Various restaurants worried about P&L

[moderne]

    At the announcement for the Empire, Cordish was comparing the P&L to the French Quarter.  I dont think people travel to the big easy to go and eat in the national chains.

[kcdcchef]

and it could be like the quarter, from a dining perspective. not tons of 140 year old buildings with balconies, but a lot of local flavor. maybe even second locations for a few of our local gems, you know?

[Big Red Storm]

If the P&L District ends up resembling the French Quarter, I would be extremely happy.  However, I don't think it will ever be as good of a neighborhood as the Quarter.  It could very well be as good of a bar district, though.

[kcdcchef]

we already have a great bar district in kc, but if this ends up resembling the inner harbour in baltimore, i am all for it.

[KCPowercat]

we already have a great bar district in kc, but if this ends up resembling the inner harbour in baltimore, i am all for it.

where?  I know of no 'great' bar districts in KC.  Westport is ok but I wouldn't call it great in any context. 

P&L will never become the quarter, it will never become the riverwalk, it will never become any of these things that certain cities have that other cities try to copy....much like there will never be another Plaza.

[KCN]

I would definitely not compare P&L to the french quarter which is an established, nationally famous district with mostly independently owned bars and restaurants.  P&L is an entertainment district - an urban attraction that will see a great deal of national chains.  However I am very pleased with bringing this downtown because projects like this have proven very successful in other cities.  An area doesn't have to be organic to be fun.  Plus there's PLENTY of room for organic growth on 3 sides of P&L which could very well be jumpstarted once it opens. 

[kcdcchef]

me and mine still view westport as a great bar district. not as good as the inner harbour or the quarter, but a great one. could be done better. there is only one plaza, this is true. yes, bringing all the national chains to downtown will be great, i agree. at the expense of the national chains presently in the plaza probably

[KCPowercat]

I don't see P&L taking many tenants from the plaza...I could be wrong.

[tat2kc]

I don't either, they seem to be catering to different people.  I see it taking more from Westport than the Plaza.

[BVC]

I don't either, they seem to be catering to different people.  I see it taking more from Westport than the Plaza.

I agree with this assessment and it will be interesting to see how Westport evolves as a result.

[kcdcchef]

or maybe how it doesnt. great thing about westport, it is full of bars that are all about westport, you know?

[Big Red Storm]

or maybe how it doesnt. great thing about westport, it is full of bars that are all about westport, you know?

Yes, but I'm sure Westport is going to become less of a bar district.  It already is starting to become more of a purely eclectic neighborhood, which I think would be prefered by most people.  Of course there will always be bars there, I wouldn't worry about that, but I think downtown will be the party spot of the future.

[dangerboy]

Let Downtown have the big clubs and mega bars, along with the hordes of flip-flops and tanorexics.  Westport doesn't have infrastructure, streets, parking, etc. to be the prime party district.  Let it go back to being a regular neighborhood with a reasonable mix of bars, shops, housing, offices, etc.

[KCN]

^ I am totally down with that.  Downtown is big enough to support all types of crowds.  This could be a giant blessing for Westport.

[chrizow]

^ I am totally down with that.  Downtown is big enough to support all types of crowds.  This could be a giant blessing for Westport.

yeah, if business owners catering to the tourist/fratboy/tanorexic crowd suddenly closed their doors and allowed it to return to an eclectic urban neighborhood.  so long as Blayney's and Harpo's and Kelly's, et al, are in Westport, Westport will attract the "party crowd."  i think P+L will spread the party crowd thin between the two districts, and something will give. 

[kcdcchef]

lets hope so. perhaps a better comedy club downtown versus stanfords. i think this may make downtown a bigger bar district, which is cool. but, as most of you know, downtown presently has more bars than westport!!

[KCTigerFan]

The Westport Association and the building owners could reap huge benefits from Westport losing the party crowd aura.  Revise their master plan to focus more on mixed use retail and small offices with apartments and condos above.  The property values would stay high, the building owners still collect great lease rates, and the neighborhood becomes more stable and inviting to residents.  Downtown is designed much better to accomodate the 2 and 3am party crowd without creating huge problems for nearby residents.  Could be a huge win for everyone if Westport thinks of it as an evolution and adapts.     

[myxomatosis]

Downtown is designed much better to accomodate the 2 and 3am party crowd without creating huge problems for nearby residents.  Could be a huge win for everyone if Westport thinks of it as an evolution and adapts.     

I couldn't agree more.  However, many downtown bars close at 1.  The reason, as I understand it, is that other property owners in the vicinity have a say in whether a bar can stay open past 1.  I know XO (or whatever they call it now) in Westport has had its hours changed from 3 to 1 by a judge based on pressure from the surrounding neighborhood.  I'm curious if that sort of roadblock will exist for bars in the new entertainment district or if Cordish will have a say in whether or not their district's bars will stay open past 1.  Westport could still have an advantage in continuing to attract the "party crowd," as many of the bars there are open until 3.

[KCPowercat]

there will be no fight for the Cordish district to be open until 3am.

[chrizow]

there will be no fight for the Cordish district to be open until 3am.

do you mean it will clearly be a 3am district or that it will clearly be a 1am district? 

i am hoping for 3am.