCK wouldn't have been a viable option because:

1. The city government(Marinovich) was not interested in it (biggest problem)
2. The best places for Block to have built would have required tearing down existing infrastructure
3. KCK's image would not have been seen as appealing to Block.

Marinovich is probably a lot more interested in western WyCo. I guess that is one of the unfortunate side effects of the unified government. I wouldn't give up on KCK, though. The city is located in a very good spot to take advantage of downtown KCMO's current boom.