KCRag Forum

LenexatoKCMO wrote: Reading Joyce Smith's Column this morning, it sounds like 801 Chophouse is quickly following Bice down the road to nowhere fast.  Another suit from Cordish for back rent followed by a dozen or more mechanics liens from the contractors who finished it. 

Wow, there are tons of liens being filed against a lot of P&L businesses - 801 Chophouse, Yummo, Chipotle...what the heck? Why aren't they paying their bills?

http://www.kansascity.com/199/story/1121743.html

The Smith column also had some qoutes from Bice ownership that did indeed make it sound as though their problems may well be more whole cloth rather than just the KC location. 

And one of the subcontractors says they will never work with Cordish again - insinuating that it was the selected general contractors made by Cordish that resulted in many people not getting paid.  Did I understand that correctly?

Maybe they can bring in non local contractors like they do restaurants.

Locals like peachtree and chefburger were the only local ones allowed to bring concepts in?  Interesting.  Maybe beth with create an ordinance declaring ant tax incentive district must give discounts to local owners. 

Although I wasn't downtown for the Britney concert, I saw the scene.

I'm going to continue to reiterate the fact that P+L NEEDS more events, residents, conventioneers and hotels immediately around it. There is no way the nightlife/restaurant/kc live scene can fully succeed without more general activity around it. It is a tourist district and the city needs to engineer plans for its future success on the investment made. I am not making these points because the place was dead last night, but because it wasn't brimming with life and I see the possibilities.

trailerkid wrote: Although I wasn't downtown for the Britney concert, I saw the scene.

I'm going to continue to reiterate the fact that P+L NEEDS more events, residents, conventioneers and hotels immediately around it. There is no way the nightlife/restaurant/kc live scene can fully succeed without more general activity around it. It is a tourist district and the city needs to engineer plans for its future success on the investment made. I am not making these points because the place was dead last night, but because it wasn't brimming with life and I see the possibilities.

Haven't you heard...the Government is now giving away tax free money for failing businesses!  Its all the rave these days 

trailerkid wrote: Although I wasn't downtown for the Britney concert, I saw the scene.

I'm going to continue to reiterate the fact that P+L NEEDS more events, residents, conventioneers and hotels immediately around it. There is no way the nightlife/restaurant/kc live scene can fully succeed without more general activity around it. It is a tourist district and the city needs to engineer plans for its future success on the investment made. I am not making these points because the place was dead last night, but because it wasn't brimming with life and I see the possibilities.

I agree.  Around 6:00 I was driving back to my office.  Took the 13th St. exit down toward Main, forgetting about the concert.  There were probably 15,000 girls/women running around in a frenzy.  There were so many people running around DT, I had to take a detour to get back to 11th and Walnut.  Insane.  

trailerkid wrote: Although I wasn't downtown for the Britney concert, I saw the scene.

I'm going to continue to reiterate the fact that P+L NEEDS more events, residents, conventioneers and hotels immediately around it. There is no way the nightlife/restaurant/kc live scene can fully succeed without more general activity around it. It is a tourist district and the city needs to engineer plans for its future success on the investment made. I am not making these points because the place was dead last night, but because it wasn't brimming with life and I see the possibilities.

I've posted a while back that of all these things needed to bring more people in, the only one Cordish has direct control of is more KC Live events.  P&L isn't itself enough of a draw, at least enough to keep it busy daily.  More events are needed (Midland, Sprint, Bartle, Municipal, Music Hall, etc) but Cordish can only control KC Live events.  They need to add events Sun-Wed evenings, when the district is least busy. 

More residents/hotels/retail stores are needed but can't be counted on anytime soon. KC Live events can be a more easily executable near term solution (compared to other options).

ignatius wrote: I've posted a while back that of all these things needed to bring more people in, the only one Cordish has direct control of is more KC Live events.  P&L isn't itself enough of a draw, at least enough to keep it busy daily.  More events are needed (Midland, Sprint, Bartle, Municipal, Music Hall, etc) but Cordish can only control KC Live events.  They need to add events Sun-Wed evenings, when the district is least busy. 

More residents/hotels/retail stores are needed but can't be counted on anytime soon. KC Live events can be a more easily executable near term solution (compared to other options).

AMC could very well also be considered an event space (ala Midland) which will draw crowds to the district. Daily/nightly movie screenings could create more pedestrian activity than one event at the Sprint Center where many park/leave.

I agree that Cordish is basically "on their own" in terms of attracting crowds for KC Live to help the businesses. Building the retail as a true destination area and creating more events in the KC Live space are the best short-term solutions for the area, but we can't ignore the fact that the HQ hotel, P+L hotel, Sprint Center tenant, condos, and CVB problems need to be addressed quickly.

