KCRag Forum

Well Splash, that was the very point of my question. The addition of what tenant do you think would change people's perspective of the P&L as a place MORE than just a place to get drunk...

Pretty much others answered the way I would have.  Bookstore, coffee shop, stores that are unique to the area or at least aren't found in every strip mall in town.  Not sure if a place like this currently exists there, but maybe a low key pub/bar or a pool hall type place.  I haven't been in the bowling alley there, so they might have pool tables, I don't know. 

rainy day and latteland could team up for a local version of the borders/B&N-starbucks juggernaut, perhaps in the "retail alley" between baltimore and main. a pool hall is an excellent idea... haven't we established that KC doesn't really have a proper pool hall?

I agree with many of the earlier suggestions - bookstore, coffee shop. I'd add Target. That, coupled with the grocery store would probably induce people to actually live downtown.

I have mixed feelings on a 'target' type store.  Personally I never go to those stores but maybe once every other month....cvs and the grocery store fill those demands nicely.

a bookstore would be a great addition and I don't even use them very often.  More retail which will come after things turn around a bit.  Something like a banana or gap would really add mass appeal.

I'm probably gonna get run out of here for saying this but I think that we need a chain tenant like House Of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe or ESPN Zone because whenever I go out of town or my friends go out of town, we always end up at one of those spots due to the fact that we don't have one...  Like it or not, it would draw people downtown just due to the fact that the Legends and Zona Rosa don't have them.  People from all over the metro would eat it up.

And yes, we need a major affordable condo project to get off of the ground.

Has anyone else noticed kctigerfan's extended absence?

kctf doesn't have the insight they once did.

DaveKCMO wrote: rainy day and latteland could team up for a local version of the borders/B&N-starbucks juggernaut, perhaps in the "retail alley" between baltimore and main. a pool hall is an excellent idea... haven't we established that KC doesn't really have a proper pool hall?

I am afraid the physical structures don't support a successful bookstore.  Nowadays people want size and volume of selection.  None of the retail spaces were built to be very large and I suspect anything on the scale of a walden books with a coffee shop tacked on will be out of business in six months. 

esp. since both borders and B+N are having problems themselves.

i wouldn't count on an urban target store any time soon...

LenexatoKCMO wrote: I am afraid the physical structures don't support a successful bookstore.  Nowadays people want size and volume of selection.  None of the retail spaces were built to be very large and I suspect anything on the scale of a walden books with a coffee shop tacked on will be out of business in six months. 

The southwest corner of 13th and Main has the vertical space for two stories and extends back half the block. I think it could offer a selection similar to what is on the Plaza, though it lacks the basement music space.

I'd love to see something like a Best Buy, with small electronics, CDs, DVDs and video games.

The smallish bookstore at 4th St Live seemed to be doing good business when I was last there.

I think the surface lots around 8th and Wyandotte would be better for an urban Target than the P&L area.  The easy highway access up there would give it a pretty large catchment area (dt KCK, North KC, etc).

just building out the retail block into a browsable "district" is the biggest missing piece.
zafar boutique/salon
garment district
jos a bank
irezumi (still coming?)
polished edge
t-mobile
gnc
sprint studio 

+
>cosmetics beauty supply (something that carries more high end product...beauty brands, sephora, mac or a local cosmetics assortment)

>"hip" local t-shirts, gifts + stationary (maybe like bunker X hobbs lawrence X urban outfitters with kc spin) 

>shoe + accessories store (chain or local, affordable or designer, something with unique footwear targeting women)

>modern home furnishings + decor (the more affordable the better)

>lingerie or sleepwear (move crown center victoria's secret to the loop)

moderne wrote: The smallish bookstore at 4th St Live seemed to be doing good business when I was last there.

it has been alluded to previously that cordish may/may not be subsidizing that bookstore and that location may/may not be profitable.

At this point I'm not going to be too picky, I just want some form of retail.  Anything that will help build up the surrounding area and give people an actual reason to get out and walk the streets.

im2kull wrote: At this point I'm not going to be too picky, I just want some form of retail.  Anything that will help build up the surrounding area and give people an actual reason to get out and walk the streets.

Cosign. Fill the space in with stuff that gets women walking around and browsing in the daylight...that's enough right now. It seems like Cordish is overall on the right track and isn't doing Cricket Wireless or Payless Shoes. The less boring chains...the better.

All the place needs is a white castle to finish it off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLeKjsGe ... re=related

in my opinion, it's going to take a large anchor tenant to get the ball really rolling. I think a book store is the most realistic for the space, personally. Simply saying that we need more stuff kind of misses the point.

ColumbusParkian wrote: in my opinion, it's going to take a large anchor tenant to get the ball really rolling. I think a book store is the most realistic for the space, personally. Simply saying that we need more stuff kind of misses the point.

actually, saying we just need "more stuff" is the point entirely. "more stuff" equals a critical mass of retail-- what the P+L has needed since day one to generate foot traffic in the day and weekends. looking at the restaurant/nightclub offerings it's pretty clear the aim is for the middle and it really doesn't matter what locals think.  the original intention was kate spade, apple, panache, etc.; but it seems that fell through and they decided to go for locals. stocking a dozen quality, small businesses with a few chains peppered in is the missing piece. this is working in many suburban shopping centers in kc across the nation.

cordish had a relationship with borders in their louisville project and apparently now they don't. the chances of a big box bookstore happening are probably 50 to 1 and the book industry may go the way of the music industry within the next few years.

there are a number of other sites downtown for expanded big box or upscale retail. adding more retail in these places (19/main, grand, quality hill, east village to name a few) might be better than having expectations for cordish to turn water to wine. cordish is doing what they do.