Kansas City thread

[shindig]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

[jfish26]

The only way there's not going to be a downtown ballpark by about 2035, is if there's not Kansas City Royals by then.

[pdub]

Very ambitious with that terraced utopia park/condo/apartment area.
How bout you just build the park?

[japhy]

Tacos. Where?

https://www.ixtapamexicancuisine.com

Is that place good? It looks dreadful from the outside. Had no idea it was actually not dreadful strip-mall Mexican (which I do love, dearly).

It is actually quite good. A northland surprise. I rarely eat Mexican food in KC, eating the food in the little dive restaurants in northern NM and southern CO has spoiled me. But when we do it is either over in the hood in KCKS or at Ixtapa.

If you like tandoori chicken the place a couple doors down next to the Battery Store, Moti Mahal is a well hidden secret as well.

The Gyro Grill also flies under the radar and looks/is a hole in the wall but their Gyro Philly gets two thumbs up from me. I really like their seasoned fries and baklava as well.

http://gyrogrillcafe.com

When you live north or the river you have to take a chance on places to find the good ones.

[pdub]

Also get a load of these couples.



Cargo shorts approved.
That's a really fancy dress ( and a leather jacket? this other guy is sporting a v cut tee and cargo shorts...do you just run cold? ) to be wearing to a Royals game.
And her partner dressed in all black?

My guess: fancy dress and ribbon sandals are friends from KU, ribbon sandals started dating cargo shorts in college, fancy dress never really could keep a relationship. After graduating, fancy dress moved to NYC and ribbon moved to KC with cargo. Fancy dress and ribbon see each other maybe once every two years but it's usually ribbon and cargo flying up to NY. 10 years after college, at age 32, ribbon is still pressuring cargo to propose to her, and fancy dress has a new boyfriend, man in black, from Montreal. Fancy dress wants man in black to visit KC/Lawrence and since ribbon and cargo just bought a new 3 BR house in Roeland Park, they have a place to stay. It's man in black's first trip to the Midwest, in fact, this is the furthest west in the USA that man in black has ever traveled. Fancy dress and man in black are staying for 4 nights but only 3 of them at cargo and ribbon's - the other night they booked a stay at the Raphael for just the 2 of them to spend on the plaza. The day after fancy dress and man in black arrive, they hit up the new ball park to catch a Royals game. Ribbon and fancy dress have been drifting apart, wanting different things, ribbon more comfortable with a suburban life, fancy dress wants grandeur. It's a humid 87 degree day in early June but fancy dress has her whole outfit schedule picked out so today it's this dress and this jacket. Man in black just has a collection of black pants/skinny jeans and gray and black shirts. At this moment, ribbon and fancy dress are reliving the time they tried to buy pot in Oliver Hall ( which is now closed ) but it's a story they tell/laugh every time they visit each other, and now a laughter once genuine is forced to an extreme level, a sad dying shell of the connection they once had.

[japhy]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

I think we will eventually get a downtown baseball ballpark. KC eventually gets around to doing the right thing about 30 after everyone else has done it. The renderings are nice and flashy but it will be the Sprint Center all over again. A sports facility in KCMO will be a big political appeasement compromise to all of the sports architecture firms in town and in the end it will be a cheaper watered down version of what it could be. A rehash of decades old ideas with an updated (cheap) color/material palate. Going through the process for the Sprint Center convinced me there is no way for KC to do it otherwise.

[pdub]

Also this kid ( and the people around him sporting jerseys from the WS squad ) is going old school with a COVID throwback meme.

[Deleted User 318]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

That footprint looks impossibly small. Also, who is mocking this stuff up? For an actual bid, or just some enthusiasts? Would come back to KC several more times a year (post-COVID) if they had a downtown stadium. I'd rather get a downtown room and go to games than stuck in the burbs and having to drive everywhere.

[jfish26]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

I think we will eventually get a downtown baseball ballpark. KC eventually gets around to doing the right thing about 30 after everyone else has done it. The renderings are nice and flashy but it will be the Sprint Center all over again. A sports facility in KCMO will be a big political appeasement compromise to all of the sports architecture firms in town and in the end it will be a cheaper watered down version of what it could be. A rehash of decades old ideas with an updated (cheap) color/material palate. Going through the process for the Sprint Center convinced me there is no way for KC to do it otherwise.

I think, by the time the thing gets around to actually being designed, the neo-classical PNC/Target Field/etc. style will actually be pretty tired. I'm hopeful they try something genuinely new (maybe 20-25k actual seats, with the entire outfield being free street access, for example).

