Downtown

What The Mayor Thinks:

We have seen the resurgence of Kansas City’s Downtown. A few thousand new residents, an exciting new arena, a new hotspot for visitors and residents alike. Make no mistake; I am a big fan of Downtown. What I am not a fan of is the deals we made to spark that resurgence. The city could have been much smarter with the money for our residents as all these special interest venues were built.
Past City Councils have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in direct outlays and tax incentives to revitalize Downtown. The idea that these projects – Power & Light, the various subsidized hotels, the Sprint Center – would be “economic engines” that would benefit the city’s overall economy has obviously not held true.
The city has continually lost jobs relative to the national economy while these projects have, for the most part, not produced the predicted revenue. There is one fact of urban revitalization that has been ignored: Downtown cannot thrive as an island surrounded by decaying neighborhoods.

What The Mayor Has Done:

I have worked under the belief that we’ve put Downtown Kansas City into a position where, with the support of the regional business community, it can succeed. It can grow naturally without additional massive subsidies from city taxpayers. The Sprint Center is flourishing. Late next summer, the $413 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will bring two world-class concert halls to Downtown Kansas City. We have one of the finest convention centers in the nation. We have a strong entertainment center in Power & Light.
Kansas City taxpayers have done all that they can afford to do.
Now, it’s time to shift our community’s focus to the neighborhoods that surround, provide employees for and support Downtown. It’s their turn.
That’s why I have opposed proposals for a new Downtown convention hotel that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. If Downtown needs it, let the traditional financial markets decide whether such a facility is feasible or not.

What The Mayor Plans to Do:

We need to strengthen neighborhoods, provide basic services that allow Downtown to be a viable neighborhood itself, and eventually develop an integrated multi-modal regional transit system that will allow Downtown to be a stronger, and denser center for the region. The most important thing I can do to support our Downtown and ensure its long-term success is to surround it with healthy neighborhoods. I will continue to root for Downtown; I will continue to promote Downtown every opportunity I have; I will continue to urge the business community to put the proverbial money where its mouth is.
But what I won’t do, what I will work against day and night, is let your government make more bad decisions.