American Royal leaders propose tearing down Kemper

[flyingember]

If only there was some other place in the city that could handle large amounts of cars, people, liquor and charcoal........

Yeah that's my thought too...they want to make it a bigger contest...there you go.

If they don't let people park their RV next to their cooking they could put it anywhere in the city

[shinatoo]

If only there was some other place in the city that could handle large amounts of cars, people, liquor and charcoal........

Yeah that's my thought too...they want to make it a bigger contest...there you go.

If they don't let people park their RV next to their cooking they could put it anywhere in the city

Most of these guys are tending their smoker 24/7. A good competition smoke takes at least 16 hours. No way that's going to happen.

[KCPowercat]

If only there was some other place in the city that could handle large amounts of cars, people, liquor and charcoal........

Yeah that's my thought too...they want to make it a bigger contest...there you go.

If they don't let people park their RV next to their cooking they could put it anywhere in the city

That space is needed. It is what it is....it just doesn't have to be in the west bottoms.

[taxi]

The meat tastes better in the West Bottoms.

[chaglang]

The meat tastes better in the West Bottoms.

The football's better there too.

[pstokely]

The meat tastes better in the West Bottoms.

The football's better there too.

so is the baseball

[im2kull]

This whole thing is so insane. I don't understand why these guys are against Fouch Bro's plan and why they want to tear it down so badly. Can anyone enlighten me?

Why are some men women abusers?

Power hungry ego-maniacs? We should learn from victims of domestic violence. The only way to make it stop, is to rebuff the abuser. Completely.

[FangKC]

Big-name KC leaders support plan to raze, replace Kemper Arena

http://tinyurl.com/obtrxbk

[FangKC]

City consultant mostly likes Foutch plan for Kemper Arena

http://tinyurl.com/ose4ldz

[FangKC]

BILL HAW SR. LEADS CHARGE TO BRING RESIDENTIAL TO STOCKYARDS DISTRICT

...

And while the American Royal has threatened to leave the West Bottoms, Haw doesn’t see it as much of a threat at all.

“The American Royal – other than the BBQ – doesn’t appeal to spectators at all,” he said. “They average a few hundred paid admissions to their livestock and equestrian events there. It really doesn’t contribute to the economic situation of our area.”

The institution’s veiled threats of lawsuits against the city don’t hold much weight with Haw, who said he’s read over the agreement.

“The Royal has a lease on the American Royal facilities, and the right to use it for 20 days out of the year. They also have the obligation to operate it in a way that benefits the city and themselves,” he said. “Is a couple hundred in attendance really operating it for the benefit of the city? No. If there are disputes, they are to be solely satisfied by arbitration. Not law suits. And once the arbitration decides the answer, they have no further recourse.”

...

http://tinyurl.com/l8gybp8

[chaglang]

How inaccurate would it be to say that the city is considering tearing down Kemper and handing out millions to the AR in part because the Kempers can't get along with Bill Haw?

[FangKC]

Haw makes a good point though.

[chaglang]

Haw makes a good point though.

He absolutely does. It's just an angle of the story that I hadn't seen much written about.

[aknowledgeableperson]

If you are talking about "arbitration" I'm note quite sure what Haw is talking about. True, it has been a few years since last reading the contract between the City and the Royal and I don't remember a thing about arbitration. If it is in there then that is a very unique clause in a city contract, especially for when it was written up.

[flyingember]

My favorite point of the article is this

The 7,000-square-foot concrete building will have first-floor retail space and balconies overlooking Gennessee Street and I-670.

overlooking I-670. Who wants to have a balcony overlooking an elevated freeway with no other view? 2-4 Light will at least have the crossroads to look at.

[Eon Blue]

I'm not sure where "overlooking I-670" comes from. If you look at the site, it's a ways away from 670 and the views aren't too bad as far as that area of the WB goes. Perhaps that was supposed to refer to the easy access to 670?

[flyingember]

I'm not sure where "overlooking I-670" comes from. If you look at the site, it's a ways away from 670 and the views aren't too bad as far as that area of the WB goes. Perhaps that was supposed to refer to the easy access to 670?

sorry, that's the apartments Mr. Haw was mentioning building from the article as a goal to make the area more family focused.

I never take the quality of a person off one thing but that was too good to not comment on. Mr. Haw wants to improve the bottoms. He shouldn't be dismissed for the same reason but balconies overlooking a freeway? Really?

The Cerner/Sporting pair does a lot wrong but you can't fault them for supporting a professional sports team, placing one of their entities downtown, bringing a ton of tech jobs to KC, and supports a KC event that should have moved away a long time ago when you think about it. It's why I won't dismiss their ideas without having a good reason.

The Fousch plan has more value to me because of the cost differences and how it brings more people to urban KC than the royal does, aside from the one BBQ event that wouldn't be impossible to recreate with the money not spent on incentives. We need to maintain our historic structure, not publicly fund tear outs. If The Royal would fund the thing themselves and pay off the city's bonds I think it should win by default despite it being a tear out. That plan would be in the best financial interest of the city, the millions needed for maintenance could go to roads, sewers and the like.

[Eon Blue]

Haw is also busy with the first building he plans to build in the area. By April, he hopes to rent out the 11 high-end apartments he’s developing as Stockyards Place. The 7,000-square-foot concrete building will have first-floor retail space and balconies overlooking Gennessee Street and I-670. The higher end finish represents the next step for the district, Haw said.

That's the exact quote; I interpret it as referring to the apartments currently under construction - not future units.

Either way, that article makes me really like Bill Haw.

[FangKC]

I'm still not convinced of the wisdom of the West Bottoms becoming a residential area again--especially new residential buildings built from scratch. I have less reservations about converting existing warehouses to lofts.

The West Bottoms used to have houses, but they were wiped out by flooding. I am not convinced that we should ever be building new residential there. And I am ever less convinced that one will ever attract families to live there.

[flyingember]

I'm still not convinced of the wisdom of the West Bottoms becoming a residential area again--especially new residential buildings built from scratch. I have less reservations about converting existing warehouses to lofts.

The West Bottoms used to have houses, but they were wiped out by flooding. I am not convinced that we should ever be building new residential there. And I am ever less convinced that one will ever attract families to live there.

the west bottoms haven't flooded in 60 years. there's been two notable floods on the MO River since then.
The last time it almost flooded it was because people thought it was going to back flood via the east bottoms side around the flood walls