KCRag Forum

Is it just me or is it really hard to keep a new retail/restaurant business open in the Xroads?

It seemed like 4-5 years ago there was a very strong sense of optimism for the Xroads and its potential as Kansas City's answer to the quickly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhoods. Edgy restaurants, edgy art, edgy bars...you get the point. Fast forward and we're left with many of the same galleries, restaurants, and shops from the pre-hype era with most of the newcomers' spaces for sale or vacant. It is disheartening to see an area with so much potential falling flat.

I find it humorous to blame "Maker's Mark Bourbon House" or "Ted's Montana Grill" for the failure. That's kind of a direct insult to your own business by saying that you were up against Tengo Sed Cantina and lost. Maybe Gates will close a restaurant and blame it on the Arby's down the road.

There is soooo much potential for the Xroads, but I don't see a bright future without some sort of consensus on where to go next. It's obvious that plan A hasn't worked very well. There have been zero new construction projects and many business closings. Discouraging plans like the Broadway condos was beyond dense. We "get" that you don't want gentrification, but you also don't want to be a deserted, asphalt-infested, horizontal void like you are now. And BTW, don't you have to actually have developments going on to gentrify an area? Your land went up, boo-hoo! Anybody with half a neurological impulse would understand that a large swath of land between the central business district and Crown Center could be seen as VALUABLE in the future.

It's obvious that most developers have either been scared away or just aren't at all interested-- both cases are a big problem for the area. Xroads is a destination for a few businesses, bars, restaurants, and galleries, but a true neighborhood it ain't. It doesn't seem the neighborhood has the visionaries or even the desire to take it to the next level. If the city want to maximize the potential of this district as well as create a healthier downtown, more incentives and better city planning must be done to ensure a bright future. Would it be an absolute crime for Xroads to become a massive incubator for KC culture as well as a home to neighborhood retail, restaurants, hotels? This city (and most of the citizens) don't seem ready to create a real urban district like you'd find in any number of cities on the coasts. Instead we sit and argue about who pays for the new parking garage. Again, Xroads has the potential to be an incubator and model for the entire urban core, but it won't happen without steady leadership and planning.

not to repeat myself for the millionth time.... but the economy is largely to blame. 

Didn't help that property values (and the taxes with it) went up too quickly before Xroads fully matured.  Another big problem is that the retail is too scattered, which has been discussed thoroughly in other threads.  Xroads needs a centralized vibe down Main Street between P&L and Union Station. 

The bottom line though is that the district is in better shape than over the last 40 years and will likely continue to move forwards, not backwards to the point of being less functional.  Once the economy recovers, I'd expect momentum to return to some degree for all downtown districts.

Yeah, I'm sure it will do OK in the coming years.  If urban housing demand accelerates, maybe we will even see some of those empty lots filled in with housing/retail.  A change in the parking restrictions (pending?) will/would also help.  Hope the remaining businesses can hang on until then. 

ignatius wrote: Didn't help that property values (and the taxes with it) went up too quickly before Xroads fully matured.

that's a great point too.  i think we would have seen a much longer lasting boom in galleries and art studios if property taxes hadn't risen as insanely as they did.  A lot of folks who could still be in the Crossroads today are now in the West Bottoms.

I wish an art philanthropist would build some cool art studios w/ loft apartment above and offer it to various artists for a year or so.  It could be offered to graduated of the KCAI who are at the top of their class.  Maybe a large portion of their art sales could go to that philanthropist's foundation.  Is the 'arts incubator' something similar to this?

Midtownkid wrote: I wish an art philanthropist would build some cool art studios w/ loft apartment above and offer it to various artists for a year or so.  It could be offered to graduated of the KCAI who are at the top of their class.  Maybe a large portion of their art sales could go to that philanthropist's foundation.  Is the 'arts incubator' something similar to this?

The AI is semi-coop studio space.  Just one person with a vision willing to work hard and take risk in order to further artists careers and the art scene in KC. 

I dont understand why the XRoads is losing steam.  They supported Funkhouser, he will ensure the area prospers.

ComandanteCero wrote: A lot of folks who could still be in the Crossroads today are now in the West Bottoms.

I'm not really referring to artist workshops which are quite ambivalent at this point in terms of the Xroads' future prosperity. I don't expect an artist to make sculpture in a branded Nicholson property.

ComandanteCero wrote: not to repeat myself for the millionth time.... but the economy is largely to blame. 

The point I'm arguing is that there was a very bullish stance on the Xroads in terms of retail/restaurant some years ago and that seems to have vanished. Plaza, Westport, River Market, W 39th, Zona Rosa, Legends, Oak Park Mall, Independence Center, Downtown Lawrence, and the various big boxes around town seem to be doing much better in terms of maintaining tenants in light of the economy. There are lessons for why other areas are succeeding and the Xroads is not and it is a larger question than just the economy.

Because it was just that: a bubble. The property values ballooned beyond that of the actual value of the neighborhood, and priced itself out of contention before its potential could even be realized. Real estate speculators hurt it badly.

