Mission Gateway: The Construction Project From Hell

What is Mission's "Gateway" construction project for a mall but "The Construction Project From Hell"?

There was a beautiful mall, facility already there, perfectly fit into its space but hey, some multi-millionaire thought he knew better--and could make yet more money!--so he tore it down.

Only to be hit by the 2008 economic collapse.

So it sat.

And sat and sat.

Vacant.

An empty lot.

And in a fantastic location, at least for the city of Mission, so the lack of its being developed--then all the way through today--has been obvious, painfully obvious to the point of being a downright eyesore.

So it slowly, ever so slowly came along.

First Walmart was supposed to come down the hill and that certainly got a lot of people concerned. Too many didn't want that clientele in their coy little environs.

It was also supposed to have an upscale movie theater and, yes, bowling alley/entertainment center and nice apartments and on and on.

But then retail collapsed, what with everyone buying online.

And Walmart backed out.

And more.

Then, of course, the worst, most killing international and then, now, national pandemic in the last more than 100 years came along.

So this is where we are today.

Mission council likely to consider resetting construction completion deadlines on Gateway project

From the story:

It's been nearly 15 years since the Mission Center Mall closed at Roe and Johnson Drive. Construction on the long-awaited mixed-use project on the site has been halted as a result of financing issues caused by the pandemic.

The city of Mission will likely consider pushing back the December 2021 construction completion deadline in its development agreement on the Mission Gateway project to accommodate construction delays.

GFI Development and the Cameron Group, the project’s developers, announced one month ago that construction had to pause indefinitely after two funding sources were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But wait. It gets worse. At least for the developer.

The development agreement sets a construction completion deadline and the terms of the city’s tax incentives for the Gateway project, which include the Gateway development’s access to revenues from a tax-increment financing (TIF) district and a community improvement district (CID). If the project does not meet the December 2021 deadline, the developer could be in default of the agreement, putting the tax incentives in jeopardy, said City Administrator Laura Smith.

It's just been a nightmare from the start, from the beginning and it only continues to get worse, all the way around.

They tore down a reusable, attractive building, hoping to make yet more, bigger money and then put up what is unequivocally one of the ugliest buildings, so far, I've seen or even imagined in a long, long time. Go by the site. It is one ugly, ugly building.

It is now going to sit there, basically, until at least this winter and then it will wait yet more, until good weather, until Spring, 2021, at least, before it will be restarted.

Then, again, check out this 2 beauty from the Shawnee Mission Post link, above, on that one partner, GFI.

A recent article also noted that GFI was put on credit watch with a negative outlook by S&P Global Ratings. The company owns many hotels, which have struggled to profit throughout the pandemic.

Finally, there is this on their tenants.

FUTURE OF GATEWAY’S TENANTS

The entertainment and hospitality industries have been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with each industry losing billions of dollars since mid-March. But Smith said that the anchor tenants of the Gateway development, which are part of these two industries, are still in place. This includes Cinergy Entertainment, a food hall by Tom Colicchio’s Crafted Hospitality and a Marriott hotel.

“We know the developer is in conversations with their tenants regarding impacts to operations in light of COVID-19,” Smith said.

This past May, Andy Ashwal, vice president and senior asset manager of GFI Development Company, said that the Tom Colicchio food hall was being designed to easily shift to take-out services when necessary, in light of the pandemic.

A spokesperson for Cinergy declined to comment. Crafted Hospitality and a Marriott spokesperson did not respond to emails asking for comment. Marriott International Inc. saw a 92% decrease in their first-quarter profit of 2020 as most traveling came to a stand-still amidst stay-at-home orders.
Does that sound good or hopeful or promising to you?

So don't get impatient, Mission. Get used to seeing yet more of this ugly, ugly eyesore. Get used to it sitting there, vacant.

Good things come to those who wait?

You know what should happen?

The developer finally, finally faces the ugly reality, declares bankruptcy on the entire project then donates the land, the entire site, to the city of Mission for a park.

It won't but that's what should happen.

And hey, he'd get tax write-offs.

Good luck, Missionians!

You're gonna' need it.

