Union Station

[trailerkid]

Star reports that interim Director Sean O'Byrne is recommending buying the railroad artifacts. O'Byrne said the museum would cost about $7 million to build. O'Byrne said the rail museum would be “a slice of life of that timeâ€

[KCPowercat]

I think he said mostly buy it because we can turn an easy profit on the collection....I guess it's worth $2M at least and we're getting it for $600,00

[trailerkid]

I think he said mostly buy it because we can turn an easy profit on the collection....I guess it's worth $2M at least and we're getting it for $600,00

That's what they say

Would you buy 'em if you had the money?

[KCPowercat]

I own a loft...what do you think?

[staubio]

The Star is reporting that the board has approved the purchase of the railroad artifacts they were looking at. This could be very, very cool. Imagine the nation's premiere railroad mueseum and Union Station.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 979543.htm

[cdschofield]

My only concern is that the US board becomes so obsessed with putting in attractions that they crowd out the potential for US to be a real transportation hub in the future, i.e. BRT, LRT, commuter rail, etc.

I feel that with a combination of the BRT, commuter rail and the right kind of commuter related retail mix in addition to what is already at US or planned that a lot of their problems would go away. US could become a thriving center of activity in the city just by becoming a transportation hub.

[kcteen]

i agree, CDS, but the rail museum is a perfect fit for union station. Having worked at Union Station, I will agree with the union station managament firsthand that the number one thing asked by visitors is "where are the trains?" (the only place to observe trains is from within science city, so people just wanting to see trains have to pay just to go there and see them!)

I think having a first-class rail museum would be a good anchor for the station. Ideally, the station needs to serve practical (in addition to touristy) reasons to go there. But that is already happening with Amtrak now in Union Station and the Post Office moving in. The Liberty Memorial museum across the street will help. IRS consolidation will help. The new pedestrian bridge will help. I think even without Commuter rail/light rail U.S. can thrive, however, I agree Commuter Rail would be a great, great positive for the station (and downtown)

[cdschofield]

I like the rail museum idea. I just want the US board to keep in mind the practical uses of US as well as the touristy uses. Sometimes in crisis situations long term plans get overshadowed by short term fixes.

[GRID]

Here is a story in Pitch about Union Station and the train museum attraction. Amazingly, the article has a positive tone to it, rather uncharacteristic of the Pitch.

http://pitch.com/issues/2004-06-24/stline.html

I think this is a great Idea, although I do wish they would be a little more realistic with the attendance figures so it does not "fail" the original plans and I hope the “modelâ€

[trailerkid]

TRACKING STATIONS' STORIES

Kansas City can learn from ups and downs of other cities' grand old railroad hubs

By YAEL T. ABOUHALKAH

The Kansas City Star

Stay positive, Kansas Citians. Other cities have struggled in their initial attempts to reuse once-bustling, once-grand railroad stations.

Union Station's deep financial problems are prompting civic and political leaders to examine ways to bring in more activities, people and money to keep the doors open.

The first attractions to re-energize the station — Science City and three theaters — have failed to provide enough revenue to support the impressive structure.

The renovation is superb. The foot traffic is not.

However, similar scenarios have occurred elsewhere in the last two decades in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.

In each case, the first retrofit failed to breathe enough new life into a large train station. And in each case a second attempt has been more successful.

• Cincinnati's station is the home for several museums.

• Indianapolis houses a wide variety of tenants, including two schools.

• Washington, D.C.'s monument is a transit hub and a retail center.

Sean O'Byrne, interim director for Union Station in Kansas City, is aware of those success stories and the challenges facing local leaders.

“We can learn from all of them, without a doubt,â€

[KCPowercat]

cuts coming:

- Science City closed on Monday and Tuesday (Union Station remains open same hours)
- 30 people laid off
- no more filtered water for the coffee
- paycuts for some of the management
- reduced advertising (bad idea)

[scooterj]

cuts coming:

- Union Station closed on Monday and Tuesday
- 30 people laid off
- no more filtered water for the coffee
- paycuts for some of the management
- reduced advertising (bad idea)

Just to clarify something that your post had me worried about:

The station itself will remain open every day from 6 a.m. to midnight. Retail shops and restaurants will maintain their own operating hours, O'Byrne said.

