KCRag Forum

GRID wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:30 pm

normalthings wrote: ↑Fri Dec 24, 2021 12:57 am

AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:36 pm

Isn’t that the state of Kansas issue though? Actually not KC’s issue on that.

And guys..stop worrying about Omaha lol. They’re a little city, they don’t have to worry about alot of people, crime, tons of schools, competing with massive suburbs,etc. They’re smaller so they can be more nimble and have alot more opportunities to grow at their size. The bigger they get, the more issues they’ll encounter. There are many cities like this…maybe we should be worried about Sioux Falls, SD too! Again..it’s Omaha lol.

Nashville and Austin were little cities until there weren't. This is the top of project that sets a city up for long term growth.

Yep. KC's lacks of "major" universities and research facilities really hurts it. KU down in Lawrence doesn't cut it and KU Med is tiny compared to major research universities in other cities. UMKC should be a much much bigger and more important university to the area.

I don't know if Omaha will ever be a high growth city like Nashville, mainly due to its location but it could eventually close the gap with KC just like KC is doing with St Louis.

I doubt if Omaha ever closes the gap with KC. Sadly, OKC could at current growth rates but their economy is very oil and gas dependent so that growth isn't sustainable. KC closes the gap with St Louis despite St Louis having an obvious advantage in university presence - SLU and Washington within the city. I think you underestimate the impact of having KU so nearby. It's not quite the same as having a major university within the city itself but it's a fairly prestigious major university (depending on the program) that's not much more than 20 minutes drive from KC and it provides a lot of graduates to the KC area and partnerships with KC companies.

UMKC could be a lot better but unfortunately it's a poor stepchild in the U of Missouri system. I thought at one time that non flagship urban universities would eventually compete with their college town flagship counterparts due to the enormous of expense of going to college and the diminishing returns of a college degree but its a very slow evolution and the money isn't there to improve UMKC into an adequate alternative. One of the real problems with KC is that we don't have a lot of HQ companies where there is a vested interest in pushing money to the local university and the one's we do have tend to be eaten by bigger fish (see Cerner). It would be great having a large division of Oracle in KC but they are not going to be making huge endowments to the UMKC endowment. Also, UMKC for whatever reasons, lacks the extremely wealthy alumni that make significant contributions to endowments (partly because wealthy people don't send their likely to be successful children to UMKC).

^ I think KU is very important to KC despite being in Lawrence, but KU is not really a highly ranked tech school is it?

GRID wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 1:28 pm ^ I think KU is very important to KC despite being in Lawrence, but KU is not really a highly ranked tech school is it?

A lot of universities work with the industry in their areas to develop niche skill sets. Same is true for KU and MU. There is no reason that KU could not develop ties with Oracle. The talent is there regardless of its ranking (these things are mostly mythical anyway). I know my tech heavy Houston-based F500 company has had historically strong R/D ties with KU and hires a lot of their grads.

Need mag lev train to Lawrence.

moderne wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 5:32 pm Need mag lev train to Lawrence.

I’ve long dreamt of a train that (almost in an *exact* straight line) would go from KC -> Lawrence -> Topeka -> Manhattan

Connect all the big universities, state capital, and the big metro in one hit.

Highlander wrote: ↑Sat Dec 25, 2021 1:02 pm Also, UMKC for whatever reasons, lacks the extremely wealthy alumni that make significant contributions to endowments (partly because wealthy people don't send their likely to be successful children to UMKC).

Ehhh…not exactly true. The Blochs are heavily connected in UMKC and we’re the reason we just got our new business school in 2015. The Kaufman’s are tied too.

The thing about UMKC, is that by being the city school, it has so many ties with all the big businesses in KC that that’s where they get alot of their support from. They don’t have to go the traditional donor route fully like KU. There are just alot of businesses and support systems for UMKC within urban KC that support it and want to help because it’s our school. The business school knows pretty much every CEO and all the connections


My hot take on UMKC going forward- I think the streetcar is gonna be a game changer.

I say this as someone who chose to do all 4 years at UMKC undergrad and passed on KU. In 2025, if UMKC can start marketing itself as a city school with free transit on campus with easy access to internships…they should then start sucking away alot of kids who would be KU/KSU students. The free streetcar + downtown internship access + urban life is something Lawrence and Manhattan cannot even come close to competing with. You could be be on campus and get to your internship downtown and Westport all without a car…for free. If they capitalize on this to students, they could start really competing with KU for undergrad students.

For the most part, many KCMO students don't really need to go to MU in Columbia either.

FangKC wrote: ↑Sun Dec 26, 2021 12:22 am For the most part, many KCMO students don't really need to go to MU in Columbia either.

Agreed. You wouldn’t believe the amount of students at UMKC that walk like 40 mins to their apartments everyday on the far end of the Plaza to classes. The streetcar is a God-send for so many students.

normalthings wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 3:49 pm Dave retweeted this

master plan shows how this fits into the longer term vision



http://www2.ku.edu/~irsurvey/hlc2015/KU ... r_Plan.pdf

Would love for KU Med to do some more like this.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center @unmc
released a rendering of their new 350,000-square-foot administrative building on the Southwest Corner of Saddlecreek and Farnam St.

the elevated green space connected the buildings over the parking and through streets is very cool. I'm game

Senator Moran requested $30 mil "to plan and build a new cancer research facility at the KU Cancer Center."

Senator Blunt also requested $20 mil for UMKC new dental & med buildings

UMKC Roo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 2:56 pm Senator Moran requested $30 mil "to plan and build a new cancer research facility at the KU Cancer Center."

Senator Blunt also requested $20 mil for UMKC new dental & med buildings

good

UMKC Roo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 2:56 pm Senator Moran requested $30 mil "to plan and build a new cancer research facility at the KU Cancer Center."

https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/ind ... EBE17133A0

Sen. Moran Secures $43 Million Federal Investment to Help Build New KU Cancer Center

Holy shit

UMKC Roo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 4:11 pm Holy shit

that is maybe 10% of total project cost

normalthings wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 4:50 pm

UMKC Roo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 4:11 pm Holy shit

that is maybe 10% of total project cost

Almost certainly less than 10%. But still a significant number.

An example of this convergence is planning for a new KU Cancer Research Center, a 670,000-square-foot facility that would be added to the University of Kansas Medical Center campus. The project, aimed at pulling together staff now spread throughout several buildings and locations, carries a price tag Jensen estimated as “probably north of $450 million.”

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity ... tion.html

I'm just amazed they got anything at all. The fact they got funds means this may happen now. I'm not sure where they go next or if they can start at all but it is pleasantly surprising.

UMKC Roo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 5:11 pm I'm just amazed they got anything at all. The fact they got funds means this may happen now. I'm not sure where they go next or if they can start at all but it is pleasantly surprising.

They need significant private fundraising.

Cratedigger wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 4:07 pm

UMKC Roo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 2:56 pm Senator Moran requested $30 mil "to plan and build a new cancer research facility at the KU Cancer Center."

https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/ind ... EBE17133A0

Sen. Moran Secures $43 Million Federal Investment to Help Build New KU Cancer Center

I really dislike Moran for a lot of reasons, but he's the only republican we have in D.C. who comes close to caring about Kansas.