OFFICIAL - Performing Arts Center construction

[dangerboy]

While standing at the corner of 16th & Central a couple on the young side of middle age drives up, rolls down window, points and asks what the building was.  How can anyone be so clueless?  JOCO plates not surprisingly.

I treat those people like they are out of town, which they essentially are.  "Oh, that's our new performing arts center.  So, what brings you folks to Kansas City this weekend?  What hotel are you staying at?  Have you seen the Nelson or the Plaza yet?"

Obviously it tends to piss people off, but I think it's dumb to let people like that think of themselves as "Kansas Citians" when they are so ignorant about the city they claim to be a part of.

[IraGlacialis]

How can anyone be so clueless?  JOCO plates not surprisingly.

To play devil's advocate, let's say the same question was asked by somebody from one of KC's "economically-disadvantaged" urban neighborhoods. Would you still get as pissed?
Or was the idea that the couple seemed to be well-off, and should have be in the cultural "know" (as noted by you post dealing with their ballet question), what got to you? Serious question, and I tried to word this best I can without coming off as sarcastic.

Besides how much advertisement is going on about this anyways? Since I'm not in KC and don't really watch TV even if I was, I wouldn't know.
Hell, the only reason I knew about this project was because I frequented this forum.

[trailerkid]

I treat those people like they are out of town, which they essentially are.  "Oh, that's our new performing arts center.  So, what brings you folks to Kansas City this weekend?  What hotel are you staying at?  Have you seen the Nelson or the Plaza yet?"

Obviously it tends to piss people off, but I think it's dumb to let people like that think of themselves as "Kansas Citians" when they are so ignorant about the city they claim to be a part of.

[DaveKCMO]

[LenexatoKCMO]

Its not about civic pride, or even people paying attention.  The reason 90% of the general population could care less about Anything truly noteworthy is because they're stupid, ignorant, and overall...just Dumb.

Dumb and apathetic.  It doesn't really matter what part of town the were from.  I suspect most people would be shocked at the percentage of DT office workers who wouldn't have a clue what that was being built on the edge of DT if you asked them.  Half of them had no clue what the P&L/Sprint center construction projects were until that was completed and that received 10x the press the PAC has. 

I think there are also a lot of people in general society who don't really care about construction/development projects until they are complete and open.  They may be thrilled with the final product and use it frequently but don't bother telling them about it until its ready for business.  There are people out there who can drive by a mall under construction everyday for months and never register a thing until the grand opening banner gets hung.  I know this mindset is somewhat foreign to the sorts of people who seek out this website and want to know what is on the drawing board five years ahead of time but it is clearly out there in large numbers. 

[aknowledgeableperson]

While standing at the corner of 16th & Central a couple on the young side of middle age drives up, rolls down window, points and asks what the building was.  How can anyone be so clueless?  JOCO plates not surprisingly.

You assume that everyone else cares about these things as much as you.  Well, guess what?  Not everyone shares your interests.  Yeah, you can make fun of them when they act like you describe but to put the shoe on the other foot they may act the same if you showed some ignorance in something that is near and dear to them.

[dangerboy]

You assume that everyone else cares about these things as much as you.  Well, guess what?  Not everyone shares your interests. 

The point isn't whether or not you care about the performing arts.  The point is that the PAC is the city's single biggest construction project in the middle of a massive recession. It represents a huge investment in the community even for people who will never go inside the building. 

[moderne]

Not making fun of them, otherwise I would not have attempted to inform them.  Its just to me that it seems akin to a Parisian looking up in 1888 and asking what that skeletal form was, or a Florentine in 1435 not knowing what the duomo was.  I guess a far flung metroplex lacks in overall civitas.  But you are correct, I do not know the name of the latest strip mall going up at 299th and Metcalf.

[aknowledgeableperson]

The point isn't whether or not you care about the performing arts.  The point is that the PAC is the city's single biggest construction project in the middle of a massive recession. It represents a huge investment in the community even for people who will never go inside the building. 

So.

This world, and city, is made up of people with a variety of interests.  This is not a universal topic that concerns, or even affects, every living being in the area.  It isn't like there is a story about this every day, or at least weekly or probably monthly, in the paper and/or TV news.

[dangerboy]

So.

[watcher64110]

At least these particular people were interested/curious enough to stop and ask.  A structure as impressive and prominent as this is meant to get the attention of the unaware, which should in turn should help the prominence of the local cultural organizations who are the primary tenants. 