Link:

And with the Kansas City Star at least in financial straits, if not, as I wrote here earlier, going to one day soon close, you might want to subscribe to this.

Shawnee Mission Post - 

Community news and events

Entertainment overnight -- A Change-up

The commentary makes it:

How many more bridges collapse in America until we get a jobs/projects bill from Congress?

First a bridge collapses in Minneapolis, Minnesota last year--a major city of the nation--and now one in Seattle.

How long, how long until our Congress gives us a jobs bill so we can take care of the infrastructure of our nation and, at the same time, create jobs the nation also needs so badly?

How long?

How long until we stop paying attention to trumped-up, imagined "scandals" and start taking care of the business, the true business, of the nation?

How long until we stop being partisan for our political party and start doing what's right for the entire country?

This is America? We have bridges collapsing now? And this is acceptable?

We need more thought and thinkers like this, instead:

Links:

A bridge falling into the water and a vision for the future gone missing

Radioman's Kansas City: Every Single Senate Republican Voted ...

Another Bridge Falls — Fixing Infrastructure Fixes Jobs And Deficits

Collapse: Does Washington Bridge Expose the Crumbling of a Nation

A new Kansas City International Airport?

A funny thing happened yesterday.

I've been posting on this blog and on Facebook--both at "Things
and places we loved in great KC when we were younger" and "The Kansas City International Airport" page--that I'm squarely against the plans to vacate the existing KCI/MCI airport, only to build an entirely new facility.

Because of that, Mr. Joe McBride, Senior Manager in Marketing and Communications for the Kansas City Aviation Department wrote me. He sent me a note, asking me to read through it and then this information on the airport:

A new, single terminal for KCI Airport customers

Kansas City International Airport reached its 40th birthday in 2012. In the last 20 years KCI has undergone two Master Plan Update Studies. Both studies called for investigating building a new, single terminal to address aging infrastructure, outdated features and inefficient design from the 1960s. The Kansas City Aviation Department was given Federal Aviation Administration and City Council approval to commission a study to investigate the feasibility of building a new terminal.

Now underway is an 18-month study by Landrum & Brown. Funded by a Federal Aviation Administration grant, the study's Scope of Services includes: Airport planning services to identify passenger terminal operational requirements; a survey and inventory of environmental conditions; a plan to implement a program for the design and construction of a new terminal; and a financial planning document to provide funding alternatives. A critical step in the refinement of the terminal complex facility requirements is the need to better understand and respond to the needs of passengers arriving and departing the Airport. This will be accomplished through user intercept surveys in the terminals.

After the study is complete, the Aviation Department will evaluate and determine if it is feasible to go to the next steps, which include financing and terminal and roadway design. The total project cost estimate is $1.2 billion. Funding may include federal, existing Passenger Facility Charges, Aviation Department funds or other mechanisms.

To put the study into perspective, KCI's passenger terminals were designed in the late 1960s, prior to airline hubbing, terrorism and security checkpoints. The layout is very inefficient for passenger flow, security screening, baggage handling, concession variety and the taxi and bus operation. While the terminals were renovated nearly 10 years ago, the infrastructure is aging and there is little room for growth. City officials at that time decided to extend the useful life of the passenger terminals at the lowest possible cost. Shortcomings still exist.

Most issues are rooted in the narrow structure and not enough room. Lanes cannot be added to alleviate long security lines at peak times or to incorporate lanes for TSA trusted traveler programs. Adequate seating and amenities cannot be added inside security. Mergers create issues like United operating out of two terminals, closure of concessions after an airline moves, empty gate areas, and Terminal B garage filling up three days each week. The latter is not as simple as moving Delta or Southwest since no other existing areas have the capacity and infrastructure to accommodate them.

Features of a new terminal would include: just 30 gates needed - smaller overall footprint than the other three terminals combined, making it more efficient and cost-effective to operate; more room for a variety of concessions and amenities; more room for security checkpoints, cueing and less intrusive security screening technology; easy walks due to efficient layout and people movers; reduced ticket lobby size; self bag check; common-use gates for airline flexibility; separated arrival and departure areas for less traffic congestion and safer pedestrian routes; green LEED building design standards; lower operating costs; and others.

