OFFICIAL: Port Authority Riverfront Project

[daGOAT]

I mean at least he's better than Mark Funkhouser lol also Q did nothing for the airport and the south loop and stadiums were already started during the James administration. Our current City Hall has done almost nothing that wasn't already in the works before we were hit with a pandemic and a handful of disagreeable self-interested under educated humans with too much power.

[GRID]

That's because the Sly James administration built the momentum you are seeing. You're watching the well run dry lil bro.

Don't tell me. Tell the mayor and council.

I think it's a bump in the road. An adjustment period. The Plaza, for example, is still doing well with development. It's just the downtown area that's being whacked right now.

What's happening on in the plaza area? I know a hotel is going up there, but I don't think any other substantial projects have started. That big project west of the plaza was just taken off the shelf again, but it's probably a long way from starting if it ever does.

[AlkaliAxel]

That's because the Sly James administration built the momentum you are seeing. You're watching the well run dry lil bro.

Don't tell me. Tell the mayor and council.

I think it's a bump in the road. An adjustment period. The Plaza, for example, is still doing well with development. It's just the downtown area that's being whacked right now.

What's happening on in the plaza area? I know a hotel is going up there, but I don't think any other substantial projects have started. That big project west of the plaza was just taken off the shelf again, but it's probably a long way from starting if it ever does.

West Plaza has some big apartment complex under construction, the new Plaza hotel, Lane4 just brought back that huge west plaza complex, and they're trying to get something done on that church spot too. Plaza residential doing pretty well. We need that downtown too.

[AlkaliAxel]

I mean at least he's better than Mark Funkhouser lol also Q did nothing for the airport and the south loop and stadiums were already started during the James administration. Our current City Hall has done almost nothing that wasn't already in the works before we were hit with a pandemic and a handful of disagreeable self-interested under educated humans with too much power.

Hasn't stopped him from claiming full credit. He'll go all out to make sure they succeed and don't fall apart. Won't do the same for anything else though.

[Chris Stritzel]

I think there's an overreaction here. Sure, things have slowed down and antics by KC Tenants and others don't help, but there's a ton in the works behind the scenes that only a few know about at this time. A few high-rises here and there, typical 2+5 buildings, and hotels are in the pipeline, but things take time. Developers and investors understand that there's demand in Kansas City and they'll do their homework to hopefully go out and build something with or without incentives. I'm one of those people.

We're seeing the tail end of things get underway that were planned when Sly James was in office, but there's only a few from that period ongoing. We're firmly into the Lucas era. His time has brought change that requires people to get more creative. Outsiders are coming in with some knowledge of the process, but not a lot and locals can excel since they know what's up. However, in my view, the biggest issue that overrides political antics is the economy and inflation. Material costs keep going up and it's requiring me to scale back on some things but push forward on other concepts. The looming threat of a recession is also an issue. But there is a navigable path right now to getting things done, just it's a longer path than we'd like.

The KC Region is still growing and, as the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. KC doesn't need to be Nashville with announcements on something big every week (or more than once in a week). We can incrementally scale up, or down, projects based on demand, the economy, and other factors. That's a benefit we have that Nashville doesn't. For all we know, their big boom could come crashing down if the economy takes a turn south. We won't really have that problem here.

Anyways, back on the riverfront. The Lux project isn't dead and supposedly there's something exciting in the works near the soccer stadium. Don't know too many details on that, but it'll be complementary.

[normalthings]

Hard to name a major project, event, etc that stems from the Lucas era.

[KCPowercat]

Covid was pretty big.

[AlkaliAxel]

Hard to name a major project, event, etc that stems from the Lucas era.

South loop cap?

I know it around during Sly, but it was still a concept.

[Chris Stritzel]

Hard to name a major project, event, etc that stems from the Lucas era.

Mac’s Armour and Main project would’ve been one, and technically is if it gets off the ground. The Riverfront soccer stadium is another. Katz is pretty major (because it merges old and new). 10th and Main. These were all announced while Lucas has been in office, but are a shift from what was seen during Sly James’s years.

[earthling]

Fair enough but Q hasn't been a driver in the way that Sly and Barnes were. He needs to at least defend reasonable development or make an effort to actively/openly pursue compromise as a leader.

[normalthings]

Hard to name a major project, event, etc that stems from the Lucas era.

