I don't know about that from the way I have read the articles in the paper... Legoland would make a killing, the new business created around it would make money, but the money that Lee Summit would have to fork over each year in free tax and subsidies would kill them... Basically Legoland still would not be taking the tax burden off of the people...

I grew up in the area in the 50's and 60's. We had 60 acres on 87th west of where they built I-435. At one time all of the area was pretty nice. My best freind's folks owned the land where they built Bannister Mall and we used to ride horses and goof around in an old barn that sat about smack dab in the middle of the mall.

Yep, it's really gone down the crapper. Too bad.

This is what happens when landlords get greedy, and there isn't an endless influx of new yuppies to an area. Once it matures, the growth fades or goes in decline, which is followed by death.

Wal mart just had the worst month for same store sales in their History. Could it be that we have seen the end of their ever increasing footprint in the retailing business space?

I think I seen Octopussy there when I was visiting the area one summer.

I heard the deal breaker was the Jones Store Co. Everything was in place, and Jones was going to move to the old Dillards space allowing for demo of their old store, and building the Bass Pro.

Then Jones decided they didn't want to move, and the deal went away.

At least that's what I heard from a friend who managed there for a while.


I miss the Oriental Gift Shop they used to have. A lot of crap, but some interesting stuff as well.

What is your friends story as to why the place when to hell the way it did?

Cross thread reference, just remembered how much I used to love eating at Big Al's in the food court.

We used to go to Metcalf South for our shopping (we lived about 2 hours away). We also visited Oak Park, which only had a few stores at the time. Of course, around here, the malls are doing pretty well. The mall in Columbia was thriving as well.

I lived about a mile from there from, ah, 2000 to 2003.

It was amazing how much (in some ways) my life changed when I moved to Overland Park. I regularly walk at 10 or 11 at night here, and I don't think anything about going to Super Wal-Mart at 2 am.

2 things I would have never done on Bannister road.

Same as everyone else's I suppose. Never asked.

Kids, lack of security, and the neighborhood around it deteriorating would be my guess.

I don't think that rent was an issue, because the Mall itself started downhill when the staple [national, solid] stores were replaced with Mom/Pop stores selling Velvet paintings and Trinkets. Surely those stores weren't MORE able to meet the rent than a Sam Goody or Waldenbooks.
Wards was a big loss, that closed store was a huge sore thumb indicator of decline.
The fire at Best Buy, leading to Circuit City leaving when it didn't have it's symbiotic partner across the way.
Then the restaurants ceased to be a draw.
By that time, between Metcalf developments to the west, Martin City springing to life to the south, and the Lee's Summit development where 470 meets 50, meant that people in many directions got one-shopping a short distance away instead of piecemeal shopping at BM.

I'd call that a valid point. When we lived there, while we were a mile from BM, we did all our shopping 10 or 15 minutes away (IIRC) in Lee's Summit.

I'm optimistic that that entire corridor [from BM to Truman Corners] will rebound by about 5 years after the 71 triangle is completed.

I hope you're right, that area was a spot that I spent alot of the 80's.

In the 80's that was the place to go with the family and shop. Now it's the place for all the thugs to hang out at since idian springs is closed.