It's just the museum and theaters that will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays. But...

Private and school groups may reserve the attractions on those days for a fee

I agree that cutting advertising is a bad idea. That's one area that should remain untouched, if not somehow increased.

[KCPowercat]

my bad...changed above.

[DiggityDawg]

I agree with the advertising element...nothing good can come from hacking that budget.

And is it just me, or do some of those salaries quoted in the Star story seem a tad high - even after the pay cuts?

[LyRiCaL GanGsTa]

why don't you people that reference a story cut and paste the reference for those of us that don't read the Star or have it handy?

[KCPowercat]

we're Star employees, we want you to go and pick it up or go online and click our popups

[JerseyGuy]

Chastain says he has a plan for Union Station


Clay Chastain, perennial defender of Union Station, wants to add a hub for commuter rail and streetcars to Kansas City's restored train station.

Chastain, a Republican candidate in the 5th Congressional District race, said today at a press conference that recent failures have left the icon “without a soul, without people and without a great purpose.

Chastain, one of five Republicans on the Aug. 3. primary ballot, envisions a transportation center at Union Station where travelers board light rail to reach Kansas City International Airport, or take commuter rail to the suburbs and expanded bus service. Streetcars would connect Union Station with downtown, the Country Club Plaza and Kansas City, Kan.

Chastain urged voters to reject the current bistate tax proposal on the November ballot in favor of a new bistate tax to raise $2 billion to build the system. If elected to Congress, he said he'll work to get $750 million in federal money.

—Russ Pulley/The Star
Posted on Sun, Jul. 11, 2004

[Gorlock]

EDC OKs $600,000 vintage rail cars purchase


Union Station's interim CEO said he expected to buy a 1940s-era rail car exhibit on Friday afternoon after the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City approved a loan Friday morning to finance the $600,000 purchase.

Sean O'Byrne said he expected the 11-car collection and railroad artifacts to go on display in the fall on two rail spurs by the station's north end. Admission will cost about $5 a person, O'Byrne said.

Kansas City Southern will pull the cars down in August from Milwaukee. The railroad also has donated a locomotive to the station that O'Byrne said he hopes to attach to the cars and use for excursion trips.

Funding for the purchase will come from a $450,000 loan from a three-bank consortium led by Bank Midwest that also includes Missouri Bank & Trust of Kansas City and Douglass National Bank. The remaining $150,000 is coming from the EDC Loan Corp.

Andi Udris, CEO of the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City, said he expects the loan to be repaid in about 60 days.

O'Byrne said he'll ask the Bistate Commission for money that remains from a tax that voters approved in 1996 to refurbish the station but doesn't know when the request will be heard.

from the Kansas City Business Journal

[trailerkid]

From the StL Post Dispatch...

Panel criticizes plan for KC's Union Station
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sunday, Jul. 18 2004

KANSAS CITY - Union Station will likely continue to struggle financially even
with a pair of proposed exhibits because of high upfront costs, a committee
says.

Station managers want to bring in a collection of railroad cars and memorabilia
and build a lab for reassembling the skeleton of a 60-foot dinosaur.

But a task force found that the exhibits could cost $2.2 million to set up and
that ongoing operations could consume all but 10 percent of income from ticket
sales.

"It's not as though these venues will generate big profits," said Ron Pressman,
the group's chairman.

Instead, managers said they need to bring in successful temporary exhibits,
such as the collection of relics from the Titanic that attracted hundreds of
thousands of visitors in 2001.

Union Station officials, faced with growing deficits, laid off 30 employees
last week and said they would no longer operate several station attractions on
Mondays and Tuesdays.

[GRID]

Everybody thinks closing Science City on Mondays is a bad deal. I have to wonder why they didn't do it a long time ago. It seems pretty well known that many or most museums are not open on Mondays.

But I still can't belive they closed the planetarium. That just irks me to no end and proves that management over there is really screwed up.