Kansas City Predictions 2023

[trexel94]

Anyone want to take a swing as to what 2023 holds for KC?

Here's a few from the top of my head

- BA to LHR or DL to CDG is announced sometime next fall. Bonus if Icelandair returns
- 4L is unveiled and will be the showpiece of the four towers.

[KCPowercat]

- East Village announced as Kauffman 2.0
- Arrowhead 2.0 gets announced at TSC - Super Bowl promised if built - probably retractable roof
- Vote happens for both in August, both pass
- 670 cap starts, named Barnes Park
- Chiefs win super bowl
- Mahomes NFL MVP
- Royals hover around .500
- NFL Draft is kind of pud (by my judgment)
- Some big sexy project gets announced attributed to World Cup
- Ferris Wheel park by IRS sputters out
- P&L fills more spots than it has emptied
- Plaza does the same
- River Market projects break ground (3rd and grand x2, 5th and main)
- NKC Streetcar extension makes progress (could be negative progress but don't want to predict that)

[TheUrbanRoo]

-New airport is a great success and the residents love it
-East Village announced as the site for Royals stadium
-KU goes back to another Final Four
-Chiefs trade their 1st round pick, NFL draft ends up fizzling out locally
-FAA finally cedes the River Market, works begins on 4 projects (including the mini-hotel)
-Hyatt Hotel downtown finally resumes
-Either Hotel Cambria or Fed Reserve hotel will resurface
-After BYU & others enter as UT leaves, talk begins about moving Big 12 HQ or football title game to KC
-10th & Main Project moves forward
-UMKC finally unveils plan for new dorms at the empty streetcar site
-Royals stadium vote is secured, they break ground next year
-The Midland finally starts construction
-Cordish announces one of either 4L or the project just south of Truman. Possibly both.
-A new project emerges in the Crossroads that fills a surface lot
-Barney Allis project moves forward

Golden star 2023 prediction: GRID finally admits for the first time that KC is "moving in the right direction for the first time in my life"

[Chris Stritzel]

Playing off of my 2022 predictions, I'll repost some here (with changes) with the new ones after point 5...
1. 45th and Main (former Holiday Inn site) project revealed.
2. Kansas City picks up a direct flight to Europe. In particular either Paris (Air France) or London (British Airways).
3. Preferred East-West Streetcar/HCT alignment revealed. Project advances to the next phase of the process (begin discussing funding among other things).
4. Oak Tower redevelopment announced that'll see the building restored to its former glory and redeveloped into both housing and creative office space.
5. Congressman Cleaver announces his retirement. Quinton Lucas sets up run for Congress.
6. New high-rise announced in Crossroads (other than EPC's on Broadway).
7. New Kauffman Stadium site chosen as the East Village with the measure to approve tax funding being narrowly approved by voters.
8. 31st Street gets some infill proposals and Doug Price lets go of the historic properties at 31st and Main (but holds on to the rest of the property).
9. Downtown KCK gets another proposal for either a building redevelopment or new construction.
10. More West Bottoms redevelopment projects are announced, and previously announced ones move ahead.
11. The economy declines further into a recession and begins to slowly recover towards the end of 2023 both as a result of the Fed raising and lowering interest rates.
12. The new City Council sets the tone for the next few years regarding development. The tone is more positive than this Council has been, but certain policies remain in place (like the affordable housing rule) just likely with an edit where the rule is variable depending on neighborhood and developer background.

Not much of a prediction but more of a promise: The first projects, envisioned by me and executed by strategic partners, begin to be announced exclusively on KCRag with the intent to begin construction towards the end of 2023 and early 2024.

[beautyfromashes]

1. City Manager Platt takes the firing rumors as a harbinger and takes a new job elsewhere.
2. EV chosen as site of new Royals Stadium but the Chiefs delay a decision on their preference for a new stadium throwing any vote into chaos.
3. Patrick Mahomes files for divorce.
4. The new KCI opens to mass fanfare but no non-stop international is announced.
5. Missouri state government decides they shouldn't just control the purse-strings for the police department and makes a grab for the fire department as well.
6. The launch of the St. Louis SC creates a rivalry war with Sporting Kansas city that we haven't seen since 1985.
7. UMKC joins the Missouri Valley conference and begins construction on new, on campus basketball arena. Talk about starting a football program surfaces.
8. Washington and Oregon announce they are moving out of the Pac12 and most of the remaining schools request a jump to the Big 12. The only holdup is the current teams wondering "Do we really want to mess with Colorado and "Prime Time" Dion Sanders? They vote them all in.
9. The American Royal announces plans to return to Kansas City in the 2024 year with sponsorship from Boulevard Brewery.
10. Plaza is sold to real estate investment firm with foreign connections bringing new influx of tenants unfamiliar to local residents.
11. The NFL Draft is a huge success.
12. The activist founders of KC Tenants move to a larger city due to their "success in Kansas City". The organization slowly peters out.
13. MAC Properties takes a big jump out of their current area and starts a big development DT. Cordish whines "but that's our area!".
14. Target still doesn't come to the urban core.
15. A love affair is uncovered between council members to everyones shock.

