Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort

[knucklehead]

A big "So what?" for both. No person or company is going to relocate to KC because they keep hearing about it from sports coverage. It's a lot of exposure that doesn't add up to much.

hmmm, in your opinion a company deciding between Omaha, Oklahoma City or KC would place no weight on the fact that one is a major leaque city and the others are not. I disagree but you are entitled to your opinion.

[knucklehead]

I was on the marketing "pitch team" for Village West and have a little history with this project.  If the track had not gone in, none of the key retailers (Cabela's, NFM) would have made the commitment to build out there regardless of the tax breaks given.  There are reams of research to show how a track can be a catalyst for greater develpment.  It simply works, pure and simple.  Schlitterbahn would never have taken the financial risk on KC if the track had not started the development.  NFM then proved the retail side and now it has snowballed.       

Why were the huge tax breaks given if they were not needed?

[KCTigerFan]

I should have said, "regardless of how large the tax breaks were."  They were still needed as it was an unproven area in an unproven market for this scale of development. 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on the value of the Speedway to greater KC.     

[Maitre D]

Why were the huge tax breaks given if they were not needed?

Why were huge tax HANDOUTS given at TSC if KC was a good enough market to house those teams?

[KC0KEK]

hmmm, in your opinion a company deciding between Omaha, Oklahoma City or KC would place no weight on the fact that one is a major leaque city and the others are not.

They might put some weight in it, but the deciding factors will be things such as infrastructure, the quality of the schools, the education level of the workforce, cost of living and -- one of the current topics in this thread -- tax breaks.

[the_shadow]

I was on the marketing "pitch team" for Village West and have a little history with this project.  If the track had not gone in, none of the key retailers (Cabela's, NFM) would have made the commitment to build out there regardless of the tax breaks given.  There are reams of research to show how a track can be a catalyst for greater develpment.  It simply works, pure and simple.  Schlitterbahn would never have taken the financial risk on KC if the track had not started the development.  NFM then proved the retail side and now it has snowballed.     

I guess you must have worked for queen carol because it shows you have no clue what's going on. The track is a negative to those retailers because they cared about those lost sales...there were 3 race weekends at the start...thats 6% of their sales taken away. It was all about the money for the track (was looking at a site near kci) NFM ( was looking at site in independence) and Cabelas (Kansas wasn't even in their top 50 markets) if not for the incentives all that development would have been in Missouri.  The reason Schlitterbahn picked KC was for the traffic generated by village west and the incentives. They didn't come here because of a NASCAR track.

knucklehead-Let me get this straight on what your saying:

NASCAR vs NFL:you would pick nfl I would agree if they weren't already here. I mean I would rather rather have NASCAR than have the chiefs move....

[KCTigerFan]

Wrong on all counts.  I did not work for the Unified Gov't.  I represented the private development side.  NFM and others always "scout" for locations but there is no way they were going to select Independence.  As for the sales, that is pure BS.  Ask any of the corporate financial folks about "lost revenue" on race days versus the financial gain they have from the retail cluster created at VW and they will take the development they have every day over any other location. 

[jj116533]

What's the deal how is it going? Any progress, construction?

[Maitre D]

Wrong on all counts.  I did not work for the Unified Gov't.  I represented the private development side.  NFM and others always "scout" for locations but there is no way they were going to select Independence.  As for the sales, that is pure BS.  Ask any of the corporate financial folks about "lost revenue" on race days versus the financial gain they have from the retail cluster created at VW and they will take the development they have every day over any other location. 

I'm no retail expert....but the idea that an IndyCar race would cause any loss to retailers strikes me as unrealistic.

So IndyCar got 70,000 people on Sunday afternoon for a 4hr window.  Big deal.  How the hell does that prevent me from shopping on Saturday instead?  Or Sunday morning?  Or Monday?   

