OFFICIAL: Briarcliff Village

[zlohban]

Don't sweat it bro.  It's gonna take a little while for this place to really turn into what they planned it to be.  I knew it would be kinda lame at the beginning.  Which is why I still haven't bothered to check it out since it's grand opening.  Zona Rosa took about a year or so before it really started rolling.

Speaking of Zona Rosa, it looks like things are starting to happen in Phase II again.  They had the back entrance blocked off and dirt is once again being pushed around.

I wonder if Zona Rosa waited to long to get that dirt moving in Phase II with the new Cousins property looking for new tenants.  I like our free market systems BUT it bugs me to no end to have to pull into and out of 4 or 5 different shopping developments vs. one super large cohesive shopping development.

[DaveKCMO]

Briarcliff is having a Holiday Lighting Ceremony this Sunday starting at 5:30pm.  There will be high school choirs singing carols, free hot cider, cocoa and cookies and a fireworks display at 7pm. 

the lights do look very pretty from the highway at night. the latte land is now open.

[Beermo]

the lights do look very pretty from the highway at night. the latte land is now open.

got my first look at the lights on my drive home from work last night. first thing out of my mouth when i rounded the curve on 169 was "WOW".

the lights look real nice on the gulag. they did a good job with them.

[Thrillcekr]

Speaking of fitness......we made our 2nd Saturday morning trip to the Pastry Goodness........mmmmm.  It is so good.....but I can't forget my little German Pastry shop on North Oak, Wally's, it is worth the trip.

I finally checked this place out.  Bought a couple tarts in there today.  They were tasty for sure.  They earned my seal of approval.

[nota]

I went to Briarcliff Village yesterday for the first time. It is attractive and well designed IMHO. Much better than Zona Rosa where two people can't walk side by side on the sidewalks and pass anyone. It seems built of sturdier stuff as well.

Pastry Goddess was great. I was disappointed in Green Acres-just thought it was small and didnt' have a big selection of fresh produce. But it was also Monday AM. I'll give it another chance. Their whey protein price was quite competitive.

[MidWestSider]

I finally checked this place out.  Bought a couple tarts in there today.  They were tasty for sure.  They earned my seal of approval.

Pastry Goodness or Wallys?

I've always been curious about Wallys, but it looks kinda suspect from the road.

[zlohban]

Pastry Goodness or Wally's?

I've always been curious about Wally's, but it looks kinda suspect from the road.

Try Wally's German Bakery - Very clean inside, it is like going back in time, my out of town visitors always ask to go to Wally's, the case is never the same and changes with each season or holiday.

[chrizow]

http://www.briarcliffvillagekc.com/

i like how the home page for briarcliff gives directions from downtown only...i wonder if that's merely to orient everyone in the metro or a more directed effort to lure downtown residents to briarcliff?

here's the list of tenants, per the website, just for reference:

Tivol
Piropos
GreenAcres Organic Grocery
Nolte’s
Latté Land
Prairiebrooke Gallery
The Café at Briarcliff Village
Trezo Mare Seafood
Rimann Liquors
Moda Domani
Finishings For Her
L&L Home
Goods & Gifts
Eclektica Salon
Foot Solutions
The Pastry Goddess
T. Wynn Studio
Rajeunir Medical Spa
Bell’s Florals & Interiors
Amy Head Studio
Urban Arts + Crafts
Nell Hill’s, Coming in Fall 2007

[moderne]

Wally's is fantastic.  This time of year he makes a fantastic Yule log.  He's an old Hitler Youth survivor and is a great guy, even if I refer to him as my Nazi pastry chef.

[tat2kc]

Anyone been to Green Acres yet? Is it as big as Whole Foods?

[DaveKCMO]

Anyone been to Green Acres yet? Is it as big as Whole Foods?

it's not as big as whole foods; maybe twice as big as the wild oats on main.

[KCLofts]

Anyone been to Green Acres yet? Is it as big as Whole Foods?

Yes.  It's about 20% the size of Whole Foods.

[kard]

Briarcliff to get a Super TIF?

What. The. F***?!?!?!

(via BlogKC)  http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/s ... 00^1394060

Silent deal underpins Briarcliff request
Arrangement calls for council to back Super TIF in Northland

A request for extra-strength tax incentives to bring a hotel and an office building to the upscale Briarcliff area is unlikely to face serious opposition from the Kansas City Council, thanks to an unwritten deal councilmembers struck three years ago.

In January, the council will review the Tax Increment Financing Commission of Kansas City's unanimous endorsement of Briarcliff Development Co.'s request for Super TIF. Approval would divert all new property taxes and all new sales, earnings and other economic activity taxes to the developer -- adding $15 million to a regular TIF benefit of $11.7 million for the $91 million expansion.

Councilwoman Bonnie Sue Cooper engineered the extraordinary incentive for an area whose offices are fully leased and whose lease rates for new space may exceed the Northland average by $10 a square foot.

[Marreekarr]

Briarcliff to get a Super TIF?
Councilwoman Bonnie Sue Cooper engineered the extraordinary incentive for an area whose offices are fully leased and whose lease rates for new space may exceed the Northland average by $10 a square foot.

So the project is already financed with tax increments and is perfectly viable on it's own without any additional funds.  When does the other shoe drop on this one.  There has to be some kind of quid pro quo with somebody doing a favor for someone else.  This is the kind of criminal activity that you wish somebody at your local paper or FBI office would get a handle on before it's too late.  Don't expect politicians to come clean unless they get caught with their hands dirty.

[LenexatoKCMO]

I don't know, there is an awful lot of blight up that way.  Some of those 5000 sq ft mansions on the hillside really are completely tasteless and gauche.  When the nuveau riche start moving in it is just a matter of time before a neighborhood starts its inevitable decline.  It's surely appropriate for the taxpayers to step in and prop things up before someone goes and builds another massive,cheaply constructed, tudor knock off. 

[Marreekarr]

^OH, you make me laugh!  The vision I have is more like your favorite council member being led out in handcuffs and their office being sealed off as a crime scene.

[DaveKCMO]

oooooh, really bad timing for the council and mayoral elections!

[kard]

oooooh, really bad timing for the council and mayoral elections!

Bonnie Sue can't care--she's not running for anything else and is term limited.

But, the line Fairfield is walking just became a lot finer.  I'd like to hear what he has to say about this.

[midtown guy]

Bonnie Sue can't care--she's not running for anything else and is term limited.

But, the line Fairfield is walking just became a lot finer.  I'd like to hear what he has to say about this.

At least we know where he stands on this.  From the article:

"Councilman John Fairfield, who also represents the 2nd District and serves on the PZ&E Committee, supports Super TIF for Briarcliff. The request also calls for diverting three-quarters of economic activity taxes on the Briarcliff Village shopping center, which opened in October.

"Having additional hotel space this close to Downtown is a good thing," Fairfield said. "The only way it's going to happen is with Super TIF." "

At least one council hopeful feels the same way most here do: http://www.forsythe4kc.com/blog.shtml

[LenexatoKCMO]

"Having additional hotel space this close to Downtown is a good thing," Fairfield said. "The only way it's going to happen is with Super TIF." "

I hadn't even thought about that - what impact will hotel rooms at Briarcliff have on the prospects for a new DT convention hotel.  I would think the addition of rooms that close cant be a good thing.  And what convention goer is actually going to want to stay on the wrong side of the river.  Sounds like we are shooting ourselves in the fucking foot to me.