KC International Raceway Sold

[FangKC]

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/s ... l?ana=e_du

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Developer buys KC International Raceway track

Kansas City Business Journal

The developer of a mixed-use project near Kansas City International Raceway has bought the track and plans eventually to relocate it.

Jabez Territories LLC -- whose subsidiary, Hillside Redevelopment Corp., is developing a $110 million, 141-acre office, residential and retail project where Missouri Highway 350 meets Noland Road -- bought the track March 11 for an undisclosed price, Jabez COO Pete Vegelahn said Tuesday. The sellers were Rob Park and Jeff Martin, both of the Kansas City area, Vegelahn said.

The track, which is outgrowing its current property, would be relocated before the first houses are completed, a benchmark the developer plans to reach in four years, Vegelahn said. Several undisclosed metro-area sites that are "a little more out of the way" are being considered for the new track, which would be expanded into a destination motor sports facility that could include a road course, drifting track and retail, he said.

"We recognize that this area is being developed in such a way that is not compatible with the long-term viability of a dragstrip, so it is our plan to move it within five years and turn the land into a recreational facility," Jabez Chairman John Uhlmann said in a Tuesday release.

...

[shinatoo]

That puts a huge portion of the development int he Raytown School district. I am guessing this will mean a third high school for Raytown as the other two are at capacity.

[Sportster]

I'm going to miss the radio ads!
"Sunday - SUNDAY!!!! GROUND POUNDING FUNNY CARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I'd imagine there are quite a few "new" neighbors down in that valley that are pretty tickled to see it go though.

Sportster
...another iconic venue bites the dust

[chrizow]

I am guessing this will mean a third high school for Raytown as the other two are at capacity.

they are?  my graduating class at South had 280 students while my older brother's had closer to 400 (my dad's was like 600!).  i always thought raytown should combine the high schools into one awesome mega-high school.  what makes you say they are at capacity?

i am somewhat pleased to hear about some new development in the raytown district, although i guess that area is in kcmo limits.  too bad, as i would love to see some more funds in raytown's coffers.  i am also somewhat distressed that this development will "ruin" the rural/natural feel of the area, though it sounds like this will be replacing kcir and some of the trashy/blighted things around there rather than decimate any forest that still exists around there? 

[shinatoo]

Enrollment is up over the last ten years. The span between when you and I graduated was the lowest dip they have had. Plus student teacher ratios have changed quite a bit since your dads were in school.

They are currently building a new elementary and middle school and returning the REC to a middle school.

I also wanted the schools to unite (Call it the Raytown "United" , colors Red White and Blue). It could still be an option to go that way and do 9th and 10th grade at one school and 11th and 12th at another. But thats all a ways down the road.

[aknowledgeableperson]

From the history of the Raytown SD:

Since World War II, enrollment grew from 1,000 students to more than 16,000 and currently holds at 8,500.

[butter_breath]

Went out to the races last week for armdrop live (a sister show to pinks all out), about three hundred cars showed up to race. They have races out here at least twice a week. They have a another big show in a few weeks. Hate to see something like this roll over to the Kansas side. Most of the corvettes with JO tags either broke down and ran poorly. It was about 95 percent Missouri tags. Gotta love 9 second street cars!

[zonk]

Is this the same speedway/drag-race-way??

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/02/32 ... r-new.html

If so, looks like the City of KCMO is closer to buying it. Is this a good thing? I've never been, but doesn't seem like a good use of funds.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Yes, it is the same racetrack.

Good use of funds? Why not. Good location for parkland.

[shinatoo]

They had a variance to run drag races down there which has squashed the chance of any kind of residential development in the area. This will probably result in significant property tax boost as this borders the Lees summit and Raytown school districts. Smart move in my opinion.

[chingon]

It's pretty impressive to me that people who knowingly bought cheap land/homes within earshot of an operating racetrack are upset they can hear noise from the racetrack.

Prediction: this new parkland will be brambley, unchecked, new-growth, unimproved scrub-brush for the next 30-50 years.

[shinatoo]

It's pretty impressive to me that people who knowingly bought cheap land/homes within earshot of an operating racetrack are upset they can hear noise from the racetrack.

Prediction: this new parkland will be brambley, unchecked, new-growth, unimproved scrub-brush for the next 30-50 years.

I have heard some of that but mostly the complaints are about the concerts and the jet dragsters. Back in the 60 when most of the homes and the drag strip was built it was just high school kids racing. The jet dargsters are very loud. I could hear them at my house about four miles away.

