Green Impact Zone

[dangerboy]

I'm not convinced that this will turn around this neighborhood.  At the end of the day, crime is rampant and the area suffers from a negative perception. 

Crime is the result of a lack of education and a lack of job prospects.  Yet you say that a program that focuses on giving people employable skills and jobs to use those skills won't work?

[KCMax]

KC's Green Zone office opens to White House fanfare

Cleaver also said the federal investment is already sparking private investment.

To that end, Mike Chesser, president and CEO of Kansas City Power & Light, announced the company and its partners will spend $24 million in private dollars on new technologies in the area. The company is also seeking $24 million in stimulus money to expand the program.

The money will go for improving the distribution grid and a Midtown substation, installation of smart technologies and more advanced appliances in select homes and businesses, installation of advanced meters and other enhancements.

Mark Huffer of the Area Transportation Authority also said construction is starting on a new Troost Avenue bus rapid transit line, with help from $24 million in stimulus dollars, which should complement the other efforts to rejuvenate the neighborhoods in the green zone.

[cdm2p]

Crime is the result of a lack of education and a lack of job prospects.  Yet you say that a program that focuses on giving people employable skills and jobs to use those skills won't work?

Why haven't we been doing that all along?  Oh I forget, we have been giving money to many different CDC's for a variety of purposes (housing, economic development, health care) and yet the social issues remain. 
Let's be honest.  This is a nice little gift from Cleaver to the people in his church.

[aknowledgeableperson]

As an isolated project this has as much chance of saving the area as the Royals winning the WS this year, or the Chiefs winning the SB.  Hopefully there are other projects already in existence or coming online shortly that can work with this project and all together make a difference.

But, it mostly sounds like somebody dreamed up a project to spend some money that had to be spent somewhere by somebody to help the economy.

[missingkc]

Conceptual drawing of Sustainability Center

http://www.bccp.org/newsletter.html

[KCMax]

Hendricks: Stimulus process plods for ?Green Impact Zone?

Probably it was unrealistic to have expected that the so-called Green Impact Zone would now be abuzz with activity. That blocks and blocks of century-old houses would be getting energy-efficient windows and state-of-the-art furnaces in time for winter.

But who would have thought that, seven months later, there?d be virtually no activity and not even a tiny fraction of that $200 million disbursed?...

For now, the project amounts to little more than a Web site and staff of seven that goes to meetings ? lots of meetings ? while awaiting word on grant applications.

[FangKC]

Boston firm moves to KC's Green Impact Zone

http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansa ... rround=lfn

[missingkc]

Wow.  That's very encouraging news.

[dangerboy]

Wow.  That's very encouraging news.

Except the KC facility will be R&D and admin.  The manufacturing will still be overseas.  So this won't do much to achieve the goal of getting GIZMO residents trained and employed in green manufacturing jobs.

[midtown]

Even if it doesn't achieve that specific goal, it's still a nice get for Troost.

[Highlander]

Except the KC facility will be R&D and admin.  The manufacturing will still be overseas.  So this won't do much to achieve the goal of getting GIZMO residents trained and employed in green manufacturing jobs.

I rarely believe the hype around any of these relocation announcements because they rarely ever do what they say they are going to do (in this case, adding the 100 jobs would be the plum).  R&D and Admin, nonetheless, would at least capture the higher paying jobs in the corporation.  It's impressive that we at least scored a relocation from the NE US.  I suspect friends of those transfering are giving alot of grief to those coming to flat, dusty old KC. 

[missingkc]

I am just encouraged that the Green Zone is actually generating some interest outside KC.  Apparently, this company is not a fly-by-night startup.  It has one what sounds like a credible award.

"AUSTIN, Texas – The Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) has announced the 15 winners of the international Utility Technology Challenge (UTC) competition; a contest with support from the US Department of Energy that searches for innovation in a variety of clean tech areas, including smart grid applications, transportation, building efficiencies, pollution monitoring and cyber security."

I think that gaining their attention is no small thing for UMKC- with whom they will be associated - and the Green Zone - for which I have not had high hopes

[FangKC]

EnergyWorks get $20 million grant

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/21/18 ... llion.html

[DaveKCMO]

go go GIZMO!

[KCMax]

Doubts surround a green dream for KC

A ?climate sustainability center? on Brush Creek would include research labs, a business incubator, classrooms and a botanical garden, all aimed at promoting ?green-collar? jobs.

A feasibility study is still being refined, but a draft report indicates such a center could cost $116 million. Even if built in phases, the center would depend largely on federal money at a time when the political climate is cooling on federal spending....

The center would be on land now occupied by two buildings, one of which houses public radio station KCUR-FM. The site is on the west edge of the Green Impact Zone, a 150-block area targeted for a pioneering energy efficiency effort. About $150 million in federal stimulus money already has been awarded to the project, according to Cleaver?s office.

[FangKC]

Look at the reader comments to this article. Yikes!

[aknowledgeableperson]

And people here think I am way-out-there.

[shinatoo]

Is this being run by the KC School District? How about investing in the improvements first before building the monument to the great job you did?

[NDTeve]

On a roll today Shinatoo.

[shinatoo]

I'm grumpy