Also, for a great neighborhood, there are even now very few places for anyone, rich or poor, to live.

  While I agree with the overall assesment of the Xroads presented in this thread (as I've been known to rip on the Xroads, at times, around here), it is worth noting some pretty major recent success stories -

  The Freightouse area - major streetscape improvements and tons of apartments coming online once the final large warehouses are converted.

  The new Kemper - satellite location of our major CAM is a big score for the Xroads and indicative of cotinued belief in the area.

  Micheal Smith/Extra Virgin - Chef Smith appears to be doing a good biz in the old Zin spot and is opening a new place next door.

  Czar Bar is newly opened, and forms a nice bar triangle with JP and Nara - other Xroads successes.

  This is just some of the stuff coming online soon (or opened recently) that should impact the area positively...not to mention the massive impact the PAC should have.  It's not all bad, in other words.  I do think the area was hurt dramatically by the rapid rise in property value before the infrastructure to handle such a rise anywhere close to being in place. 

With more residential, clustered retail, a much higher profile within the metro community, etc. the Xroads could have weathered that storm far better than it has.  It remains too expensive to handle small grassroots galleries and shops and too valueless too develop major new construction infill.  But it is on the right path, however slowly it becomes the awesome area that it is sooo capable of filling out into.

I agree, it does have some great places and will continue to get my visit whenever I am in town.  I love Hammerpress and Christopher Elbow, not to mention Pizza Bella and YJ's.  I guess I am just disappointed it is not yet the place I like to pretend it is and tell my friends in DC how cool it is.  It will get there, some day.  You are right though, it is still slowly progressing and it's not all doom and gloom.  I can not wait for the PAC!  It will surely bring some archi-tourism.  Lets just hope those tourists know they can explore the x-roads a bit and not just gravitate toward the P+L after.

I think the xrds is still a valid place to open a cool hip retail or rest.(Original not cookie cutter). Its tough now and I think the individual who is going to take the risk is waiting out some problems (govt.,p&L and of course the election) if they were smart..Also going into winter in any of the situations is tough..As for us bleeding heart tennants who others think were raking in the cash...Dont forget WE are paying to keep the P&L afloat through our taxes..Kinda catch 22..we want them to exist..but they take our money back to Baltimore...

I still go back to the building stock issue - for the most part, suitable retail storefronts are all still occupied, despite perceptions of disaster.  I think the number one reason things have slowed down in terms of growth and new storefronts is that in order to expand, it is going to mean infill construction or very costly modifications to buildings that aren't naturally suited to retail use.  No matter what the economic/tax environment, Ma & Pa folk Art Gallery was probably never going to be able to afford to build a new construction space on top of a surface lot. 

^And that brings us to the parking ordinance. It was apparently softened for a segment of the crossroads, but it's still there. In a built environment, that's a killer.

bahua wrote: ^And that brings us to the parking ordinance. It was apparently softened for a segment of the crossroads, but it's still there. In a built environment, that's a killer.

especially when that built environment's supply of street parking is 90% empty unless it's first friday or a big concert at Grinders.

Retail-wise, the Crossroads needs a critical mass of storefronts in one location.  This is the only thing that will generate enough foot traffic for retails stores.  The area of the Crossroads is actually bigger than the Loop, and it's a challenge for most regular folk to work between many of the stores and galleries.  Large stretches of surface parking and barren streetscapes make the distances seem even longer.

The organic development of the Crossroads is definitely one of its big strengths.  However, it could really benefit from a little more city planning oversight to guide development in way that creates the critical mass complimentary uses within walking distance of each other.

These x-roads threads just go in circles.    Remember when there was a plan for the crossroads marketplace.  I think it may have had a suburban plan, not sure, but anyway it never happened.  What do people on this board think would happen if a surface lot in the x-roads became a whole foods with some other retail next to it.  It would have an urban plan (parking in basement or on roof.)  Would some chains be good for the x-roads, or is it better left to grow organically.  I guess the main question is given the choice between barren parking lots, but no chains or a block of chains an a real center of the neighborhood, which would you choose?  Here is a good urban planned Whole foods in DC:





I think this kind of thing could be beneficial and could spur further development in the area...I would not want it to kill what is already there though.  Do you think it would?

Love to see it..Instead their putting the market @ 13th and main..in an already congested area..Other isuues are crime..so many places dont want to take the wood off the front facades(which is inviting)from fear of vandalism..Now I also understand their is a movement to place parking meters through the area including the R.M. till 10pm..we will never have a functioning dwnt.if that happens.

Well, i think that the market could support the downtown market plus a whole foods.  They carry totally different things and cater to different markets.  I don't think it would have gone over well if the only grocery store downtown was a whole foods, as they don't carry all the name brands and have a more 'granola-y' selection.  As far as the wood over store fronts go, I think that has more to do with retail spots being abandoned/unused.  If those buildings were renovated and those spots filled, the wood would come down.