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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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