Will Raytown see a renaissance?

Post by **dangerboy** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:17 pm

Chrizow, what do you think of Mayor Sue Frank? She seems to be doing a good job of pushing a reluctant population in a more progressive direction. It sounded like finally getting voters to raise sales taxes for infrastructure improvements was a huge accomplishment.

Post by **chrizow** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:22 pm

i think youre right. Frank has done a good job.

but i also think that the demographics of Raytown shifting from the WWII generation (who are sadly dying off) to a new generation of (often) middle to lower-middle income families moving in from kcmo has been the major catalyst for change.

the elderly contingent has held raytown back for a long time. they (1) get out and vote, and (2) vote everything DOWN. now that they are disappearing and people with kids are coming in, you see more levies passed.

what's better is that my parents live 5 houses down from the Mayor. thus, our street gets plowed FIRST when it snows, which is great. what is less great is that her dog traipses all over the neighborhood and the animal control wont touch it. heheh

DanCa · Post by **DanCa** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:30 pm

On the show they talked about driving "out to Lee's Summit", the "RayBowl" and "Jimmy's Jigger".

What about "Married to the Kellys"? Is that an accurate portrayal of JoCo?

Post by **chrizow** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:34 pm

haha yeah it's accurate. partially accurate, just like Mama's Family.

is All in the Family an accurate picture of NYC? yes and no. same thing.

ComandanteCero · Post by **ComandanteCero** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:38 pm

WOW, i had no idea Mama's Family was set in raytown (i saw some episodes on nick at night some years ago, but never even thought it was supposed to be KC area), lol. That's cool to know, in a weird way....

Post by **dangerboy** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:55 pm

chrizow wrote:the elderly contingent has held raytown back for a long time. they (1) get out and vote, and (2) vote everything DOWN. now that they are disappearing and people with kids are coming in, you see more levies passed.

It's a shame the elderly seem to be an obstacle so often. I think that may have been part of the problem in Independence where they treaded water in the 1980s and early 1990s, missing of a lot of the suburban boom. I've heard it's also been a big problem for the NKC School District, at least until recently when the latest wave of suburban growth gave them enough new voters to finally pass levies for A/C and other improvements.

I know that the elderly are concerned about paying higher taxes on fixed incomes, but few people seem to plan for that expense in retirement. Your property taxes will almost always go up. Even if the rate stays the same, the valuation will likely increase.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 4:53 pm

ComandanteCero wrote:WOW, i had no idea Mama's Family was set in raytown (i saw some episodes on nick at night some years ago, but never even thought it was supposed to be KC area), lol. That's cool to know, in a weird way....

I was a big Mama's Family fan back in the day...I remember references to Raytown being a part of some fictional tri-city area. I had no idea that the creator was really from Raytown or that there were real references in the show.

DanCa · Post by **DanCa** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 5:43 pm

And who can forget "Malcomb and Eddie". A much better portrayal of KC. Even the "Tapawingo Witch Project" episode!

Post by **chrizow** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 5:44 pm

yeah i think malcolm and eddie WAS a pretty good portrayal of KC. that show was awesome.

Post by **staubio** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 5:46 pm

Man, I haven't seen any of this stuff before. I need to form a collection of movies and TV shows where KC is featured. I guess I didn't/don't watch enough TV. It would be fun to check this stuff out.

supastudio · Post by **supastudio** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 9:47 pm

I remember an episode of Roseanne when Roseanne and her sister came to see their father's mistress who lived in Kansas City...

KC also has alot of Reality TV show "contestants" too... Shandi was on that Model show, Frankie on the real world san diego and Dan on the real world Miami.

ComandanteCero · Post by **ComandanteCero** » Wed Sep 01, 2004 10:27 pm

i think this should be it's own thread... Perhaps something under "Kansas City Throughout Television History"

Beltonhawk · Post by **Beltonhawk** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 8:23 am

Dan on the real world Miami

I remember when Dan came back to KC/OP while they were taping the show. When they did their "city shot", all they showed were some cows in an open field eating some hay. God I was pissed.

Just like that Married to the Kelly's show, which was originally to be called Back to Kansas or something. It's set it KCK, but these people live on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

It's like Hollywood thinks people expect that's how things are out here, and they promote the stereotype.