[CrimsonNBlue]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

I think we will eventually get a downtown baseball ballpark. KC eventually gets around to doing the right thing about 30 after everyone else has done it. The renderings are nice and flashy but it will be the Sprint Center all over again. A sports facility in KCMO will be a big political appeasement compromise to all of the sports architecture firms in town and in the end it will be a cheaper watered down version of what it could be. A rehash of decades old ideas with an updated (cheap) color/material palate. Going through the process for the Sprint Center convinced me there is no way for KC to do it otherwise.

The makeup of the new ownership would suggest they have forward thinking developers on it.

[CrimsonNBlue]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

That footprint looks impossibly small. Also, who is mocking this stuff up? For an actual bid, or just some enthusiasts? Would come back to KC several more times a year (post-COVID) if they had a downtown stadium. I'd rather get a downtown room and go to games than stuck in the burbs and having to drive everywhere.

Architecture firm, but technically just an enthusiast. But, as has been stated, there have been very loud rumblings, especially since the sale went through. Ownership seems to be all-in on downtown baseball.

[Deleted User 318]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

I think we will eventually get a downtown baseball ballpark. KC eventually gets around to doing the right thing about 30 after everyone else has done it. The renderings are nice and flashy but it will be the Sprint Center all over again. A sports facility in KCMO will be a big political appeasement compromise to all of the sports architecture firms in town and in the end it will be a cheaper watered down version of what it could be. A rehash of decades old ideas with an updated (cheap) color/material palate. Going through the process for the Sprint Center convinced me there is no way for KC to do it otherwise.

I think, by the time the thing gets around to actually being designed, the neo-classical PNC/Target Field/etc. style will actually be pretty tired. I'm hopeful they try something genuinely new (maybe 20-25k actual seats, with the entire outfield being free street access, for example).

Actually, that would be really cool. I would make outfield seating, but think an usher at the top. So think of the Royals current foul pole to foul pole, with that concourse free, and restaurants/bars facing the field, some shops behind. You can leave your seat and pass out of the stadium to grab food from restaurants at the places, then go right back in. Then after say 4-5 innings, it's understood that others can sneak into seats if they want, or continue watching from the bars a la Budweiser party deck or whatever it's called. All own by the stadium/team/city, would bring a lot more people in.

[jfish26]

Right, my thinking is whatever is open is entirely first-come, first-serve. And that's exactly the point - you just let people mill around the P&L-type thing you (the team) own, all while also taking in the game live.

[Deleted User 318]

I think they would want to have it sectioned off for if/when the team is back in the play offs, but maybe for certain games/series have it ticketed, then other times just open. Or perhaps weekday series it's open, weekends it's ticketed. That would be really cool an innovative. I can't imagine the cheap seats are bringing in that much money, and concessions would probably bring in quite a bit more. But you might devalue the paid tickets in the stadium if everyone is out in the concourse.

[pdub]

Poor KU football fans who used to watch from the hill.

[japhy]

This has probably already been posted, but I've been hearing more talk and steam gaining for a new downtown ballpark.

https://www.kansascitylovestheroyals.co ... -ballpark/

I think we will eventually get a downtown baseball ballpark. KC eventually gets around to doing the right thing about 30 after everyone else has done it. The renderings are nice and flashy but it will be the Sprint Center all over again. A sports facility in KCMO will be a big political appeasement compromise to all of the sports architecture firms in town and in the end it will be a cheaper watered down version of what it could be. A rehash of decades old ideas with an updated (cheap) color/material palate. Going through the process for the Sprint Center convinced me there is no way for KC to do it otherwise.

The makeup of the new ownership would suggest they have forward thinking developers on it.

Time will tell, having Bill Gautreaux in the mix gives me a little hope. The man has good taste in art, likes nice things and is willing to pay for them.

Having JE Dunn on the ownership team makes me think there are serious headwinds to fight to create anything out of the box.

The fact that it will probably end up being a consortium like the "dream team" that designed the Sprint Center (Allianz Arena knock off) means you will have bunch of egos competing for air space in a crowded room all working for a smaller piece of the pie than normal. Eventually they run out of gas and time and say, "fuck it, we can't afford to lose any more money on this job, and the KC public won't know the difference anyway".....and you get the Sprint Center.

I don't know Jonathan at Pendulum well, but have had occasion to work with him once. My take is he is very smart, savvy and plays things close to the vest. But this project isn't going his direction without a battle. Watching the battle for the Sprint Center go down makes me think he and Quinton Lucas will get steamrolled on any plans they have for something "different". Kay Barnes had a lot of years and allies around town and she couldn't pull it off at Sprint Center, so I am very skeptical that Lucas can pull a bigger rabbit out of the hat.

