Why is the Crossroads an “Arts” District?

[bricknose]

One of the anti-stadium points I see repeated is “a stadium in an arts district? That doesn’t make any sense!” Never mind the fact that T-Mobile Center is adjacent and it’s a sports stadium, right?

I know there is the Kauffman Center in East Crossroads and some live music bars and murals, but otherwise it seems to me like Crossroads is a big bar/nightlife district riding the coattails of its alleged “arts” label.

There is no indie/artsy theater in the Crossroads that I know of (I don’t count the Stray Cat, because I’ve visited basements with a larger projector setup), there isn’t a comic shop, and I just don’t see much of an artsy focus unless you consider alcohol an art form. The big galleries aren’t even near the Crossroads.

So what makes the Crossroads an “Arts” district?

[TheLastGentleman]

The Loews hotel is at the same latitude as the printing plant site. Is the Loews hotel part of the crossroads arts district?

[Midtownkid]

One major thing is the PIEA that is in place to support any arts-related business district.

https://kccrossroads.org/crossroads-arts-piea/

"The Crossroads Arts PIEA is a tax abatement program in the Crossroads Arts District specifically designed for properties with arts and cultural uses, including:

spaces used by independent artists, writers and performers;
art dealers and art galleries;
performing arts organizations; and promoters;
fine arts schools;
motion picture and video industries;
sound recording industries;
museum, historical sites, and similar institutions; and
other arts uses as approved by the Crossroads Arts Advisory Committee.
In 2006 as the Crossroads began to flourish and prices increase, the CCA recognized the need to save their creative artistic neighborhood. Meetings were scheduled with the Mayor, City Council and the EDC to establish the PIEA which ensures the continued affordability of the community for artist for years to come. The General Development Plan for the Crossroads Arts PIEA was approved by City Council of Kansas City, Missouri on March 29, 2007, via City Ordinance NO. 070192. The General Development Plan (GDP) was revised by the PIEA Board on April 21, 2009 to reflect a change in staffing for the Arts PIEA from the EDC to the PIEA. Arts uses for properties must occupy at least 51% of the square footage of the property in order to be eligible for the program.

Out of a total of 668 property parcels in the Crossroads in 2007, there are 36 properties (5.4% of the total) participating in the program as of January 2015."

[grovester]

Crossroads has had at least 2 iterations of Screenland.

[bricknose]

Thanks for the info. I wonder why more don’t take advantage of those arts advantages.

Crossroads has had at least 2 iterations of Screenland.

Tragic that they didn’t survive past COVID. Screenland is like an indie Alamo Drafthouse in the best possible way.

[DaveKCMO]

The Loews hotel is at the same latitude as the printing plant site. Is the Loews hotel part of the crossroads arts district?

Yes. There's an established boundary. The hotel is entirely within it. When they planted their flag they told us they would have public art and chef-driven restaurants. They did that. Next question?

[DaveKCMO]

(I don’t count the Stray Cat, because I’ve visited basements with a larger projector setup)

Not sure how you can't count Stray Cat. Exhibition has changed so much since the pandemic. By this definition there's no theater anywhere in the urban core other than B&B.

[DaveKCMO]

One major thing is the PIEA that is in place to support any arts-related business district.

https://kccrossroads.org/crossroads-arts-piea/

The team has committed (verbally) to supporting the renewal of this program. They've also committee in writing to support the Crossroads CID.

[FangKC]

So what makes the Crossroads an “Arts” district?

The Crossroads used to be mostly a warehouse district containing a variety of businesses including Film Row, which were a bunch of buildings housing regional film distribution and exhibition offices for big Hollywood studios. People who owned and operated movie theaters would come there to see upcoming films (exhibition) and then put in their orders and receive film canisters or have them delivered.

https://kccrossroads.org/about/history/

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi ... 67044&z=17

https://flatlandkc.org/curiouskc/kansas ... hollywood/

Other businesses serviced movie theaters. Manley Popcorn for example.

https://kchistory.org/image/manley-popc ... ffset%5D=0

As time passed the warehouses emptied and became vacant. Because the rents were cheap, many of the buildings were taken over by artists for studios and later art galleries began opening. There was some tie-in with the Kansas City Art Institute to get this all going. Then First Fridays started when all the galleries stayed open late and the public could go from one to another and enjoy socializing and perhaps some free wine. It became bigger and bigger over time with fashion shows, bands, and other performers adding to the mix.

This established the area as an arts district.

In addition to the Kauffman Center, the ballet, symphony, and lyric opera also have offices and facilities in the Crossroads.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0839855 ... ?entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0929942 ... ?entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0922104 ... ?entry=ttu

[FangKC]

(I don’t count the Stray Cat, because I’ve visited basements with a larger projector setup)

Not sure how you can't count Stray Cat. Exhibition has changed so much since the pandemic. By this definition there's no theater anywhere in the urban core other than B&B.

There is also a movie theater at Union Station.

https://extremescreen.unionstation.org/ ... A4MTIwMTA.

[DaveKCMO]

(I don’t count the Stray Cat, because I’ve visited basements with a larger projector setup)

Not sure how you can't count Stray Cat. Exhibition has changed so much since the pandemic. By this definition there's no theater anywhere in the urban core other than B&B.

There is also a movie theater at Union Station.

https://extremescreen.unionstation.org/ ... A4MTIwMTA.

True!

But in general far fewer screens than ever before.

[rxlexi]

I think the "Arts District" moniker came about around 20 years years ago, when it made more sense. There were a couple of restaurants and apartments but significant nodes of the Crossroads really were largely home to galleries and live/work studios, or other creative businesses like Hammerpress, Acme Bicycle Co, artist haunts like YJ's, Grinders (original) etc. This was around or even before the first big wave of residential loft conversions and restaurants/bars IIRC.