Mac’s Armour and Main project would’ve been one, and technically is if it gets off the ground. The Riverfront soccer stadium is another. Katz is pretty major (because it merges old and new). 10th and Main. These were all announced while Lucas has been in office, but are a shift from what was seen during Sly James’s years.

South Loop has been around and background work was started before Lucas. More than just "conceptual" studies had been done before covid.

Mac's project was killed for now and won't come back until incentive policies change.

RF Soccer Stadium might be the only one I would consider but it happened independently of the city.

East/West Streetcar could very well be decades away still and it was first studied and voted on under Sly.

Other cities have announced project after project during the COVID era. Can't use that crutch forever.

[Chris Stritzel]

I won’t defend the man any since he is a ditz when it comes to this stuff, but he doesn’t seem as bad as people made him out to be when he was running for mayor. Sure, Ms. Justus would’ve likely continued the development trends of Barnes and James, but whose to say the same crowd complaining now wouldn’t be if she was the mayor? Their voice might be quieter, but they’d still be around and increasing in power every year. Covid can only be used as an excuse for so long and when most people have moved on from it, it’s no longer an excuse. I’ll be patient with things. Lots of good things announced with more to come.

[AlkaliAxel]

I don't think Lucas is as bad as this forum makes him out to be. However I don't think he's great either.

Mayor Q is basically the Ned Yost of mayors. He's not going necessarily impede you, but he's not gonna be the reason you win either. He's just kinda a standard manager with enough competence to not completely fuck you over, and he kinda lets whatever happens just happen. If you have the talent, it'll soar, if you don't then he's not gonna be able to lift you up.

[KCPowercat]

Not every mayor's goal is this forum's goal. Gotta be okay with that. Doesn't make them bad mayors

Funk was a bad mayor

[hartliss]

Not every mayor's goal is this forum's goal. Gotta be okay with that. Doesn't make them bad mayors

Funk was a bad mayor

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Not every mayor's goal is this forum's goal. Gotta be okay with that. Doesn't make them bad mayors

Funk was a bad mayor

He was generally opposed to downtown development as well though, wasn’t he?

[KCPowercat]

yeah he was bad for many other reasons.

[beautyfromashes]

I don't guess I see much of a slowdown. Covid definitely knocked things down a bit but I don't see how Q can take the blame for that. Several office to residential conversions, streetcar expansion, Riverfront development, airport rebuild, an attempt wrestle police control away from the state, hired Platt who has done some great things, convention center built, Bond bridge, movement on highway removals, possible DT baseball stadium. What did Sly accomplish? He implemented some of Barnes items like Sprint Center and P&L. I'm sure a lot of these items overlap.

[daGOAT]

I don't guess I see much of a slowdown. Covid definitely knocked things down a bit but I don't see how Q can take the blame for that. Several office to residential conversions, streetcar expansion, Riverfront development, airport rebuild, an attempt wrestle police control away from the state, hired Platt who has done some great things, convention center built, Bond bridge, movement on highway removals, possible DT baseball stadium. What did Sly accomplish? He implemented some of Barnes items like Sprint Center and P&L. I'm sure a lot of these items overlap.

Everything you listed was from the Sly James admin... the Propect MAX, the original streetcar, the streetcar expansion, the new airport, the convention hotel, free transit, even all the residential you see is backlog from his run. South Loop was moved forward with him, the Bond Bridge was 2006, the Broadway Bridge was Sly James, the riverfront development was also his admin, even CORE was passed in his time, so was 1400Baltimore, the beginnings of DTKC baseball as well. All Q did was improve infrastructure, which is as much a testament to Platt as anyone, and attempt to gain control of the police. James did as much if not more for the city than Kay Barnes as well. He even ran the city when Beacon Hill took off and the first few West Bottoms projects, as well as the Paseo Gateway.

Q is a couple small steps above the Funk at best, which basically means he sucks.

[AlkaliAxel]

I don't guess I see much of a slowdown. Covid definitely knocked things down a bit but I don't see how Q can take the blame for that. Several office to residential conversions, streetcar expansion, Riverfront development, airport rebuild, an attempt wrestle police control away from the state, hired Platt who has done some great things, convention center built, Bond bridge, movement on highway removals, possible DT baseball stadium. What did Sly accomplish? He implemented some of Barnes items like Sprint Center and P&L. I'm sure a lot of these items overlap.

I'm starting to regret starting this convo about a slight dry-spell. It unleashed the demons of pessimism, of which there were already too many of on this board, and now it's just annoying like always.