[jfish26]

I think they would want to have it sectioned off for if/when the team is back in the play offs, but maybe for certain games/series have it ticketed, then other times just open. Or perhaps weekday series it's open, weekends it's ticketed. That would be really cool an innovative. I can't imagine the cheap seats are bringing in that much money, and concessions would probably bring in quite a bit more. But you might devalue the paid tickets in the stadium if everyone is out in the concourse.

The way I see it...

* no need to ticket those "outside" seating areas. You want a couple hundred thousand people milling around; and

* if you do the 20-25k seating right (amenities, service, views, etc.), you're not devaluing them at all.

Basically, what you're doing is moving away from having price ranges that run from like $10-$500, and instead doing freemium and premium attendance.

[CrimsonNBlue]

I think we will eventually get a downtown baseball ballpark. KC eventually gets around to doing the right thing about 30 after everyone else has done it. The renderings are nice and flashy but it will be the Sprint Center all over again. A sports facility in KCMO will be a big political appeasement compromise to all of the sports architecture firms in town and in the end it will be a cheaper watered down version of what it could be. A rehash of decades old ideas with an updated (cheap) color/material palate. Going through the process for the Sprint Center convinced me there is no way for KC to do it otherwise.

The makeup of the new ownership would suggest they have forward thinking developers on it.

Time will tell, having Bill Gautreaux in the mix gives me a little hope. The man has good taste in art, likes nice things and is willing to pay for them.

Having JE Dunn on the ownership team makes me think there are serious headwinds to fight to create anything out of the box.

The fact that it will probably end up being a consortium like the "dream team" that designed the Sprint Center (Allianz Arena knock off) means you will have bunch of egos competing for air space in a crowded room all working for a smaller piece of the pie than normal. Eventually they run out of gas and time and say, "fuck it, we can't afford to lose any more money on this job, and the KC public won't know the difference anyway".....and you get the Sprint Center.

I don't know Jonathan at Pendulum well, but have had occasion to work with him once. My take is he is very smart, savvy and plays things close to the vest. But this project isn't going his direction without a battle. Watching the battle for the Sprint Center go down makes me think he and Quinton Lucas will get steamrolled on any plans they have for something "different". Kay Barnes had a lot of years and allies around town and she couldn't pull it off at Sprint Center, so I am very skeptical that Lucas can pull a bigger rabbit out of the hat.

That's all very good insight.

I do think the climate is different to where it's not an apples-to-apples comparison with sprint:

- political climate and Quinton - that discussion could go on for awhile
- baseball popularity decline
- downtown development is at a way different stage
- baseball stadiums are different anyway

[shindig]

I've never heard any complaints about the Sprint Center, it might be sort of a knock-off of Allianz stadium, but that is a futbol stadium and much bigger. I think the Sprint Center will age very well since it's all glass on the outside and there's not really another arena in the US that looks like it. I mean I've been to arenas in St. Louis and OKC, and those arenas are pretty bland looking from the outside, especially the Ford Center. Tulsa has a cool arena, but it seems smaller.

Now the new KCI is another story....I think it will be a huge improvement over the circle terminals, but I think it will be a pretty bland looking terminal. Most US cities just don't spend top dollar on public infrastructure like a lot of European and Asian cities do.

[twocoach]

I think we will eventually get a downtown baseball ballpark. KC eventually gets around to doing the right thing about 30 after everyone else has done it. The renderings are nice and flashy but it will be the Sprint Center all over again. A sports facility in KCMO will be a big political appeasement compromise to all of the sports architecture firms in town and in the end it will be a cheaper watered down version of what it could be. A rehash of decades old ideas with an updated (cheap) color/material palate. Going through the process for the Sprint Center convinced me there is no way for KC to do it otherwise.

I think, by the time the thing gets around to actually being designed, the neo-classical PNC/Target Field/etc. style will actually be pretty tired. I'm hopeful they try something genuinely new (maybe 20-25k actual seats, with the entire outfield being free street access, for example).

Actually, that would be really cool. I would make outfield seating, but think an usher at the top. So think of the Royals current foul pole to foul pole, with that concourse free, and restaurants/bars facing the field, some shops behind. You can leave your seat and pass out of the stadium to grab food from restaurants at the places, then go right back in. Then after say 4-5 innings, it's understood that others can sneak into seats if they want, or continue watching from the bars a la Budweiser party deck or whatever it's called. All own by the stadium/team/city, would bring a lot more people in.

Partner with a really good KC BBQ place out in the outfield so the whole stadium smells like BBQ and so you can grab some BBQ, a beer and sit and watch the game.