Downtown Baseball Stadium

[taxi]

The use of eminent domain may, indeed, be imminent but it is still a bonehead move in the case of the E. Xroads site.

[Highlander]

I think lots of folks, including those who know nothing, underestimate how the public looks unfavorably on the use of eminent domain. It is unpopular and a dangerous addition to an already difficult argument (public financing of the stadium, even if just a fraction). It is also incredibly expensive and takes a lot of time – potentially years if there are lawsuits.
Of course, we all have our opinions but mine is that E.D. use is emphatically unAmerican unless it is for the public good. Making that case for a baseball stadium is a big 7th inning stretch.

Very true. My parent's business was taken by eminent domain for the construction of I-70 in the late 50's. As small business owners, they never recovered and it took a couple of decades until my father made near anywhere near the money that he gave up for eminent domain. Ironically, my parent's house was later taken by threat of eminent domain later for the construction of what is now US71 in KC (B Watkins Drive) even though the freeway wasn't built until decades later.

Just one of the reasons I'm not a big fan of this site. The East Village site would require little if any eminent domain and would destroy almost no business. The forum has bemoaning the destruction of the built environment in KC and in a single project, several grass roots businesses and a large iconic building would be wiped off the crossroads. It may have made some sense 30 years ago but today the cost is just too high and it smacks of benefitting a few property/business owners downtown far too disproportionately. Stick with East Village. It's not ideal but it has the preponderance of critical factors in its favor.

[dukuboy1]

If the location in the Crossroads is the old KC Star building then it will impact many businesses & individual property owners, and frankly be a gigantic cluster fuck of a process in what has already been a immense bumble fuck by the Royals Leadership & county politicians (excuse my French but I've reached my boiling point).

if the established business that front Grand on the East side and those fronting along McGee south of 17th St are good Then you could make it work (maybe) by using land going East. So McGee to Locust West to East and Truman Rd to 17th ST South. No idea if it will fit or not, but that area would seem to have the least impact to the neighborhood.

However I am not a fan of this idea at all. I think it is a cool design of what they have shown, and "neat idea" but overall a very impractical and terrible idea at the same time. Of this, EV, or NKC, I would rank it 3rd, and the worst idea of the ideas thrown out. I get the giddy feelings they have of being able to tap into the P&L District being close and having T-Mobile & The K right next to each other. However it's not enough.

I am not for destroying the Crossroads and what has organically grown over the years by grassroots development and neighborhood investment that eventually grew into larger development & developers to turn the area from a funky "Arts Enclave" into a entertainment area with dining, art galleries, bars, shops, businesses and residents. Dropping a baseball stadium into it will destroy all of that hard work and turn the area from what was a vibrant arts centric, entertainment community into a stale suburban type entertainment venue like Prairie Fire or alike.

Doing something with the EV is the best option and will fill a gapping hole in downtown with instant development and energy. Create a unified downtown with distinct neighborhoods/areas from Quality Hill to the EV. Plus the upgrades it will bring in pedestrian amenities (better lighting, sidewalks, streetscapes, etc.) will really unite downtown together where walking from the P&L or BAP East to the stadium will be a great urban experience, with activation along the entire corridor.

Placing the baseball stadium downtown, and in the EV, is the biggest urban development opportunity for downtown KC since they decided to move forward with the Sprint Center (TMobile) and P&L district. It's time for the Royals & KC Civic leadership to move in the right direction and get rolling on the EV site. No more messing around. It's time for other KC Civic & Business leaders to stop trying to work their personal angles on deals and be the adults in the room and push the EV forward. Start the PR campaign, share the renderings, answer the questions, get MODOT, MO legislature, and the FEDS involved to help ensure the stadium will trigger a revamp/redo of the East loop. Try to get them to work in tandem and really see this isn't just about a baseball team wanting to relocate, it's about a once in a lifetime opportunity for the city to develop a barren & forgotten side of the city into something great and to keep MLB in our city for years to come.

It's time to stop the "what if's" and start to move forward with the "this is happening". *end of rant*

[DColeKC]

Crossroads has been moving further and further away from a unique, artsy and organically grown neighborhood for years. It won't even be recognizable to many of us in 25 years. Considering this stadium will be in use for 50 years, I sure understand the consideration of trying to nail the perfect site, not the easiest site or best opportunity. EV will be developed soon if the stadium doesn't go there, they've been squatting for years in hopes of the stadium landing there.

West Bottoms is becoming the new crossroads and in 30 years or less, there will be a new artsy, organically growing neighborhood as fancy new things go into West Bottoms. It's the cycle of development.

I'm not a fan of eminent domain myself either. That's just going to be even more controversial in an already controversial situation.

