OFFICIAL: Power & Light District

[trailerkid]

Well doesn't downtown actually have a good number of residents by now?  (RM, Loop, Crossroads).  I mean, we can always use more, but aren't there enough to support these kinds of places?  This is their neighborhood, where they go for groceries, food, bars etc. 

Certainly, if I lived downtown I'd be in Maker's Mark, Howl, and Lucky Strike every night. They're very much neighborhood-oriented businesses. Good call...

[Midtownkid]

I was referring to the whole district...as in the grocery store, restaurants, etc.  I'm sure a bunch of the young professionals who have moved down there since the district opened do frequent those bars, too.  Just cause you don't like them doesn't mean no one does ass hole

[trailerkid]

I was referring to the whole district...as in the grocery store, restaurants, etc.   I'm sure a bunch of the young professionals who have moved down there since the district opened do frequent those bars, too.  Just cause you don't like them doesn't mean no one does ass hole

All I'm saying is that Shane McBlanderson from the River Market driving to Maker's Mark every Thursday wasn't really the idea behind bringing Cordish to KC. The original idea was that P+L would bring in money from the OUTSIDE as it was supposed to be a tourist and entertainment district capable of drawing Sophie Suburbadroid from Overbuilt Park. Of course there are a small handful of tenants geared towards downtown yuppies, but hijacking the concept as a locally driven (especially for a relatively minuscule population of 17,000 spread out in 100+ blocks) enterprise is perverting the original intention and is part of the reason Cordish gets a bad name in this hick town. People in this city have no context whatsoever. It'd be like someone in Chicago dissing the shit out of the Mag Mile because it doesn't have the unique businesses like Wicker Park or Lakeview. Is everyone so fucking small town they don't understand that P+L really is not supposed to replace Westport, Martini Corner or anywhere else? If your business got pwned by P+L (Tanner's or whatever tried to blame Cordish) you don't belong in the restaurant business. Why doesn't Brookside or Waldo start shit with the Plaza/Highwoods ("you're taking all our customers!"). Get a fucking clue people-- this is a big city for God's sake-- act like it.

P+L was a trap for suburbanites and tourists to blow money while in the city-- KCMO jobs produced, revenue collected, part of the city revitalized, etc. For all intensive purposes, P+L spots should have the same connections to its neighborhood as M&S + Fogo have with Plaza residents-- not much. However, many P+L businesses resonate more locally than 90% of the Plaza which is a credit to Cordish. They've added a number of names that people locally like and care about (Peach Tree, AMC, Mixx, Bristol, Flying Saucer, maybe Ted's). The tenants and concept resonate so much that people get offended, bitch, moan complain whenever there is tenant news (not just on this site, but in the mainstream press). Plaza tenant news is pretty ho-hum and everyone expects crappy chains. The fact is that if the P+L was that bad and such a terrible idea-- no one would bitch about Famous Dave's or parking or the lack of retail. It's obvious they've touched a big nerve in this community and that's why they dominate the press with any/all news. However, we desperately need money from outside coming in to support that place-- a BIG reason that HQ hotel needs to got up quickly in addition to the Cordish hotel/condo tower. We must sustain it as an entertainment and tourist engine for the city-- not an overbuilt playground for our downtown yuppie community.

[KCPowercat]

Tk, your posts have become so filled with gross generalizations of a city you don't even live in and 'better than thou' attitude they become unreadable and lose any impact your posts used to have.

We get it, you consider kc and its residents small time and not a 'real city'. I say quit worrying about the city 40 miles to your east and head up to chicago to relieve yourself of this burden.  Life is too short and your posts really are turning from informative to dismissive of a city most on here are trying to improve daily.