A building like this is meant as a statement of importance, and thank goodness for that.  KC has been hiding its local performing arts organizations in an unsuitably ratty old shell of a building facing the blank wall of the the back of the Mariott for decades.  How's that for symbolism?  Thank goodness these "clueless" people are starting to notice.

[trailerkid]

So.

This world, and city, is made up of people with a variety of interests.  This is not a universal topic that concerns, or even affects, every living being in the area.  It isn't like there is a story about this every day, or at least weekly or probably monthly, in the paper and/or TV news.

Really has absolutely nothing to do with interests. I'm not interested in NASCAR, but had a keen awareness of that POS going up in WyCo-- which cost $75 M less than the PAC to construct. I would estimate most of the metro also knew about it because of its size/scope/cost rather than because they were Nascar fans.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Really has absolutely nothing to do with interests. I'm not interested in NASCAR, but had a keen awareness of that POS going up in WyCo-- which cost $75 M less than the PAC to construct. I would estimate most of the metro also knew about it because of its size/scope/cost rather than because they were Nascar fans.

Of course you did - you give a shit about development. Nevermind the fact that Neckcar probably has 1000x the following that performing arts do - I gaurantee there were still loads of people running around KC completely oblivious to the track right up until the time it opened.  Why? - because a lot of people just don't care about things until they are done. 

[trailerkid]

Of course you did - you give a shit about development. Nevermind the fact that Neckcar probably has 1000x the following that performing arts do - I gaurantee there were still loads of people running around KC completely oblivious to the track right up until the time it opened.  Why? - because a lot of people just don't care about things until they are done. 

there's a difference between caring about/for it and having a general knowledge of it. most people in kc have no general knowledge of any parts of the city-- only suburbia, the plaza, and P+L. things are getting better, but let's be realistic.

[KCMax]

I don't know why the average metro resident would be that aware of the PAC. There hasn't been that much publicity over it yet.

[trailerkid]

I don't know why the average metro resident would be that aware of the PAC. There hasn't been that much publicity over it yet.

Besides the couple dozen stories in the KC Star; extensive coverage on this site + TKC, and the presence of a massive "bump" quickly rising in front of the skyline...you're right.

[dangerboy]

I don't know why the average metro resident would be that aware of the PAC. There hasn't been that much publicity over it yet.

really?

[KCMax]

Besides the couple dozen stories in the KC Star; extensive coverage on this site + TKC, and the presence of a massive "bump" quickly rising in front of the skyline...you're right.

I'm going to guess 99% of the general public does not read this site nor TKC. The "bump" has only recently become that apparent, and there is little reason for the average person to know or care what it is.

There have been a few Star stories, but not a huge proliferation so that it has entered the public consciousness. Some people might think it was something talked about, or may have glossed over or skipped over it completely. LtoKC is also right, most people only take notice once a project is done.

I think people should pay more attention to what is going on in their city, but I also realize people have busy lives, different interests from myself and don't spend all their time trying to find information about every development in this city. I think its silly to castigate people for not caring about the same things I do.

[trailerkid]

I'm going to guess 99% of the general public does not read this site nor TKC. The "bump" has only recently become that apparent, and there is little reason for the average person to know or care what it is.

There have been a few Star stories, but not a huge proliferation so that it has entered the public consciousness. Some people might think it was something talked about, or may have glossed over or skipped over it completely. LtoKC is also right, most people only take notice once a project is done.

I think people should pay more attention to what is going on in their city, but I also realize people have busy lives, different interests from myself and don't spend all their time trying to find information about every development in this city. I think its silly to castigate people for not caring about the same things I do.

do you think if a project of this magnitude was going up in Denver, Portland, Seattle, or Minneapolis a higher % of the region would know what was happening?

most people in kansas city region aren't interested in kansas city: the reason it'll be a #30 metro for the foreseeable future...the reason why people doing creative things eventually leave.

[TheBigChuckbowski]

Besides the couple dozen stories in the KC Star; extensive coverage on this site + TKC, and the presence of a massive "bump" quickly rising in front of the skyline...you're right.

Are you out of your mind? 100% serious question.

The extensive coverage you're talking about is KCRag and TKC? What percentage of the metro has even heard of either of those two websites? Less than 1%? Let alone trying to guess how many people go to them on a somewhat regular basis.

Is the suburban mindset not obvious? Why would you live in the suburbs if you cared that much about the city and the urban core? They care about the schools and safety of their neighborhood, that's about it, why else live there? So, it's not much of a surprise that they wouldn't know about something that's not going to be finished for a very long time.