[TheSmokinPun]

I can't begin to tell you guys about how big of a liar Fescoe is & how he's essentially shut out by every team in town. I seriously have wondered for years how he hasn't been replaced after his awful ratings & inability to keep a co-host.

[KCPowercat]

Fescoe said the Crossroads site is now the favorite and around 140 businesses would be eminent domained. Usual chat too about Frank White being unhelpful.

Favorite among the guy owning the star building and cordish*

[KCPowercat]

Crossroads has been moving further and further away from a unique, artsy and organically grown neighborhood for years.

By what metric?

[DColeKC]

Fescoe said the Crossroads site is now the favorite and around 140 businesses would be eminent domained. Usual chat too about Frank White being unhelpful.

Favorite among the guy owning the star building and cordish*

The Mayor
John Sherman
City Manager

[DColeKC]

Crossroads has been moving further and further away from a unique, artsy and organically grown neighborhood for years.

By what metric?

I mean we all have eyes right? It's already changed so much in the last decade.

[KCPowercat]

Fescoe said the Crossroads site is now the favorite and around 140 businesses would be eminent domained. Usual chat too about Frank White being unhelpful.

Favorite among the guy owning the star building and cordish*

The Mayor
John Sherman
City Manager

Okay. No evidence to disprove or not believe you so I'll take it on it's face. Their reasons are?

[KCPowercat]

Crossroads has been moving further and further away from a unique, artsy and organically grown neighborhood for years.

By what metric?

I mean we all have eyes right? It's already changed so much in the last decade.

Sure we all see it growing but what is making it less organic growth or less unique? It's still easily one of the most unique neighborhoods in KC when it comes to its mix of businesses and uses.

[DColeKC]

Favorite among the guy owning the star building and cordish*

The Mayor
John Sherman
City Manager

Okay. No evidence to disprove or not believe you so I'll take it on it's face. Their reasons are?

Well, I said this months ago and now a legitimate member of the media is saying the same thing. I’m not his source, so I don’t think it’s false.

They all feel it’s the best physical location for downtown and its surroundings. I won’t stop saying it’s not the easiest and doesn’t come with a bucket full of issues and some opposition.

I’m not getting excited about it, but it is being pursued. At this point, I’m holding all excitement for official announcements and hard plans.

[WoodDraw]

Fescoe said the Crossroads site is now the favorite and around 140 businesses would be eminent domained. Usual chat too about Frank White being unhelpful.

Favorite among the guy owning the star building and cordish*

100% this

Also because the royals saying they were going to invest was bullshit. Here they can get away with not putting any money in the game.

Cordish will do fuck all. Royals will do fuck all.

Just plop down a stadium and turn the area into parking sewage.

[Highlander]

The Mayor
John Sherman
City Manager

Okay. No evidence to disprove or not believe you so I'll take it on it's face. Their reasons are?

Well, I said this months ago and now a legitimate member of the media is saying the same thing. I’m not his source, so I don’t think it’s false.

They all feel it’s the best physical location for downtown and its surroundings. I won’t stop saying it’s not the easiest and doesn’t come with a bucket full of issues and some opposition.

I’m not getting excited about it, but it is being pursued. At this point, I’m holding all excitement for official announcements and hard plans.

It's a great physical location if you don't care about the 140 businesses that are currently there. With that philosophy, any place in downtown could be game whether or not it's occupied or not. One of the many issues with the crossroads location is that there is already considerable opposition to moving Royal's stadium away from TSC. The last thing the Royal's and the city need is for the Royal's to move to somewhere that now doesn't want it because of the specific site that was selected. Resorting to ED as Taxi said would be immensely unpopular. Not only that but much of the downtown population in KC will likely oppose this location which will only galvanize all those who are already against a move away from TSC. What makes it even worse is the appearance that the KC Star building owner and Cordish will benefit disproportionately from this particular location. Not good optics for the mayor or for Cordish for that matter.

[DColeKC]

Okay. No evidence to disprove or not believe you so I'll take it on it's face. Their reasons are?

Well, I said this months ago and now a legitimate member of the media is saying the same thing. I’m not his source, so I don’t think it’s false.

They all feel it’s the best physical location for downtown and its surroundings. I won’t stop saying it’s not the easiest and doesn’t come with a bucket full of issues and some opposition.

I’m not getting excited about it, but it is being pursued. At this point, I’m holding all excitement for official announcements and hard plans.

