gomer's - midtown

[trailerkid]

So we actually have two debates here: 1) the quality of the urban form and built and environment, and 2) the quality of the tenants.  

#1 the urban form isn't too bad. There is a fairly contiguous street wall except for obvious holes like Walgreens, Uptown shoppes, etc.  There is a decent building stock of storefronts and mid/high-rise housing.  

#2 the nature of the tenants is obviously a problem and the main reason why a street with good bones is sketchy in places.  The plasma place being the #1 problem for crime and shady characters.

Broadway desperately needs a CID.  The CIDs on Main, 39th, and in Westport have displaced a lot of crime to Broadway.  Unfortunately Larry Sells owns so much property he's a big deal breaker for a CID.

if developers existed in the Broadway corridor that were insistent on raising its profile we'd see changes. i don't find Broadway particularly more sketchy than any other part of Midtown in my experience. some building owners/shopping center owners hire their own security for their buildings which would help with the "sketchy" atmosphere. perhaps if concerned businesses formed a coop just for security that would alleviate the burden of hiring these folks. does the plasma center have security patrol its own building? perhaps it's something the neighbors/citizens should demand of businesses that attract a "sketchy" clientele if its not already in place. basically...if you're going to engage in businesses that attracts hundreds of people with addiction problems to a neighborhood you need to be responsible for how he/she interacts with the neighborhood when they're not inside your business-- same attitude with nightclubs.

obviously a CID would be a great piece of the puzzle, but Broadway seems to lack small developers willing to take a risk for its future. maybe the city could initiate a super-incentive for businesses to expand/remodel their own storefronts which create opportunities for new businesses next to them. i really believe the key to KC's continued urban redevelopment is micro-developments. strip by strip, building by building...a large collection of small developers.  

[LenexatoKCMO]

if developers existed in the Broadway corridor that were insistent on raising its profile we'd see changes. i don't find Broadway particularly more sketchy than any other part of Midtown in my experience. some building owners/shopping center owners hire their own security for their buildings which would help with the "sketchy" atmosphere. perhaps if concerned businesses formed a coop just for security that would alleviate the burden of hiring these folks. does the plasma center have security patrol its own building? perhaps it's something the neighbors/citizens should demand of businesses that attract a "sketchy" clientele if its not already in place. basically...if you're going to engage in businesses that attracts hundreds of people with addiction problems to a neighborhood you need to be responsible for how he/she interacts with the neighborhood when they're not inside your business-- same attitude with nightclubs.

KCPD stakes the place out near round the clock and it still doesn't slow down the shit.  Preaching to the choir on neighborhood demanding action - the plasma center has been on the shit list for ages.  Now that all the slum towers are cleaning up, I think it is safe to say that the Plasma center is the #1 problem in Midtown. 

[trailerkid]

KCPD stakes the place out near round the clock and it still doesn't slow down the shit.  Preaching to the choir on neighborhood demanding action - the plasma center has been on the shit list for ages.  Now that all the slum towers are cleaning up, I think it is safe to say that the Plasma center is the #1 problem in Midtown.  

obviously not enough has been done or preached if it's still considered a significant problem and cited as a reason why Broadway can't rebound. remember that every big city to medium-sized city also has plasma centers dotting their landscape. there's actually a large chain of plasma centers popping up around big box centers off freeways in exurbia. if there was more pedestrian traffic and security walking the sidewalks on Broadway it's likely that violence associated with dope would move somewhere else. although in my experience there is a good amount of drug trade that happens in a very public, visible manner in KCMO which is a whole different topic altogether. KCMO needs a commission on drug/alcohol abuse and possible measures of decriminalization.

...and isn't the majority of all the discussions on this board "preaching to the choir?"

[LenexatoKCMO]

obviously not enough has been done or preached if it's still considered a significant problem and cited as a reason why Broadway can't rebound.

