900 Baltimore Ave.

[KCMax]

You might have a point if the penalty of speeding was the loss of your car.  But you just pay a fine for speeding which is the penalty for not maintaining your property.

I see. So you advocate for letting Bernie Madoff out of jail because the SEC isn't prosecuting every case of securities malfeasance? 

[KC-wildcat]

There are irresponsible owners all around the city.  Is the city to take over all of those properties?

Serious.  The city would have a hard case to argue with the court.   

Define irresponsible. 


If an owner lets his property rot into a blighted, unsafe hazard, I would not call that owner "irresponsible."  I'd call him a slumlord.  And, it is in response to these very slumlord, blighted, unsafe properties that the docrine of eminent domain was - in large part - created. 

[KCPowercat]

What joy does someone get logging into a website and finding a reason to disagree with everyone?  Very odd.

[aknowledgeableperson]

I see. So you advocate for letting Bernie Madoff out of jail because the SEC isn't prosecuting every case of securities malfeasance?

Who said that?  Just why take the property only because it is bad shape?  There are other properties around that are in bad shape and generally the city tears them down for safety reasons instead of buying them from their owners.  One could say "I can rent it or sell it so I am going to let my property go and the city will just buy it."

And, it is in response to these very slumlord, blighted, unsafe properties that the docrine of eminent domain was - in large part - created. 

Nope. Eminent domain goes back in time way before slumlord, blighted, unsafe properties even came into existence.  It is only in very recent history that it has been used as a tool of economic development.  But usage of e.d. for the preservation of property would be a rather unique usage of this power.

What joy does someone get logging into a website and finding a reason to disagree with everyone?  Very odd.

I can just see the conversation.
Person one  "this sucks"
Person two  "yeah, it sucks"
Person three  "man, I agree with you"
Person four  "boy, I feel the same way"

[HalcyonKC]

Just why take the property only because it is bad shape?  There are other properties around that are in bad shape and generally the city tears them down for safety reasons instead of buying them from their owners.  One could say "I can rent it or sell it so I am going to let my property go and the city will just buy it."

I think it's really just a question of knowing which battles to choose.  In my mind this is an obvious one to choose to fight, the  difference simply being that we're talking about a beautiful old building--something that's one-of-a-kind and provides a sense of place that won't ever be replaced if it's lost. 

[KC-wildcat]

I can just see the conversation.
Person one  "this sucks"
Person two  "yeah, it sucks"
Person three  "man, I agree with you"
Person four  "boy, I feel the same way"

Person one  "the sky is blue."
AKP "no it's not.  it's more of a green."
Person two.  "what?"
AKP.  "yeah. with how the light refracts through the atmosphere in the winter months in the southern hemisphere, the sky is green." 
Person three.  "the sky is blue."
AKP.  "sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.  Back when I was a bureaucrat for the City, the ceiling about my cubicle was white.  So, the sky is white."
Person four.  "what?"

[KCPowercat]

exactly...there is a difference between having a different opinion and just being an ass to everybody else's opinion.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Guess if you don't like a different opinion then maybe all you want to be around are "yes men".  That's fine.  Granted, my thoughts about certain topics do not follow the majority.  But just because there is a majority consent on a topic doesn't make the majority opinion the right or correct one.  Life is full of people with different experiences and those experiences gives us our opinions.

Yes, I might be in a small minority, at least when it comes to this board, but then the problem may not lie with me but with lack of differences of the others.  If being different than the majority is being an "ass" then I guess I will say "guilty as charged".  At the same time the one calling out that name is more likely an intolerent individual.  And in this instance I would rather be an ass than intolerent.     

[KCPowercat]

There is a difference between a different opinion which nobody has a problem with and the mess you make of topics...you know this, I mean your name says you are knowledgeable and all.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Just think of me as a liberal in a room full of members of the tea party.  Sorry if I do not bow down to you.

Mr. KC POWER.

[KCPowercat]

Lol I know you see my point but nice work. If we didn't want your differing opinion, you wouldn't have been allowed to post this long. 

[DaveKCMO]

city crews have boarded up the windows, put tarp on the roof, and shored up a wall or two while the deal to rescue the property from its current owner progresses.

[grovester]

that's excellent news, drove by last week and figured it was lost.

[smh]

city crews have boarded up the windows, put tarp on the roof, and shored up a wall or two while the deal to rescue the property from its current owner progresses.

I'd noticed the boarded up windows and took it as an encouraging sign. Been meaning to post about that...

[KCDowntown]

Good news in the Kansas City Star!

KCDowntown

[FangKC]

I am so relieved. That corner would have been barren without the Cosby there.

[KCPowercat]

Excellent news

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/26/30 ... ntown.html

[KC-wildcat]

First floor retail, second floor office. 

What retail do people want to see in there?  What would do well in that part of town? 

Catholic bookstore? 

[ignatius]

glad to see this building saved but even better is that there is a momentum of downtown residents who are now impacting things that happen downtown.  that's the much bigger deal here.  downtown as a community is maturing.

[mean]

Infuriating that the city was all, "Whoop, it's dangerous, spend > $10,000 to tear it down!" instead of, "Spend the $4,000 to fix it."