The new terminal can be the next big project for Kansas City, creating many construction jobs. A more efficient layout might make Kansas City more attractive to airlines. The new terminal would be a facility Kansas Citians can now be proud of and help Kansas City attract new businesses and jobs. After the new facility is constructed the Aviation Department will explore ways to make good use of the old terminals still standing.

If it is feasible to build a new terminal we will task planners to produce efficient concepts that best achieve the level the customer convenience of KCI's current terminals that Kansas Citians appreciate. As is in the case of the Master Plan process, terminal design will be developed with public input. The prospect of starting from scratch and to incorporate the strengths of KCI's terminals in a sparkling new facility is an exciting opportunity!

Here, then, are reasons I wrote back to him of why I am, to date, strongly against the plan to build a new airport:

It's my contention that the conclusion to tear down or walk away from the current KCI/MCI was made long ago. The Airport Authority only seems to be searching now for a way to make it happen, without the input or agreement of Kansas Citians as to what should happen. It's not enough to want to make the airlines happy alone. Kansas Citians and all the people from the region need to be behind these ideas, too, and that hasn't happened, to date.

I'm absolutely no fan of replacing our terminals at KCI, certainly.

Part of the reason is that it is a good, workable layout and the other
part is that it makes no sense to "throw buildings away" and start all
over.

Yet another reason, however, is because I've seen in the Star reports for months on months that the Airport Authority decided they should do this--throw the old terminals away and start all over yet the plans have continued to change, over these same months. It seems clear there is not now nor has there ever really been a clear plan for KCI. Now, you show here that there is a study, going on at this very moment, on what we should do at, about and with our airport.

So if change needs to come to KCI/MCI, cannot the center, existing terminal be turned over to security, with the other two are then used as the connections to our planes? That seems far more workable and less wasteful. It seems it would be a way to accomplish the goals for reducing security costs while not, again,"throwing away" the entire airport. I'd love to see if that's an option. It seems far more responsible, less wasteful and less expensive, too.

It also seems that the conclusion to get rid of the airport was clearly made prior to any study, let alone this one that is now ongoing.

Another note on the evolving, elusive "plan" of a new terminal at KCI, deals with the part about "The new terminal can be the next big project for Kansas City, creating many construction jobs."

This is a weak argument, at best, as the jobs would be extremely temporary. Would local construction companies want the work? Sure. Would there be benefits of the work for these people? Again, yes, but it would be just months of work, at longest. This is a fairly weak argument for tearing down an entire airport only to build another.

As for the claim about "green LEED building design standards" in the new facility--this is laughable since about the least "green" thing you can do is walk away from or tear down an older, existing, working facility. It would be very "un-green" to plow up the new ground and build this new facility, too, on top of this, so please, forget the "green" claim. It insults our intelligence.

The next comment, that "A more efficient layout might make Kansas City more
attractive to airlines," while true is not something anyone can possibly promise and we all know that. It's possible but no guarantee.

Then there is the statement that "The new terminal would be a facility Kansas Citians can now be proud of..."

The fact is, Kansas Citians are already proud of our airport, at least some, even lots of us. We needn't tear down the old airport to make us somehow yet more proud.

The next claim that a new airport would "help Kansas City attract new businesses and jobs"?

Regarding jobs, no one can really promise new jobs as the result of a new airport. Could it happen? Yes, sure. Can it be promised? No, certainly not. The arts in town seem to be doing far more for growing any attraction for our metropolitan area than any development like this.

Finally, the claim that "After the new facility is constructed the Aviation Department will explore to make good use of the old terminals still standing."

We understand they'll do their best to make the most of that old airport--if left standing--but even in a good, strong economy, no one can promise anything to come of the old location. In the worst economy in the last 80 years--since the Great Depression--no one can really make any promises along those lines.

I have to say, I will continue to fight this any and every way I can, on the KCI Facebook page, here on my blog and everywhere else I can unless or until I'm shown why this needs to happen for the people of the area and not for the airline companies.