The neighborhood doesn't have the power to just make the problem go away.  The neighborhood has been loud about the issues with both the city and the operator for ages.  It has been the subject of expose articles in both the Pitch and Star.  The owner has no interest in rectifying the problem and there really isn't anything that can be done legally.  Their business depends on attracting a steady stream of desperate people, particularly addicts.  Anything that discourages that sort of traffic and the crap that comes along with it is detremental to their business.  

http://forum.kcrag.com/index.php?topic=11344.0

KCMO needs a commission on drug/alcohol abuse and possible measures of decriminalization.

Sure, but in the meantime . . . ?

[trailerkid]

The neighborhood doesn't have the power to just make the problem go away.  The neighborhood has been loud about the issues with both the city and the operator for ages.  It has been the subject of expose articles in both the Pitch and Star.  The owner has no interest in rectifying the problem and there really isn't anything that can be done legally.  Their business depends on attracting a steady stream of desperate people, particularly addicts.  Anything that discourages that sort of traffic and the crap that comes along with it is detremental to their business.  

http://forum.kcrag.com/index.php?topic=11344.0

Zoning? Or perhaps a city ordinance requiring XX amount of security personnel during business hours + 3 hours after for all plasma centers in the urban core? I just don't believe nothing can be done if the council found a way to ban a barefoot volunteer from City Hall.

Sure, but in the meantime . . . ?

It's surely something Flunk could've set up in his years in office considering he was so concerned with neighborhoods & has a grad degree in social work. In fact this is exactly the sort of arena I thought he might be useful. I guess being a lame precursor to the teabagger movement was more important. The social problems in the city need to be addressed for areas like Midtown to move forward. That "Green Zone" money should've went to community psych clinics & drug/alcohol treatment instead.

[beautyfromashes]

obviously a CID would be a great piece of the puzzle

Who would run the CID? Larry Sells??? No thanks!

maybe the city could initiate a super-incentive for businesses to expand/remodel their own storefronts which create opportunities for new businesses next to them.

It's called a TIF and it's been in place for decades with all the money funnelling into one persons pockets without one business helped that he doesn't have a stake in.

[trailerkid]

It's called a TIF and it's been in place for decades with all the money funnelling into one persons pockets without one business helped that he doesn't have a stake in.

the system is obviously broken. i'm not denying that. that doesn't negate the fact there should be a reward to encourage local businesses to become mini-developers and do it right.

does anyone have any further info on the Westport 39 complex? i'm guessing they did that without TIF? i'm not a fan of the parking obviously, but i'd say it is a standout example of turning crap into something useful and economically successful. whoever developed that needs to be on the TIF commission...sorry Stretch.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Zoning?

Nope, it would be an Ex Post Facto taking.

Or perhaps a city ordinance requiring XX amount of security personnel during business hours + 3 hours after for all plasma centers in the urban core?

I don't think any more on site security would change the situation.  As I mentioned the KCPD is parked by the front door for pretty much their entire operating hours.  The problems don't really manifest on site anymore.  In fact the plasma center patrons themselves probably aren't even directly the problem - its their indirect effect.  Presumably the Plasma patrons are coming by their fix money honestly.  The problem is that the plasma center patrons encourage half the street dealers in KCMO to set up shop within a couple blocks of this joint.  In turn, those street dealers than attract all sorts of clientelle that aren't patient enough to sell their own plasma and instead fund their purchases by holding up the surrounding businesses, breaking into the family homes on neighboring blocks, or hassling folks on the street.    

[trailerkid]

Nope, it would be an Ex Post Facto taking.

I don't think any more on site security would change the situation.  As I mentioned the KCPD is parked by the front door for pretty much their entire operating hours.  The problems don't really manifest on site anymore.  In fact the plasma center patrons themselves probably aren't even directly the problem - its their indirect effect.  Presumably the Plasma patrons are coming by their fix money honestly.  The problem is that the plasma center patrons encourage half the street dealers in KCMO to set up shop within a couple blocks of this joint.  In turn, those street dealers than attract all sorts of clientelle that aren't patient enough to sell their own plasma and instead fund their purchases by holding up the surrounding businesses, breaking into the family homes on neighboring blocks, or hassling folks on the street.    

so it's sounding like the Plasma Center isn't really the problem. it's the infusion of cash into people's pockets?

