I think there's a fallacy in thinking that if you don't create jobs, you don't help the local economy.

I also think that unless I was mistaken, there were going to be retail stores and some other stuff put in along with all the soccer fields (it's not just a stadium).

It will also bring traffic into the area that would never have gone there before from wealthier parts of town. That can't hurt.

I wish I owned the gas station across the street.

I'm fine with leaving certain areas blighted.

There's probably some truth to the idea that if one area is revitalized some other area will just end up being blighted, as the equal and opposite reaction.

You're seeing it already in some areas in the city limits north of the river. There's a neighborhood in Gladstone that was nice when I was younger, but it's pretty WT in that area anymore.

Who gets to decide which areas will be the "blighted" areas?

I'll do it.

Hasn't the public already decided in a lot of cases? The public didn't want to go to the Bannister area so they decided in this instance.

The general public does.

Bannister Mall was a thriving area in the 80's.

The public decided they didnt want to shop there when they didnt feel safe there.

The area is already blighted... This TIF is going to do nothing more then steal other area businesses and create some new vacant space...

I want the stadium and fields to go there but the retail part is going to do nothing more then move the problem elsewhere... We are spending money to move private businesses around so they can see a small increase in profits for a few years...

These businesses are not increasing jobs, they are doing jack shit.. People buy into these things everytime because it is a new business going up and you see a quick upswing.. But every single time they have failed to meet the jobs they promised, sustaining the businesses by not leaving or closing.. Who gets screwed?


Just the Northland, since I live here currently on TIFs i have seen fail..

Barrytrail is half full of what they promised... no restaurants, and soon to be two empty buildings out of the 8 on the main strip..

Renaissance Housing, went in my Maple Woods.. destroyed and took woodlands, sits completely empty for 7+ years...

BriarCliff, has not met the new jobs requirements and sits partially empty.. Even though Piropos is good to eat at..

What ever it is off of 64th west of Patty O's, sits more then half empty and has had businesses close after 1 year..

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Then add the fact that these places help help blight smaller area strip malls and killed Metro North and Antioch malls...

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The one semi success??? Zona Rosa.. I am glad all the Tiffs were able to make other areas look blighted and the Northland got one success.. I really think that was worth it...

What local places is the new Bannister going to steal from???

Zona Rosa. :p

that'll be the day.ROFL

I can't wait, people around here don't have anything worth a shit to steal, maybe I will do that while they are watching soccer

Zona Rosa?

I don't consider any place where you can't buy Levis's a mall.

They should've just called it ChickTrip.

ROFL

City Council approves Bannister redevelopment

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/402902.html

By KEVIN COLLISON
The Kansas City Star A soccer-oriented redevelopment plan for the beleaguered Bannister Mall area, touted by backers as the salvation of south Kansas City, was approved unanimously Thursday by the Kansas City Council.All drama ended Wednesday, when Mayor Mark Funkhouser dropped his objections to using a special tax incentive called super tax increment financing to support the $949 million redevelopment plan. Even so, supporters packed the council chamber to support the final consideration of the Three Trails plan.

“We are convinced this will turn our area around,” said Councilman John Sharp, whose district includes the closed Bannister Mall. “We are convinced it will do for south Kansas City what The Legends shopping center did for western Wyandotte County.”

The plan calls for demolishing Bannister Mall, Benjamin Plaza and a former Wal-Mart and resurrecting an area that has been in economic decline for years.

The developer, Lane4 Property Group, wants to build an 18,500-seat soccer stadium for the Kansas City Wizards; a 12-field tournament soccer complex; a 250-room hotel; up to 1.1 million square feet of retail; and up to 1.7 million square feet of office space.
“Voting yes makes real a field of dreams — soccer dreams,” said Councilwoman Cathy Jolly, who also represents the area. “It is our time, and I couldn’t be more pleased.”

The project will require $273 million in tax incentives and other assistance from the city and state, about 29 percent of the eventual cost. The most heavily subsidized part of the project is the first phase — the construction of the soccer stadium, amateur soccer complex and the hotel.

The Wizards want the city to own the facility, but the team would be responsible for maintenance, capital repairs and any operating deficits.

While the mayor expressed support for the project, he was unwilling until recently to back the super TIF assistance needed both to support its financing and trigger the additional state aid required.
Last-minute negotiations intended to minimize the city’s risk persuaded him to accept the extraordinary tax incentives.

Notably, the development group, which includes top Cerner Corp. executives, did not seek to use the city’s creditworthiness to back bonds for the project, a tactic that the city’s new economic development policy opposes.

“Thank you for working with me to get us to a position where I am able to support this and still feel in good conscience,” Funkhouser said. “What we’re doing in the long term is good for Kansas City as a whole.”
http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2...filiate.81.jpg

I think the truth is actually that the neighborhood itself went way downhill. Much less disposable income in the area means no success for the mall. The mall had been languishing for 10 years before it closed probably.

Any why did it go downhill? Schools. At least thats why we moved out.

We shopped at Hypermart, Best Buy, Paper warehouse, TJ Max etc.

I lived down off 87th street by Blue Ridge for 10 years. We enjoyed living in a diverse neighboorhood there. Had a big nice field for the kids to play in. Homes were kept up etc. But the schools were not up to the calibur that they should have been so we moved to the burbs.