KCRag Forum

what then?

new arena proposal? AEG + Anschutz backing out?

totally new project?

I won't hear of this talk

(I'll unlock it when Chriz sees it)

Barnes will probably try again in the November election, possibly tweaking the financing and/or AEG contract to address opponents complaints. It's not unheard of for things like this to take two or three tries before getting passed.

probably be hard to retry in NOV but I don't think we need to worry a great deal about it......KC has a history of passing these issues. Just look at all the unions and orgs. behind it.

I was talking to a major local developer about the arena when the partnership with AEG was announced. He was opposed to an arena until seeing just how solid this is. He was extremely impressed with AEG. He said there are multiple contingencies to financing in place but wouldn't go into details.

Seems there may be alternative financing options if it becomes necessary. Whether the alternatives would require another vote, I don't know.

On the downside, there are some people who are not pro-development in KCMO, at least not this kind. A friend of mine in Hyde Park hates the plopped-in commercialism planned for downtown. She wants to see downtown grow naturally from Crossroads and the residential base, not this type of development. Oddly, she digs hockey. I'll have her convinced before the election. But I wonder how many others feel this way.

ignatius wrote:A friend of mine in Hyde Park hates the plopped-in commercialism planned for downtown. She wants to see downtown grow naturally from Crossroads and the residential base, not this type of development.

While I can understand that sentiment, I don't think the people who espouse it realize the true scale of the problem. There is a MASSIVE HOLE that is bigger than most rural towns. The only think that can plug that hole is a massive project. Netural growth like in the Crossroads does not build new buildings.

There is still a lot of skepticism after the first failed Power & Light District. History in Kansas City shows that the grassroots, organic redevelopment tends to be more successful than the big projects pushed be real estate developers.

For example, The Crossroads, River Market, 39th Street, etc. are some of the most successful redevelopment projects in the city. They are result of small businesses and entrepeneurs, not big developers with fancy drawings and big promises.

Hopefully Cordish will buck the trend, but the skepticism is very understandable given the track record.

People have to understand though that the first P&L didn't fail necessarily due to anyone screwing up... it failed due to the main force behind it dying.

Small time people cannot renovate nonexistant buildings. The area needing invigorated is empty.

The project had stalled before Stan Durwood died. His death just killed an already comatosed project. The area is empty because Durwood held onto it for years and years without making any improvements. It's blighted because he let it become blighted long before proposed the P&L. I'm all for the arena, but I do understand the people who are skeptical.

Kansas City will fall an extra ten years (minimum) from hosting any major sporting event or attracting an NBA or NHL team. The city will once again become a laughingstock for failing to deliver on such high hopes. I hope to god this doesn't happen. I dont live in KC anymore, so I dont know how the public opinion has been. I do know that all of my friends are for it and the revitalization of downtown. Anyone opposed to this, just seems to me like they want to see KC self destruct. People will not stop coming to KC because of the tax hikes (besides when were we ever really a tourist mecca). Most of the people who rent cars are business people who have to do business. I could be wrong but this seems like a pretty harmless tax overall. The ending result is going to push KC up in the ranks of classy cities. We need this to pass and just think in 4 years what downtown will look like.

70%-30% in favor of arena (my prediction)
The 30% should be ashamed of themselves

jsduhs wrote:70%-30% in favor of arena (my prediction)
The 30% should be ashamed of themselves

More like 57%-43% in favor.

Where are the pro-arena TV ads? The anti ads are running multiple times a day. The pro campaign needs to be responding before the undecided voters start swaying.

I've actually seen/heard more pro ads than I have anti ones. They have been running a lot of ads on 810 and 610.

If the arena doesn't pass, then honestly, I think we should rework Bistate II, and make it a PAC/metro arts-Arena initiative. The heck with the stadiums; that issue can be addressed later. I've heard more positive comments on the arena, it seems, from Johnson Countians than I have from Kansas City residents. And I don't intend this to be a slam on Johnson County, as in "they need to pay their fair share," etc., but perhaps we could harness their interest and try for a repackaged Bistate II. Who knows. Listen, I think we need to do whatever it takes, as a metropolitan area, to get this thing through. What makes me so damned angry is the degree of distortion occurring in the debate. If Kansas Citians voted down the plan after being well and fully-informed, with both the pros and the cons presented fairly, that would be one thing. I'd be very upset, and disappointed, but hey, that would be the will of the people, no matter how much I disagreed with it. But this--this smear campaign, LED BY AN OUTSIDE COMPANY, NONETHELESS--just makes my blood boil! St. Louis gets a downtown stadium paid for in part with state funds, and we have to fight a St. Louis-based company just for the right to pay for the arena out of our own pockets? This is dirty, dirty politics, folks, and I for one am very f#@$ing angry about it.

Has anyone done any poling yet?

I don't know how reliable it is, or what the source of the poll is....but it was something along the lines of....

33% yes
22% no
45% undecided

Edit: I don't know math

(What if the arena doesn't pass?)

Move the Unified Gov't of Wy Co into discussions to construct the Sprint Center(with AEG) in the heart of downtown Kansas City, Kansas.

KMBC's informal poll was 52% for, 42% against, 6% undecided.

What the hell are these 42% of people thinking?