I'm all about change in my life and city and nation and world but I'm for smart change and change that is well thought-out and planned.

The plan to tear down and replace our airport has been anything but.

Inaction from Jeff City

The latest from Jefferson City on I-70 and the much-needed and too-often-neglected and forgotten improvements that vital thoroughfare in the state needs:

Missouri Senate chooses I-70 highway study over toll roads

It's disgusting.

Instead of actually doing something about I-70 and the dangerous, far-too-small nightmare it is, our Jefferson City legislature has set something up to "study" it.

Yeehaw.

That'll help.

Not.

I say here again, surely there can be no bigger or more important issue for our State and even Federal legislatures than to widen and make more safe this freeway.

It would make all who use it safer, it could help facilitate more and better business in the state, it effects virtually every Missourian in the state--and many people in the nation each year--and finally, it could help create some jobs in the state, if even temporary.

Instead, we get inaction from Jefferson City and our legislatures.

Instead, we get a "study."

Thanks, Missouri Legislators.

For nothing.

Link: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/03/3592312/missouri-senate-chooses-i-70-highway.html

To Republican legislators: It's jobs, people

Still.

Open note to Senator Roy Blunt

Senator Roy Blunt has this on his Facebook page today: Had a good conversation with Rob Bluey at the Heritage Foundation about the Obama Administration’s violation of Americans’ religious freedoms. I’d appreciate your feedback – what do you think about this rule? To which I say, jobs, Senator, jobs. Focus. You and the Republican Party. Anyway, supposedly the Republican Party is about "small government." If so, why are you and all your fellow political party members so interested in controlling a woman's--or a couple's--personal, reproductive rights? Get out of their bedroom, Senator. Get us some jobs legislation. I-70, for instance, needs to be rebuilt from St. Louis to Kansas City. THAT would be excellent for jobs, the economy and commerce. This whole protest by the Right Wing, the Catholics and the Republican Party is "much ado about nothing."

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On the Plaza and the proposed new building

I thought I might avoid this entry but I just can't. I can't help but write on how monumentally stupid and short-sighted it is for Highwoods Properties and the Polsinelli-Shughart Law Firm to propose tearing down one of the original, landmark Plaza buildings, in order to build a new, contemporary one that fits their needs. At least when the Lockton Companies built theirs they a) built it on an otherwise barren property and b) put one up that matched, in style, the mediteranean/Spanish style of the rest of the Plaza. The fact is, the Plaza still works, as a retail and restaurant destination right now, in spite of the fact that a huge quantity of the stores and spaces on it are utterly empty right now. And do you know why it works? It works because JC Nichols put up good, solid, one-style architecture and so created a destination. It only still works because it has good architecture--good "bones", so to speak--and so, feels like we've really gone somewhere, when we do go down there. What other area or place in town does that? Downtown? Decidedly not. Oak Park Mall? Please. No, the answer is no. The fact is, there is no other one area in town that is built the way places used to be built like this and that is the Country Club Plaza. For Highwoods and Polsinelli to now propose the beginning of what is surely the further dismantling of the Plaza is tremedously short-sighted and empty. If they want this building, find another site, please, ladies and gentlemen. But the fact is, this go-round, they know better than to ask for TIF money to create this debacle and it's all their own, private money. I'm afraid it looks as though it really will go through---unless Kansas Citians truly raise hell about it. I hope we're not all so poor that we don't have time to do just that--protest so much the plans are changed. Note to Polsinelli-Shughart: can't you just, please, make the "West Edge" project work for you? Please?? Links to related posts: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/19/2162001/office-building-planned-in-heart.html http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/20/2164294/irate-plaza-fans-object-to-law.html

West Edge Project: Coming down?

There is a rumor out in town about the West Edge Project, just off the Plaza, that it will soon go up for sale in a bidding situation and that there will be no "bottom" price unconsidered. As if that isn't enough, from this same source, it is considered "85% sure" that it will be demolished. Not pretty. Wow. That's fairly incredible. These are strange economic times we're living in, folks. This ain't your daddy's recession. Have a great weekend, y'all.