Sam Brownback and KS Commerce sending mass emails to MO Orgs

[empires228]

Originally Posted by Anzacosf

I forgot to add if these emails are not wrong or at least should raise eyebrows, we should brace for it because I see a Brownback-poaching of MoDOTKC or something like RideKC, oh well anything can happen in Brownback's and his followers' book.

I never said that the emails weren't wrong. I was just defending the incentives thrown at the DFA because is has been highly implied that securing the location of their new milk drying plant going up in rural Finney County, Kansas was connected to the move. Believe me, Finney County and Ford County have been finalist for similar projects and cheese plants before, but they always choose Greeley, Colorado because Colorado throws out bigger incentives than what Kansas is willing to invest in Western Kansas. This was a rare move by the state that had a direct and visible impact over 5 hours away from the metro proper. You also won't hear me defend Brownbacks shady dealings with Amazon where he acted upset about the Coffeyville closure, but then someone in Topeka accidentally sent the wrong email to the wrong people and it turned out that Brownback offered them incentives to move rather than stay.

On the job front in the KS Part of the metro, there's a large new distribution center going up in KCK, the Amazon thing in JoCo, and Garmin planning on adding over 2,000 employees, which should help revitalize a part of Olathe that has never really developed or taken off like the city wanted it to. Sounds like the Great Failure of The Great Plains may have given up too early . (It was doomed from the start by an ugly design, competing outlet malls in Lawrence, KCK, and Odessa, and horrid anchor choices.)

[PA650]

Originally Posted by kcmo

This thread needs to be split from the original topic, but thought I would post this here to continue this conversation.

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascit...s-for-two.html

I actually agree with the bowl concept and think the retail core of the plaza should be zoned with a limit of 4 stories, however, 4620 JC Nichols is not a core retail building, nor is it a building worthy of preserving. The council needs to have the balls to allow variances and then say no when needed. For example, saying no to tearing down the apartments at 46th and Broadway for large office building was a very good move. The Polsinelli building looks okay on the west end of the plaza, but something like that would have looked terrible on 46th and Broadway. Same with the city stopping the demolition of the Park Place Apartments, now a Marriott Hotel. But then you have things that make sense where you can get away from the plaza plan a little.

It's good the city approved 46th and walnut. That's a perfect infill site and six stories is the average height for the area.

Killing the 44th and Washing plan is stupid and only caving to NIMBY's. That area is totally ideal for that size of project. However, it may be a blessing. KC developers have plenty of other options. Develop the empty lots south of 46th which I think are zoned for up to 15 stories and start developing downtown. Good lord, there is still very little high density being proposed for downtown, crossroads and crown center. I really thought that Cordish starting a second tower would trigger some other similar proposals from other developers.

I will provide a full reply in the KC development thread.