[BigSam]

I guess you must have worked for queen carol because it shows you have no clue what's going on. The track is a negative to those retailers because they cared about those lost sales...there were 3 race weekends at the start...thats 6% of their sales taken away. It was all about the money for the track (was looking at a site near kci) NFM ( was looking at site in independence) and Cabelas (Kansas wasn't even in their top 50 markets) if not for the incentives all that development would have been in Missouri.  The reason Schlitterbahn picked KC was for the traffic generated by village west and the incentives. They didn't come here because of a NASCAR track.

knucklehead-Let me get this straight on what your saying:

NASCAR vs NFL:you would pick nfl I would agree if they weren't already here. I mean I would rather rather have NASCAR than have the chiefs move....

I've been out to Village West on Race Days.  I saw no downturn in traffic.

The track provides tons of publicity for the area/district that is attractive to retailers.  It creates a destination atmosphere where the area is known by many before the visit it.  In addition, others come to events, see what is going on otherwise in the area, and they opt to return in the future.  The economic expansion in the development is impressive.  The development of housing in the area has added to this, and will help sustain future development by providing more of a population base to support the ongoing changes.

I now see JoCo'ers and KCMO'ers now frequenting the area when in the past they would have never visited WyCo unless impelled by some mysterious force (this includes many of my friends). 

Village West, as it has continued to expand, impresses me more and more due to their efforts to have a retailer mix that will make it more of a destination location.  As Schlitterbahn opens and develops, this will only drive this area more, for it creates a destination similar to NASCAR, but it will be open for many months day in and day out in the year, not just a few weeks.

The Unified Government and the developers thought this area out pretty good.  I hope these good choices continue into the future.

Sam S.

[the_shadow]

I didn't say that this was my opinion...what I said is what are the retailer's opinions..back on topic I wish schlitterbahn would get going too so people can stop asking me how it is going and when will the start?

[mistervinix]

What's the deal how is it going? Any progress, construction?

Yes, I would second that comment. When the hell are they going to break ground for this thing? There's no way any part of it could be open in 2008. I get that they want to have "all their ducks in a row," but what is the delay?

[KC0KEK]

Maybe we should start a thread titled, "Schlitterbahn is Seriously Stalled."

[Mr. Fantasy]

They really can't do anything until 94th street is completed.  It seems fairly close to being done.  After that's done they'll really start working on the resort while there's also work on 98th or 99th St.  Can't remember which one.

[DaveKCMO]

Maybe we should start a thread titled, "Schlitterbahn is Seriously Stalled."

...or "has interest in schlitterbahn has dried up?"

[KC0KEK]

I guess I should have added an &. I was referring to the pessimistic "Legends is Seriously Stalled" thread.

[GRID]

This project is still alive, at least they are still going through the design stage and are planning to break ground soon.  Now, no project is 100% for real till it's complete, but this project is not sitting on a shelf collecting dust.  It's being worked on and money is still being spent to get the project open within a couple of years.

[kcdcchef]

This project is still alive, at least they are still going through the design stage and are planning to break ground soon.  Now, no project is 100% for real till it's complete, but this project is not sitting on a shelf collecting dust.  It's being worked on and money is still being spent to get the project open within a couple of years.

what, you mean the greatest construction project ever, and the biggest baddest resort ever, at the worlds greatest strip mall, is stalling??

what a suprise, it remains big box retail with a strip mall attached. what a suprise.

[trailerkid]

I guess I should have added an &. I was referring to the pessimistic "Legends is Seriously Stalled" thread.

I believe Legends opened 2 years after anticipated and still has a 20,000 sq. ft. space built for H+M that never happened.

[kcdcchef]

I believe Legends opened 2 years after anticipated and still has a 20,000 sq. ft. space built for H+M that never happened.

but yet another suprise. strip mall with big box retail is CONTINUING to not put up what they said they would.

suprise, supsrise.

you kansas boosters ready to admit this was yet another retail fad, like bannister, blue ridge, great mall of the great plains, etc, or you need a few more years when only one part of schlit ever opened and nebraska furniture mart has become wild woody's??