OFFICIAL - Arena construction

[KCPowercat]

yeah putting the arena on the fringe of the density will pull development even further east.....I mean just look at KC Live, that will have offshoots on Grand filling up....it won't be as isolated for long. Making people walk 3 blocks from the hotels is a good thing...foot traffic will get more people in bars and restaurants.

Just look at the AAC in Dallas...it was built alone to help pull the West End development to the arena.

[WoodDraw]

Guys from Heinlein Schrock and HOK were just on 810. They didn't really say anything we didn't already know but they put a lot of emphasis on them wanting it to be something unique to Kansas City and something that we can all take pride in which was good to hear.

They also said that they invited HNTB to join the 4 announced ones but HNTB has said they aren't interested right now. I wonder why? Oh well. I can't wait to see what these guys can kick out with all four of them working together. Time to fast-forward to Aug.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Just look at the blocks around 13th and Grand. School District Building, City Hall, Jackson County Courthouse, Federal Building, Jackson County Jail, Appeals Court, State building, ATT Long Lines, Police Headquarters, Municipal Court, etc. Does not leave much vacant land to develop or redevelop. None will be torn down and will not be used on nights and weekends and holidays. Go south and you have the Star's Printing Press Building. So all that is left is KC Live to the west. At least by the Convention Center you have the hotels and the activity around the Convention Center, PAC, Folly Theater and Midland Theater along with KC Live. And for those that rely on public transportation it is closer to the bus terminal on Main.

Putting the Arena by the Convention Center leaves the 4 blocks at 14th and Grand free to be developed with more housing, office area for another big company like H & R Block, or to expand KC Live if needed.

[kcteen]

there is room to expland kcLive across and to the other side of the freeway loop.

Also, the point about 14th and main be closer to transit (And by closer to transit i assume you mean the 10th and main transit "plaza") that is a moot point, as bus rapid transit, MAX, will have its own route that will stop near the new district.

kcteen

[KCPowercat]

akp...consider it a "bookend" to the development. You put it on Main and the KC Live portion closer to Grand would struggle because everything would gravitate west towards the PAC, CC, and arena...this way you balance out the development and stretch it futher east.

and teen was right about the bus stop.....check out the MAX map, can't get a bus much closer than that.

[GRID]

Jesus people, this is a good plan, period, get behind it or move and make room for people who do want KC to be a class A town.

[LyRiCaL GanGsTa]

I still believe it is in the wrong place. It should be attached to the Convention Center. Go from Main to Wyandotte and south of 14th street and over the highway. The Empire Theater could house the NABC and be one of the main entrances to the arena. This will put the arena closer to the hotels. It should also give the arena at least 10 and maybe up to 20 extra days a year of usage because conventions and other events could use the extra space.

I agree, it would be great to have the arena as close as possible, but that would intrude on KCLive & H&R Bloch ( at 13th, 14th & Main), wouldn't it? The idea to have it on Grand may be to purposely have KCLive between the convention center and the Arena so it can prosper from the foot traffic and be a central meeting place for both.

The area at 13th and 14th and Grand is kinda isolated. The major buildings are government buildings closing at 5 and all day on the weekends. At 14th and Main you are closer to more action.

Grand is just 2 blocks from Main ( KCLive ) and 6 blocks from Wyandotte. Is that isolated? The govt buildings you are referring to are 3-5 blocks to the north and east.

I'm excited to see who jumps on the area just east of Sprint Center.

[GRID]

I hope they incorporate lighting and fountains. High tech lighting and projection systems like the buildings around Barney Allis and a least one major fountain for that area of Downtown.

[GRID]

Do you guys seriosly think 14th and Grand is far from 14th and Central????

We are framing in the entertainment district, we will have several ancors on all sides of the entertainment area, if you have massive structures all next to each other you end up with just lots of dead space and retaining walls.

The arena and PAC are in perfect locations.

[KCPowercat]

Grid...your last statement got me all excited...I hadn't even THOUGHT about stuff like fountains.....that has to be a priority with Cordish.

I was running and listening to 810 and KK actually had a good idea to name something down there after Barnes.....turn 14th Street through KC Live into Barnes Blvd?

[scooterj]

I was running and listening to 810 and KK actually had a good idea to name something down there after Barnes.....turn 14th Street through KC Live into Barnes Blvd?

I had just logged in looking for the Barnes thread so that I could suggest the exact same thing about the exact same street!

[LyRiCaL GanGsTa]

Looks like a 5 block walk to Bartle... right through KCLive!

Can anyone fill in some of these question marks? Has anyone COUNTED the number of blocks being developed and MASSIVE amount of blight being eliminated within 4 years???!!!!!!

[KCPowercat]

LG....your P&L should be a block north. To the east of where P&L is now is Empire which has no plans as of yet. Block north of there is the Hotel President.

Supposedly Sprint Center will stretch clear to 15th (truman) so your red ? would be S.C. The KC Live! part would also stretch one block east....the project is actually 7-8 blocks total as they have described it....so probably not residential but more entertainment/retail.

Great map.