[grovester]

Not too mention..."For all intensive purposes"...aaaaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

for all intents and purposes

[ChefColby]

It seems like to me (and I could be very wrong) that retail is one of the big problems....don't they need to give people another reason to go there and stay there? Besides food and shows? If had more of a "mall" retail thing, you would have people coming from the subs to spend the day down there instead of just eating or seeing some event. I grew up in joco and live in midtown now and I know growing up that it would have been a cool day to go downtown and shop/ eat and hang out. As a matter of fact, we used to do that at crown center as sad as that may be. I know that idea may make some people's skin crawl but this whole thing is about revenue downtown , not making us a "cool" city....money has to come first. The older it gets the more it will start getting some personality.

[KCPowercat]

Mall retail isn't going to bring much regional draw.

Let's just keep this topic to bice despite attempts to hijack it.

I actually went to bice last night, the patio. They have hella deals. I saw 2.50 bottles all day, some 3 all day including blvd. You can't find those prices anywhere.

[trailerkid]

Tk, your posts have become so filled with gross generalizations of a city you don't even live in and 'better than thou' attitude they become unreadable and lose any impact your posts used to have.

We get it, you consider kc and its residents small time and not a 'real city'. I say quit worrying about the city 40 miles to your east and head up to chicago to relieve yourself of this burden.  Life is too short and your posts really are turning from informative to dismissive of a city most on here are trying to improve daily.

Kansas City is obsessed with its own failure. It's an attitude problem that will haunt this city until the baby boomers die off. I don't think there's as big of a stench from the early 1970s in places like Omaha, OKC, DsM, or even Tulsa and the population is much more willing to embrace rebuilding the community and investing in new urban infrastructure for the overall good of the community. I certainly didn't create this attitude problem which has been well documented both on this forum and in print media (specifically Collison articles).

KC deserves more than comparisons to Columbus (no offense Columbus). It has an urban footprint that is worthy a major, cosmopolitan city. Things have just gone so far the other direction that a few yuppies spending their weekends going to downtown bars or whatever isn't going to dramatically shift growth and development in the urban core. There needs to be civic leadership willing to acknowledge Kansas City had the worst big city downtown in America and we are nowhere close to being finished with it.

I'm glad you associate Chicago with my posting. Kansas City could learn a lot from that city.

[ignatius]

^Man, you need to find something you enjoy in life and focus on that.

[trailerkid]

^Man, you need to find something you enjoy in life and focus on that.

Yeah..obviously not Kansas City development discussion. This board is a waste of time for sure.

[KCPowercat]

Kansas City is obsessed with its own failure. It's an attitude problem that will haunt this city until the baby boomers die off. I don't think there's as big of a stench from the early 1970s in places like Omaha, OKC, DsM, or even Tulsa and the population is much more willing to embrace rebuilding the community and investing in new urban infrastructure for the overall good of the community. I certainly didn't create this attitude problem which has been well documented both on this forum and in print media (specifically Collison articles).

KC deserves more than comparisons to Columbus (no offense Columbus). It has an urban footprint that is worthy a major, cosmopolitan city. Things have just gone so far the other direction that a few yuppies spending their weekends going to downtown bars or whatever isn't going to dramatically shift growth and development in the urban core. There needs to be civic leadership willing to acknowledge Kansas City had the worst big city downtown in America and we are nowhere close to being finished with it.

I'm glad you associate Chicago with my posting. Kansas City could learn a lot from that city.

yes if we aren't Chicago we are a failure.  There is more to this city than reading Collison articles.

It's fun to just sit back and throw darts but it's really not accurate.

[Midtownkid]

Kansas City is obsessed with its own failure.

You add to this "public outlook" more than anyone else on this board.  You are obsessed with saying how Kansas City is a failure, then you complain when other people do the same thing.

[Jess]

I moved to Kansas City two years ago (after having lived in, and enjoyed living in, Chicago, actually).  I don't get the sense that Kansas City is at all "obsessed with its own failure."  It seems perfectly vibrant (as vibrant as anything can be in a shitty economic time) and interesting to me. Maybe it's just where I go (which, admittedly, doesn't include P&L bars most of the time, but more power to those who go, I guess).  But I love it here and don't think it sucks at all.  There's plenty going on for anybody who's interested, and who isn't obsessed with naysaying.