It's a great physical location if you don't care about the 140 businesses that are currently there. With that philosophy, any place in downtown could be game whether or not it's occupied or not. One of the many issues with the crossroads location is that there is already considerable opposition to moving Royal's stadium away from TSC. The last thing the Royal's and the city need is for the Royal's to move to somewhere that now doesn't want it because of the specific site that was selected. Resorting to ED as Taxi said would be immensely unpopular. Not only that but much of the downtown population in KC will likely oppose this location which will only galvanize all those who are already against a move away from TSC. What makes it even worse is the appearance that the KC Star building owner and Cordish will benefit disproportionately from this particular location. Not good optics for the mayor or for Cordish for that matter.

Why would the mayor be facing criticism for PNL benefiting from this location be justified? The PNL relies on taxpayer financing, and any strategic efforts to boost tax revenue for repaying bonds should be viewed positively. Conversely, any actions supported by taxpayer dollars that could jeopardize the tax revenues crucial for servicing those bonds would be boneheaded.

Concerning the owner of the Star Building, while the decision to invest in such a challenging property might seem questionable, if it is acquired as part of a broader project, it becomes a routine aspect of the overall process. Some could argue that JE Dunn could unfairly gain from the mayor's endorsement of the EV site.

Opponents of a new stadium seem entrenched in their stance, showing little concern for the existing businesses in the Crossroads. Many property owners in the East Crossroads would willingly sell, as these properties have always been seen as investments. The likelihood of eminent domain being necessary is minimal, given the current absence of a unified opposition from owners and operators in the area—a notion existing mostly as speculation at this point. Conversations have been ongoing for months, predating the public knowledge of serious consideration of this site, demonstrating that the Royals are well aware of the challenging path ahead and unlikely to go down a path with even more public resistance.

[GRID]

I'm not really picking a site without more details. But is there even 140 businesses in the entire crossroads? Actual businesses, with employees etc, not a building with a bunch of business names associated with its address.

What kinds of businesses are they talking about here? Industrial uses that will go away soon anyway? Parking lot owners? Strip clubs and churches? I could be wrong, but there is not a ton of actual desirable businesses in that area of the crossroads. Overall, it's not highly developed at all for being within blocks of the center of downtown. I mean it's not the bombed out east village, but it's not exactly a vibrant urban area either. I have seen a few restaurants and bars in that area, but it's pretty low density and the area has few pedestrians etc.

Anyway, how in the world are they coming up with 140? Sounds like hyperbole. Just not enough info here.

[bspecht]

I'm not really picking a site without more details. But is there even 140 businesses in the entire crossroads? Actual businesses, with employees etc, not a building with a bunch of business names associated with its address.

Wild take. I'd bet there's easily 1,000+.

[phuqueue]

https://twitter.com/jonketz/status/1742 ... 01008?s=42

lol, this tweet pairs pretty well with the dozens of pages in this thread arguing that the Crossroads site offers an opportunity to get rid of the Star building, which is otherwise impossible to repurpose and too expensive to demolish. I realize this is just more conjecture and rumormongering from an intensely interested party, so I'm not trying to give it undue weight, but imagine if we ended up bulldozing one of KC's few organic, reasonably urban neighborhoods for this stadium and we were still stuck with the Star building afterward anyway. What a joke.

[KCPowercat]

The Mayor
John Sherman
City Manager

Okay. No evidence to disprove or not believe you so I'll take it on it's face. Their reasons are?

Well, I said this months ago and now a legitimate member of the media is saying the same thing. I’m not his source, so I don’t think it’s false.

They all feel it’s the best physical location for downtown and its surroundings. I won’t stop saying it’s not the easiest and doesn’t come with a bucket full of issues and some opposition.

I’m not getting excited about it, but it is being pursued. At this point, I’m holding all excitement for official announcements and hard plans.

I'm not sure what same things you and him are saying I guess was my question then.

I'll take it by the caveats in your post this site ain't happening. We can't ignore the complexities. This isn't sim city. If it was we could just knock down pnl all together and build there. That would make sense from a purely location perspective and the build entertainment around it.

[KCPowercat]

I'm not really picking a site without more details. But is there even 140 businesses in the entire crossroads? Actual businesses, with employees etc, not a building with a bunch of business names associated with its address.

What kinds of businesses are they talking about here? Industrial uses that will go away soon anyway? Parking lot owners? Strip clubs and churches? I could be wrong, but there is not a ton of actual desirable businesses in that area of the crossroads. Overall, it's not highly developed at all for being within blocks of the center of downtown. I mean it's not the bombed out east village, but it's not exactly a vibrant urban area either. I have seen a few restaurants and bars in that area, but it's pretty low density and the area has few pedestrians etc.

Anyway, how in the world are they coming up with 140? Sounds like hyperbole. Just not enough info here.

This is wildly out of touch grid.