DanCa · Post by **DanCa** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 10:35 am

Married to the Kellys isn't set on a farm. When they show the houses, they look suburban. I couldn't figure out if they were supposed to be in JoCo or what. But one episode where they were driving somewhere one guy said, "Don't take I-35. You'll hit traffic. Take Metcalf to Mission Parkway".

At least they didn't give them all southern accents and talk about farming. I believe the show has already been cancelled though.

Beltonhawk · Post by **Beltonhawk** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 12:48 pm

Married to the Kellys isn't set on a farm.

Interesting...I believe that was the original concept for the show. I remember that certain groups in Kansas got in touch with ABC execs and got them to change the original name...they must have got the concept changed too.

I honestly never could watch the show - too painful to watch Hollywood's portrayal of Kansas.[/quote]

DanCa · Post by **DanCa** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 1:01 pm

They made the family out to be a bit naive, but close-knit, religious and crazy for KU and the Chiefs. Sounds like a lot of JoCo people I know!

Remember that movie, "Kansas", back in the late 80s or early 90s? It was horrible. They were on a farm and everyone was a simpleton hick. Steve Martin also had a movie where he was a slick, traveling tent preacher who took advantage of the stupid hicks in Kansas. Or Cousin Eddie on Vacation (w/Chevy Chase) and their Kansas farm.

QueSi2Opie · Post by **QueSi2Opie** » Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:00 am

Beltonhawk wrote:Just like that Married to the Kelly's show, which was originally to be called Back to Kansas or something. It's set it KCK, but these people live on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

Married to the Kelly's is set in a JOCO suburban community (Prairie Village).

GRID · Post by **GRID** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:38 am

Most of us know about Cresent Creek, here is a photo of what that area will look like. It will be a very nice infill project.

In addition to that, another new infill development is going in near 87th Street that will fill a hole where everything else around it was built in the 70's. It will even keep with the grid street pattern that dominates that part of the city and will go a long way in stabilizing those neighborhoods.

For those of you who don't care about Raytown, you should. It's an inner ring burb that is very tied to all of the east metro and it contains a major entryway into KCMO as well.

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:30 pm

Missouri 350 plans discussed at forum
Public investment in Missouri 350 about $15 million
By BILL BELL JR.
Special to the Star

Public investment in the proposed Raytown Live redevelopment project along Missouri 350 is estimated at $15 million, a top Raytown official said Tuesday.

The biggest chunk, $10 million, would pay for relocating the West Campus of the Raytown School District's Herndon Career Center, said City Administrator Curt Wenson.

Vocational education classes would be moved farther down Missouri 350 to the East Campus of the career center near Raytown South High School. The district's technology center would also be displaced, moving from Herndon West to 59th Street and Raytown Road near Raytown High School, Wenson said.

The $90 million redevelopment project will be funded partly by tax increment financing â€” a system where new taxes generated by a development are used to help pay for infrastructure.

The proposed project involves more than 28 acres east of Raytown Road along the highway. If completed, the redevelopment effort would be one of the largest in decades for Raytown.

The Raytown School District is the top priority for the tax increment financing dollars raised by the development, Wenson said. And if the district needs more money than estimated, it will be available.

The first phase of the project calls for the purchase of property and the relocation of some businesses at an expected public cost of $700,000, Wenson said. The second phase involves more land purchases, demolition and the rerouting of Missouri 350 at an estimated public cost of $4.2 million, he said.

Later this month the Board of Aldermen is expected to give final approval to an ordinance placing a $30,000 cap on how much the developer, will reimburse the city for consulting services need to evaluate the complex plan.

Raytown 350 INV Group LLC, a partnership owned by the Kansas City commercial real estate firm Block & Co., wanted the cap.

Parts of the Raytown Live proposal dovetail with larger plans for the entire Missouri 350 corridor.

The plan is a joint effort among Kansas City, Raytown, the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Mid-America Regional Council and businesses like Aquila.
Missouri 350 meeting

â€¢ Raytown will host an open house from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday to receive public comments on the Highway 350 Corridor Plan. The meeting will be at Raytown City Hall, 10000 E 59th St.

â€¢ Kansas City and Raytown are working with other entities to make the corridor more functional, economically viable and pleasing to the eye.

Â© 2005 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kansascity.com

Tosspot · Post by **Tosspot** » Mon Feb 07, 2005 3:35 pm

OMFG they want to call it Raytown Live???

What's next? Fairway Live, Leavenworth Live....??

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