[kcjak]

Maybe the state of Kansas will give the plasma center an incentive to move to JoCo 

[LenexatoKCMO]

so it's sounding like the Plasma Center isn't really the problem. it's the infusion of cash into people's pockets?

Its a whole symbiotic ecosystem: plasma patrons, dealers, other dudes who rob the jimmy johns to pay the dealers. 

[chrizow]

just saw this in a gomer's update email:  the rumors of gomer's tearing down the current building at 39/broadway and building new construction at the same location are true.  no information about whether the building will take an "urban form," but i highly doubt it will.

"You may or may not have heard rumors over the past year that Gomer's Midtown may soon be going through some big chnages. It looks like they are close to happening, and we figured this was a good way to make sure the word gets out - it looks like that, by the end of the year, we will be in a new and considerably improved building in the same lovely location you find us at now.

What this will also mean is that we will be temporarily locating ourselves in the building across the parking lot. We don't have an exact date for this yet, but it appears that it will be by summer.

And, while I know many of you will miss the old building and its "character," we can't wait, as the new store will have a lot of room and many bells and whistles to enjoy."

[nilsson1941]

dumb

[ignatius]

very disappointing. it's got such a great raw edgy thing about it that exemplifies what midtown is.  i just hope the new one is built up to the corner with no setback. 

[smh]

very disappointing. it's got such a great raw edgy thing about it that exemplifies what midtown is.  i just hope the new one is built up to the corner with no setback. 

I'm looking forward to them having more space for products and events. I love Gomer's but it is often so crowded. I do hope there is no setback--like a proper city.

[trailerkid]

very disappointing. it's got such a great raw edgy thing about it that exemplifies what midtown is.  i just hope the new one is built up to the corner with no setback. 

Isn't this a point that can be argued by concerned Midtowners before anything actually happens? I don't get why every business in this city just does whatever the fuck they want it comes to preserving any semblance of urbanity.

[kboish]

Wasn't the city working on an updated development code addressing issues like this?  Thought I remember reading something about requirements for street frontage etc for new construction on main streets/intersections to prevent suburban style strip mall lots.  Am I remembering a pipe dream or is there codes just "suggestions"?

[MidtownCat]

Another great example of the "Home Depotization" of Midtown.

It continually baffles me that the business owners in one of the most uniquely urban areas of our city's core can choose to own property here but have such a blatant disregard for what constitutes its special character and any level of stewardship to preserve it. I don't know what makes me more frustrated, the weak leadership at the governmental level to curb this destruction through design and planning restrictions or simply the total lack of commitment and personal responsibilty from these property owners towards a respect for the fabric of their surrounding neighborhoods.

Honestly, if you want your place of business to follow the 135th and Antioch model, why own property at 39th and Broadway?

[supastudio]

It continually baffles me that the business owners in one of the most uniquely urban areas of our city's core can choose to own property here but have such a blatant disregard for what constitutes its special character and any level of stewardship to preserve it.

I think it all comes down to dollars when it comes to most business owners.

When it comes to any project that is a remodel of building, it will usually be more difficult and even take longer than new construction. This is the reason remodels are priced more expensive per unit than new construction.  Another thing with remodels is finding code violations in structure, mechanical, etc.  This leads to even more costs because you have to fix it or you wont pass code and again remodels are more difficult and it cost more.

Just to let you know right now, I have some insight on this project. Let's just say I work in construction and I bid projects throughout the KC Metro (and yes I seen both designs of Trader Joes ) As far as this Gomer's, I do know that it did go through several design changes on the remodel and this was almost 6 to 12 months ago, so they did try to preserve the existing buildings (It was comprised of 3 small buildings that butt up to each other and also were at different levels).  Then a couple months ago I got a re-bid invitation, but decided not to bid so I have no clue what the new building will look like.

IMHO, tearing the old building down and putting in a new building is the best option both economically and in the design sense of a store. I'm all for preservation (this is was what we did for assignments in the last two years of architecture school), but honestly there's no need to preserve a P.O.S. building.

[pash]

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