[geeman68]

I moved to Kansas City two years ago (after having lived in, and enjoyed living in, Chicago, actually).  I don't get the sense that Kansas City is at all "obsessed with its own failure."  It seems perfectly vibrant (as vibrant as anything can be in a shitty economic time) and interesting to me. Maybe it's just where I go (which, admittedly, doesn't include P&L bars most of the time, but more power to those who go, I guess).  But I love it here and don't think it sucks at all.  There's plenty going on for anybody who's interested, and who isn't obsessed with naysaying.

Nicely put. 

[Tosspot]

Likely also that the people, like me, who've been here all their lives tend to perceive things in a harsher light. Perhaps along the lines of familiarity breeding contempt.

[NDTeve]

Plus...I think (at least in the circles I see)...people have more pride in our city than a lot of places. I see more KC hats in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, etc. I think its equally to let people know that they're from KC as well as be Royals Fans. Maybe I'm crazy.

[jimb]

Plus...I think (at least in the circles I see)...people have more pride in our city than a lot of places. I see more KC hats in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, etc. I think its equally to let people know that they're from KC as well as be Royals Fans. Maybe I'm crazy.

I do that all the time when I travel.  I'm proud of being a Kansas Citian, and its a great conversation starter.  I get people asking me about KC all the time, or talking about when they lived there.  And, you get the dismissive asshole from time to time.  For those types, I just dismiss them because they are assholes.  I got into a great baseball conversation with some guy in Toronto last spring and chatted with Sixto Lezcano's son (you old timers will remember that name) waiting at a restaurant in Disney one year.  I think it is one of the best things I started doing while traveling.

[MidtownGrrl]

http://www.kclibrary.org/event/downtown ... lking-tour

Thought this might be of interest:

Downtown Kansas City Walking Tour
Date and time of event: 05/20/2009 - 6:30pm
Location: Central Library

The Historic Kansas City Foundation and Dr. Bill Worley host a walking tour of downtown Kansas City on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m., originating at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.

Included will be the Library District and the newly constructed Power and Light District featuring the Mainstreet and Historic Midland Theaters. This tour is designed to enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation of Kansas City’s historic and architectural legacy.

Since its founding in 1974, the Historic Kansas City Foundation (HKCF) has been the only Greater Kansas City nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation of the area’s architectural heritage. HKCF is a major advocate for, and participant in, the thoughtful and meaningful preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings, landscapes, and neighborhoods. Through advocacy, public policy, outreach and educational programming, HKCF demonstrates the proven economic and cultural benefits of historic preservation.

[trailerkid]

After re-reading my above post...I was obviously on something.  My apologies. (referring to long, trite blathering-- not the part about this forum being a complete waste of time).

The point I'm trying to make without slamming everyone and everything is that we can have it all. I just get very annoyed when locals start complaining about the tenants at P+L, but use kid gloves with friggin' mall chain-infested Plaza area. What local tenants are on the Plaza that people actually care about? Hall's + Plaza III? P+L has as much or more "local flavor" and unique places as the Plaza. Somehow P+L is destroying other areas and businesses, but no one has any evidence to back it up with except that Tanner's closed. 

My wish is that people just accept P+L for what it is and move on with their lives. It just seems like most any commentary associated with P+L begins and ends with something about how the whole area is beneath the taste of the commenter and they spend their money at local places. Again, it was created for tourists that don't know anything about KC and have generated a negative perception about the city based on our dead downtown. The intent (and reality) was not to redistribute sales from dive bars in Waldo.

[NDTeve]

I think most will be disappointed with PandL until the residential and retail take off. Rightfully so. And people will be mixed on who to blame...Cordish or the economy. Arguments can be made for both. Either way you look at it...it sure as hell beats what we used to have. Surface Lots.