Parkland is a mistake unless they are planning on finishing the bike trail from Longview to Independence. There is already a continuous park (Little Blue Trace) that follows the Little Blue. It would be a great location for a golf course.

[FangKC]

This is all Kansas City needs, another large park that it can't afford to maintain, and another tract of land that produces no tax revenue for the City.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Not completely sure of the final plans for the proposed park but understand quite a bit of it will be returned to its natural state which will have an upfront cost but very low maintenance cost. Softball and soccer fields should more-or-less be self-supporting since league fees will be charged. The removal of the race track should have a positive effect on the surrounding property values which should increase the tax base in the overall area.

and another tract of land that produces no tax revenue for the City.

Let's see. The P&L District "costs" the city over $10M in tax dollars per year. This tract of land should "cost" far less than that.

[FangKC]

There is already Trace County Park on the south side of the raceway parcel that has four softball fields and several soccer fields already in place. In addition there are seven more softball fields to the west of the raceway. Swope Park is also just a short distance down the road. Why is there a need to build a city park next to an already existing county park.

The park will have no effect on development. That rock quarry across the road will have more negative impact on development than the park will have positive.

AKP, quit pulling that P&L $10 million subsidy out of the closet at every chance. It has been established that P&L opening has overall helped downtown in net increases of all revenues, and that is with a real estate crash and a sucky economy. The net benefit and expense of P&L outweighs another park in bumf%*#ville Knobtown. P&L wasn't built just to help those nine blocks, but to help improve all of greater downtown.

This KC Raceway is a foolish purchase for the city.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Kansas+Ci ... O&t=h&z=15

[aknowledgeableperson]

There is already Trace County Park on the south side of the raceway parcel that has four softball fields and several soccer fields already in place. In addition there are seven more softball fields to the west of the raceway. Swope Park is also just a short distance down the road. Why is there a need to build a city park next to an already existing county park.

The park will have no effect on development. That rock quarry across the road will have more negative impact on development than the park will have positive.

AKP, quit pulling that P&L $10 million subsidy out of the closet at every chance. It has been established that P&L opening has overall helped downtown in net increases of all revenues, and that is with a real estate crash and a sucky economy. The net benefit and expense of P&L outweighs another park in bumf%*#ville Knobtown. P&L wasn't built just to help those nine blocks, but to help improve all of greater downtown.

This KC Raceway is a foolish purchase for the city.

As far as I am concerned the above is just blah, blah, blah.

Whether you like it or not this area is part of KCMO and as far as I know of it will continue to be part of KCMO into the distant future. Money for the purchase is coming from dedicated park development funds and from the 5th District Improvement Funds. It is not taking funds away from Police or Fire Department or other city operations.
If the citizens of the 5th District want this to happen then sobeit.

And to paraphase you, this purchase is not just to help the land the raceway is on but to improve the greater surrounding neighborhood. Maybe if you lived in the neighborhood you just might come to that realization.

[shinatoo]

The rock quarry is a non issue for the area. It's not very active and it's on the other side of a major road, railroad tracks and a ridge. I don't know that I agree that a park is the best use, but it is far better for the area than what is there.

Swope is not just up the road either. You are obfuscating the facts more than a bit.

[FangKC]

Well, when you look at Google maps of the area, most KC residents live to the west and are actually closer to Swope Park than where this park will be.

It just seems extremely stupid to me to build a city park right next to an existing county park--that will have many of the same features and amenities, i.e. softball fields, etc. Taxpayer money is being used to duplicate an already existing amenity for that area.

As far as buying the raceway site using park development funds, why not use that money to fix up some of the parks we already have, or enhance them?

[shinatoo]

I'm not disagreeing about the use with you, city should just buy it or offer TIF funds for development of the site. I will say that the softball fields at the Little Blue Trace park are used exclusively by competitive girls softball leagues. It's not a beer league complex. The soccer field are youth soccer.

I get what you are saying about Swope, but you need to consider what this can do for future development, not what it will do for for current developmet. Removing that raceway is going to be a huge boon for the area. I know that KCMO had recently issued RFP's for redevelopment of the Knobtown area. Hopefully that will move forward soon. Plus this will be right on the first leg of the Sanders commuter rail plan.

[Thaine]

As far as buying the raceway site using park development funds, why not use that money to fix up some of the parks we already have, or enhance them?[/quote]

It could be used to either buy park land or enhance existing park land. However, Parks and Rec staff says the money has to be used within 1 mile of where it was generated. There is no other City park within 1 mile. Circo said there is no other City Park on the east side of the 5th district at all. That money has been building principle and interest since the '70s.