[kansasfarmboy]

Just look at the blocks around 13th and Grand. School District Building, City Hall, Jackson County Courthouse, Federal Building, Jackson County Jail, Appeals Court, State building, ATT Long Lines, Police Headquarters, Municipal Court, etc. Does not leave much vacant land to develop or redevelop. None will be torn down and will not be used on nights and weekends and holidays. Go south and you have the Star's Printing Press Building. So all that is left is KC Live to the west. At least by the Convention Center you have the hotels and the activity around the Convention Center, PAC, Folly Theater and Midland Theater along with KC Live. And for those that rely on public transportation it is closer to the bus terminal on Main.

Putting the Arena by the Convention Center leaves the 4 blocks at 14th and Grand free to be developed with more housing, office area for another big company like H & R Block, or to expand KC Live if needed.

Well there is always an UPSIDE!!! , once its all DONE, and the first basketball game or concert, The cops wont have far to take drunks they round up at the sobriety checkpoints set up on all four sides of it , and heck even for state offenses they can WALK you over to jackson county JAIL, ANd if someone commits a violent offense , they can take the collected forensice evidence by hand over to the crime lab also withing walking distance.

So theres always up sides!!

Imagine a concert of , oh lets say , GODSMACK Or , Metallica, they smoke dope, a cop catches them and walks them to the police station saving a ton of money on getting the mobile command post out and running ,

[kansasfarmboy]

Didn't Kansas City have an NHL team? What happened to the Scouts? Kansas City had a brand new arena for them(Kemper) and no one went to any games. Oh well, maybe that won't happen again.

I swear we had an NBA team too, but I guess our little town just couldn't support the Kings.

Plus, after some research the I found that Kempter fishbowl expansion general obligation funds come due in 2016! So that would mean they cannot tear it down until then AND how will this be paid back if All events are moved to the proposed sprint center there are PAST issues that must be dealt with.


And the commitee By Ms Barnes , is going to AUDIT union station (Source kshb 41) they are going to find out , WHERE the money went , whats owed and the condition of the building and contents. Then take all of this into consideration for its future. Now that kind of commitee I am all for. Kind of like a GRAND JURY. Ok you were given a dollar you now owe 5 WHY ?

[kansasfarmboy]

Just look at the blocks around 13th and Grand. School District Building, City Hall, Jackson County Courthouse, Federal Building, Jackson County Jail, Appeals Court, State building, ATT Long Lines, Police Headquarters, Municipal Court, etc. Does not leave much vacant land to develop or redevelop. None will be torn down and will not be used on nights and weekends and holidays. Go south and you have the Star's Printing Press Building. So all that is left is KC Live to the west. At least by the Convention Center you have the hotels and the activity around the Convention Center, PAC, Folly Theater and Midland Theater along with KC Live. And for those that rely on public transportation it is closer to the bus terminal on Main.

Putting the Arena by the Convention Center leaves the 4 blocks at 14th and Grand free to be developed with more housing, office area for another big company like H & R Block, or to expand KC Live if needed.

And for those that rely on public transportation it is closer to the bus
terminal on Main.

Ahhh yes , the Bus Terminal ! Homeless People, Drunks, Prostitution,
Pimps, Drug Dealers, Petty Theives, And eleven long-haired friends of
jesus In a chartreuse micro-bus.

Any chance of moving City Union Mission closer to this???

[kansasfarmboy]

Jack Harry COmmentary. this morning on ch 41

He is very PRO arena AND had some great points I did not thing of...

He said in his commentary that we cannot afford to Muck this one up, as the theives in texas STOLE the big 12 , and we can show them we can play hardball by trying to get them BACK not just on a rotation basis.

As for new teams, His bet would be on an NHL team NOT NBA, the reason , the kings have been gone 20 years they were sold for 8 million at the time and they are now worth 130 million and no one in thier right mind would pay that to get them or any other team thats a winning NBA team back for any where near that ammount.

So his bet is NHL

He also stated that we must hold kc politicians accountable and keep their nose to the grind stone on this , if sprint and others want on board they need to be INKED in NOW , as they are not commited officially only as a proposition and that IF this does NOT develop Des Moines and Omaha will blow right by us as destination cities as union stations is clearly not cutting it.


I wish i could get his commentary in print form but its not yet available OR i cant find where there is a transcript of it.

[JerseyGuy]

A section of an article from the KC Star this morning...


Mayor moves to put arena fee on ballot

By LYNN HORSLEY The Kansas City Star


The tax on Kansas City hotels is currently 14.6 percent. Imposing a $1.50-per-night fee would add about 1.6 percent or more on the average hotel room rate, Hughes said. That is approaching 17 percent, which Hughes said was somewhat high nationally. It's also higher than the 13.5 percent tax on hotel rooms in Kansas.

But weighed against the benefits of a modern venue that might attract big league sports teams and entertainers, the added expenses were a lesser consideration, Hughes said.
“There are two critical issues that have cost us major business — one, we have a dilapidated convention center, and that's being remedied. And No. 2, there's a pervasive perception that there's nothing to do downtown. So this really does give us a salve for that latter component,â€

[aknowledgeableperson]

I am baffled by LG's photo. City Hall is between Oak and Locust north of 12th street but it looks like the photo has it east of Locust. Thought Oak was to be on the east side of the arena. The picture has it in the middle of the arena. Are the streets misnamed?

[KCPowercat]

akp is right...didn't even see the street names. It goes Grand - McGee - Oak - Locust from west to east.

McGee will be stopped by this arena.