[beautyfromashes]

Not much of a prediction but more of a promise: The first projects, envisioned by me and executed by strategic partners, begin to be announced exclusively on KCRag with the intent to begin construction towards the end of 2023 and early 2024.

Cheering you on! Go for it.

[TheUrbanRoo]

15. A love affair is uncovered between council members to everyones shock.

My favorite annual prediction

[Cratedigger]

Not much of a prediction but more of a promise: The first projects, envisioned by me and executed by strategic partners, begin to be announced exclusively on KCRag with the intent to begin construction towards the end of 2023 and early 2024.

Ayyy way to go Chris! Looking forward to seeing it

I'll throw my hat in the ring for 2023:

1. EV is announced as the Kauffman Stadium site. As part of the development, a 15-20 story apartment building is announced with a grocery store or Target at street level.
2. As part of the Royals project, a pedestrian bridge from the stadium to Paseo West is announced along with development east of the highway.
3. Mac’s Armour-Main project passes in early January by a wide, though not unanimous, margin.
4. "Boho Sway" concept at Canery fails and is replaced by another cocktail bar.
5. The Plaza Area Council begins to play a more active role in discussion around the area. They move to institute a community improvement district (CID) to provide maintenance and limited security services in the area. The group begins to help turn public perception.
6. The Hernandez case against Brian Platt continues to give the CM headaches. The case's implications are used by opponents to the streamlining development proposal. Ordinance 220701 does not pass. The city and Platt settle the Hernandez case out of court.
7. Without Robbie Makinen at the helm and combined with rising interest rates, the 10th and main building proposal fizzles out.
8. Frank White III named official CEO of KCATA. RideKC Development Corp keeps number of projects awarded START incentives in the low single digits.
9. DOJ investigation finds some merit to the allegations of discrimination against Black officers by the Kansas City Police Department. Stacey Graves announces reforms and a focus on community policing. Many question if the reforms go far enough.
10. Bikes Lanes become an even more polarizing topic during the April elections. While the council elected is supportive of bike lanes and complete streets, there is louder opposition.
11. State level support for the World Cup is announced from both the Kansas and Missouri side. Kansas insists on Laurence, KS & KU being a team basecamp.
12. Design of the Southern leg of the Greenline is announced.
13. The city focuses on attracting health sciences, engineering & design, and information technology companies and lands at least one significant (but not F1000) HQ relocation.
14. KC begins initial infrastructure work for SomeraRoad's project in the west bottoms as the company begins the process of taking down the Weld Wheel building. Interest in the area continues to rise.
15. The Rock Island bridge opens and becomes an instant hit with locals as well as ESPN’s advance video ground team for prime time sporting events.

[TheUrbanRoo]

13. The city focuses on attracting health sciences, engineering & design, and information technology companies and lands at least one significant (but not F1000) HQ relocation.

Almost put a new HQ relocation in mine as well. I couldn't quite pull the trigger on it..but I wouldn't be shocked at all if it happens.

I hope you're wrong on 10th Main. I have long believed that is *the* bellwether project to determine where & how quickly downtown is going. If you can pull off a building with a ground floor like that...

[Cratedigger]

13. The city focuses on attracting health sciences, engineering & design, and information technology companies and lands at least one significant (but not F1000) HQ relocation.

Almost put a new HQ relocation in mine as well. I couldn't quite pull the trigger on it..but I wouldn't be shocked at all if it happens.

I hope you're wrong on 10th Main. I have long believed that is *the* bellwether project to determine where & how quickly downtown is going. If you can pull off a building with a ground floor like that...

I hope I’m wrong about 10th & Main!

[AllThingsKC]

I predict a new airport terminal will open in Kansas City in 2023.

[dukuboy1]

I predict a new airport terminal will open in Kansas City in 2023.

very bold.

[shinatoo]

I predict a new airport terminal will open in Kansas City in 2023.

very bold.

Big if true.

[normalthings]

Anyone want to take a swing as to what 2023 holds for KC?

Here's a few from the top of my head

- BA to LHR or DL to CDG is announced sometime next fall. Bonus if Icelandair returns
- 4L is unveiled and will be the showpiece of the four towers.

My air service prediction:
- Downturn kills new international routes that require strong business demand (STL to FRA, CLE to DUB, CVG to LGR). Some older routes also impacted (CVG to CDG). MCI does not get a route from a major carrier.
- MCI opens with a slight increase in air service. Any potential downturn will reduce pressure on existing hubs, reducing the need to connect through KC.
- Some version of a downturn COULD kill the St. Louis replacement terminal, leading Southwest to expand KCI's terminal at a fraction of the cost.