Downtown Casino

Come here for discussion about the new downtown entertainment district.
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GRID
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by GRID »

But even in that case, they had the perfect opportunity to activate that ground level and didn't. Instead it's a massive dead zone. It may as well be parking pedestal. It's better than a vacant building, but a residential restore would probably have been better for the overall vibrancy and health of the neighborhood. Unless you call valet parking vibrancy.

I agree, if done right, it could be a nice addition. I just have yet to see a casino done right in an urban area. At the end of the day, the city always gives in to all kinds needs or wants of the casino that are not in the best interest of the city.
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by flyingember »

GRID wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:48 am But even in that case, they had the perfect opportunity to activate that ground level and didn't. Instead it's a massive dead zone. It may as well be parking pedestal. It's better than a vacant building, but a residential restore would probably have been better for the overall vibrancy and health of the neighborhood. Unless you call valet parking vibrancy.

I agree, if done right, it could be a nice addition. I just have yet to see a casino done right in an urban area. At the end of the day, the city always gives in to all kinds needs or wants of the casino that are not in the best interest of the city.
Casinos don't want active street levels. They want you walking by the casino floor and a street entrance enables someone to enter and exit without ever seeing it.

They also don't want the casino to have a street view because that shows time passing, if you lose track of time you keep spending.

It's exactly as vibrant as the owner wants and "right" is relative to the owner's requirements.
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by shinatoo »

GRID wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 11:13 am No on a downtown casino. Visit other cities that have them. Depressing devoid of life dead zones with massive parking needs and they are so independent and self contained that they only take away from urban vibrancy.

Casinos are fine, but not in urban areas. The only place that can pull that off is Vegas and even they struggle with them outside the strip (ie downtown vegas).
Shit, even Casinos in DT Las Vegas are depressing.
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DColeKC
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by DColeKC »

Greektown Hotel and Casino in downtown Detroit is very cool. Fits right in with the area.

Image

Cordish could partner with the operators or Isle of capri if that was required. They did partner with PENN originally on their bid to build the speedway casino in Kansas.
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TheLastGentleman
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by TheLastGentleman »

Please don’t turn the main street theater into a casino
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DColeKC
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by DColeKC »

TheLastGentleman wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 2:10 pm Please don’t turn the main street theater into a casino
I'd imagine it would be returned back to it's original use as a live performance theatre as part of the Casino. Which would be ideal to keep it's history, otherwise who knows it's fate.

Once again, the casino idea is just an idea. I have no information that's it's ever been discussed by anyone with pull to get it done.
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by beautyfromashes »

How about making Mainstreet Theater a permanent location for Quixotic? I would go as often to see a performance of theirs as I would a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse.
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by Riverite »

beautyfromashes wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 3:28 pm How about making Mainstreet Theater a permanent location for Quixotic? I would go as often to see a performance of theirs as I would a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse.
I'd love this especially if it was still mixed with a small cinema
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by beautyfromashes »

Riverite wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:01 pm
beautyfromashes wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 3:28 pm How about making Mainstreet Theater a permanent location for Quixotic? I would go as often to see a performance of theirs as I would a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse.
I'd love this especially if it was still mixed with a small cinema
Tivoli/Quixotic combination?
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by Riverite »

beautyfromashes wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:07 pm
Riverite wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:01 pm
beautyfromashes wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 3:28 pm How about making Mainstreet Theater a permanent location for Quixotic? I would go as often to see a performance of theirs as I would a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse.
I'd love this especially if it was still mixed with a small cinema
Tivoli/Quixotic combination?
Yes, get out of my head!!
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by earthling »

^Likey
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by beautyfromashes »

Cordish will probably make it a cowboy bar. ::shrug::
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by DColeKC »

beautyfromashes wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:09 pm Cordish will probably make it a cowboy bar. ::shrug::
Current cowboy bar is the most popular nightclub in town in both attendance and revenue. Won’t mess with that.

They spent millions restoring it, so if Alamo is done and another movie theater company doesn’t come along, it will need a perfect use to justify the cost. To turn the main floor into a legit theatre again would be millions and unfortunately I don’t think quixotic would generate the ticket revenue for it.

At this point, I’m hopeful Alamo will rise again.
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by beautyfromashes »

DColeKC wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:51 pm I don’t think quixotic would generate the ticket revenue for it.
Crazy talk.
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by DColeKC »

beautyfromashes wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:52 pm
DColeKC wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 5:51 pm I don’t think quixotic would generate the ticket revenue for it.
Crazy talk.
I LOVE quixotic but it cost over 25 million last time to renovate. To make it a theatre again, 3-5 million would be required. Customize it in order to handle special rigging requirements and add in sound and lighting equipment and you're at 7 million before the first tickets sold!
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beautyfromashes
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by beautyfromashes »

DColeKC wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:54 pm I LOVE quixotic but it cost over 25 million last time to renovate. To make it a theatre again, 3-5 million would be required. Customize it in order to handle special rigging requirements and add in sound and lighting equipment and you're at 7 million before the first tickets sold!
I never suggested changing it back to the original format. Quixotic has so many types of shows. Separate them to each theater. It would allow for continuity of the venue because patrons could go most every weekend and see a different type of event. The very small theaters could be used for spoken word/poetry events or small scale music or 1-2 person acting theater. The margins for movies are relatively small and all your overhead would be performers. You’d sell a lot more alcohol and food too.
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DColeKC
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by DColeKC »

In their current form, none of the theaters could feature a typical quixotic performance where they utilize various apparatuses as part of the show. As you know, aerial work is one of their big acts and would require some work. They also rely heavily on lighting effects. About the only thing already there that they use is projection.

I don’t dislike the idea, just saying significant work would need to be done in order to feature any kind of live performances, even spoken word.

I don’t like the idea of people eating while watching more artistic type performances. Seems disrespectful to the performers, but that’s just me.
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by FangKC »

Without a casino, a residency-type "mall" of performance venues still could work. It would differentiate it from the Midland and the Folly. Longer-run shows could make use of the smaller theaters as they could be used for comedians, magic shows, spoken artist, and author events. The larger theater could be revolving theatrical, or live performance singers, cabaret shows, etc. These types of events also do well with the in-house dining/cocktails setup the Mainstreet has.

The only other use I can think of for the Mainstreet to keep it standing is to build a hotel next to it, and gut the interior again to configure ballrooms and meeting spaces.
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normalthings
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by normalthings »

FangKC wrote: Thu Feb 25, 2021 10:42 pm Without a casino, a residency-type "mall" of performance venues still could work. It would differentiate it from the Midland and the Folly. Longer-run shows could make use of the smaller theaters as they could be used for comedians, magic shows, spoken artist, and author events. The larger theater could be revolving theatrical, or live performance singers, cabaret shows, etc. These types of events also do well with the in-house dining/cocktails setup the Mainstreet has.
I really like the idea of using the Alamo as the entrance to and entertainment space for a new casino.

Sports book could also fit inside the existing Alamo or an expansion. Looks like newer ones are the same styles as a movie theatre.

Image

More traditional F&B based sports book.

Image
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Re: Downtown Casino

Post by flyingember »

That's not a bad idea. Maintain the space's history and actually be different from what we see elsewhere in the city.

There's one slight problem, sports betting is illegal in Missouri. Looks like there's bills to change that but as of right now this idea is impossible.
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