Any word on the Power and Light Condos? I couldn't find any recent news on the project on the forum or online and I tried their website and it's either shutdown or not loading. I hope this project hasn't failed now like the others, it really sucks seeing so many good looking projects die ( example: The Broadway Condos ), but I guess if it has, it's just another sign of the times. 

drramos101 wrote: I hope this project hasn't failed now like the others, it really sucks seeing so many good looking projects die ( example: The Broadway Condos ), but I guess if it has, it's just another sign of the times.   :shock:

They're still on the board, but shelved for the near future.  The broadway was shelved before these "Times"...it was simply something where they pulled it due to a lack of backing/pre-leasing/etc...but I suppose that happens when you try and offer a building full of 500k + condo's in a metro with many other options in the 500 and up range.

Cordish can only program/plan so many events.  The ROI isn't there to book events every day.  I would say 180 events with 30+ larger concerts and many more partner/charity events is more than most any developer in the country does.  That being said, there is always room to try and add more.  I do believe that the Mainstreet, Convention Center, CVA, Sprint Center... All need to continue to make commitments to increasing traffic downtown. 

trailerkid wrote: Although I wasn't downtown for the Britney concert, I saw the scene.

I'm going to continue to reiterate the fact that P+L NEEDS more events, residents, conventioneers and hotels immediately around it. There is no way the nightlife/restaurant/kc live scene can fully succeed without more general activity around it. It is a tourist district and the city needs to engineer plans for its future success on the investment made. I am not making these points because the place was dead last night, but because it wasn't brimming with life and I see the possibilities.

KCTigerFan wrote: Cordish can only program/plan so many events.  The ROI isn't there to book events every day.  I would say 180 events with 30+ larger concerts and many more partner/charity events is more than most any developer in the country does.  That being said, there is always room to try and add more.  I do believe that the Mainstreet, Convention Center, CVA, Sprint Center... All need to continue to make commitments to increasing traffic downtown.   

Does anybody know if KC Live is going to host all the free concerts again this summer?  Country Thursdays, Rock Wednesdays or whatever it was?  I haven't heard anything about it yet, but that was a fun mid-week activity

Is anyone else really worried about these lawsuits?  AMC is now involved.  The biggest shock is Chipotle.  I mean, it's not like it's outfitted in burled walnut and granite!  It's cheap plywoods and stainless steel.  And they are the only business of that type in P&L and always seem to be busy.  It's very troubling...

http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/1773

Lawsuits seem to be a natural process for paying a bill or resolving any tiny issue in the construction world.  OTOH, is an obvious problem when customers aren't paying the bills. 

ignatius wrote: Lawsuits seem to be a natural process for paying a bill or resolving any tiny issue in the construction world.  OTOH, is an obvious problem when customers aren't paying the bills. 

The company I work for recently moved to a new location and spent several mil renovating it. Let me just say contractors are a pain in the butt...they have no patience...they even want to come and personally pick up their checks even though they are in the same city and it would arrive in the mail in 2 days tops.

The  best way to deal with these contractors trying to collect payment is to pass them back and forth between the purchasing manager who gets righteously indignant, the finance director who never answers the phone, accounts payable who says let me transfer you to the purchasing manager or finance director, and corporate HQ until they get really pissed off. They'll get their money soon enough......

justin8216 wrote: The company I work for recently moved to a new location and spent several mil renovating it. Let me just say contractors are a pain in the butt...they have no patience...they even want to come and personally pick up their checks even though they are in the same city and it would arrive in the mail in 2 days tops.

Why should they have patience?  Why should they have to finance your construction?

They have bills to pay, such as for the materials used for your place.
They have employees to pay, who worked on your place.
They have subcontractors to pay, who worked on your place.
And the list goes on.

I'm sure you would have patience if your employers gave you the run-around when it came time for you to get paid.

Seriously.  I grew up with parents who ran a small contracting business (no, not multi-million $$$ projects, just your average small business, but customers trying to wriggle out of paying for what's done, and having to be taken to court over it is pretty universal, not just something that happens on large construction projects, unfortunately).  And customers who take their sweet ass time paying the money they owe, and try to pull countless runarounds SUCK. Pay for the work that is done, in a timely manner. Just like with any other service rendered.

$2 parking fee dispute resolved between KC, Cordish

The long standoff has ended between Cordish Co. and the city over the $2 parking fee the developer has been charging at the Power & Light District.

Cordish not only gets to keep collecting the fee that rankled City Manager Wayne Cauthen, but a new amendment to the master development agreement will allow the Baltimore developer to raise it from “time to time.”....

But the $2 charge on validated tickets will remain in place on evenings and weekends at both those garages as well as the 600 spaces below the H&R Block building. The H&R Block garage is open to the public after 6 p.m. on weekdays, and after noon on Saturdays and all day Sundays.

The city also won the right to charge $10 for 500 spaces in the garage beneath the Kansas City Live block for events at the Sprint Center.