What will change with Sly James? (Lee's Summit, Richards: closing, vs., airport)

[TinaMcG]

We moved to the Metro in April 2007, right after Funk took office. We were not impressed with him, but he's the only mayor we've been familiar with the last four years. I'd like to know what you all think will change (for better or worse) in the new administration.

[prairiestate]

Why do KC's mayors all have names that make you think their last job was staring in a 70's blaxploitation film? Is council woman Foxy Brown getting ready to run in 4 years?

[xenokc]

What about that fly guy in I'm Gonna Git you Sucka with the gold fish in his shoes. He'd easily win in KCMO.

On Sly vs. Burke, it didn't matter to me. Seems both are far more competent and either would do pretty well, at least better than Funk.

I don't expect Sly to turn on the first year though. It took Kay Barnes about 3 years before she really made any big moves. It was the people she hired that made things happen. She was an HR person and knew how to get the right people.

[kcmo]

Initially, I think he will be taken more seriously by kcmo residents as well as metro area residents and leaders (suburban mayors).

I think he will also have better luck working with Jeff City and St Louis area leaders.

He will be much more friendly to the business community who Funkhouser villainized and have more luck in bringing more economic development to KCMO as well as developing new deals in house.

He seems to have an uphill battle winning over the suburban northland though, so that will be his biggest challenge of trying to keep a city with so many vastly different demographics and needs happy.

But I think he will be a successful mayor.

But then again, I thought Barnes practically turned a dying city around during her era and most kcmo residents basically think of her as corrupt and in bed with developers and basically were running her out of town by the time Funkhouser was elected (Funkhouser’s campaign was primarily "anti Barnes" way of doing things and it the voters fell for it.)

[xenokc]

Yeah, hopefully Sly can be more effective in Jeff City.

[Versatile]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Initially, I think he will be taken more seriously by kcmo residents as well as metro area residents and leaders (suburban mayors).

I think he will also have better luck working with Jeff City and St Louis area leaders.

He will be much more friendly to the business community who Funkhouser villainized and have more luck in bringing more economic development to KCMO as well as developing new deals in house.

He seems to have an uphill battle winning over the suburban northland though, so that will be his biggest challenge of trying to keep a city with so many vastly different demographics and needs happy.

But I think he will be a successful mayor.

But then again, I thought Barnes practically turned a dying city around during her era and most kcmo residents basically think of her as corrupt and in bed with developers and basically were running her out of town by the time Funkhouser was elected (Funkhouser’s campaign was primarily "anti Barnes" way of doing things and it the voters fell for it.)

Kay Barnes said before her election. NO we are not closing Richards Gebaur airport. AS SOON as she was elected she changed her mind. How many other cities would have loved to have a 10,000 ft heavy duty runway. She sold out to the Freight-Hub guys. We could have had the runway on the est side and the freight hub on the West side of the railroad and had the best of both worlds. She created the hatred towards her.

[xenokc]

Don't really recall her saying that but it made much more sense to make it a freight hub. It was costing the city something like $20M to operate RG the way it was yet not making any money. KC is the second largest rail center and third largest trucking center and had congestion in other parts of metro.

Rail lines that go by there head to the Gulf. 71Hwy is also being upgraded to Interstate grade to New Orleans to tie into the ports in LA.

It's much more effective as an intermodal center.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by xenokc

Don't really recall her saying that but it made much more sense to make it a freight hub. It was costing the city something like $20M to operate RG the way it was yet not making any money. KC is the second largest rail center and third largest trucking center and had congestion in other parts of metro.

Rail lines that go by there head to the Gulf. 71Hwy is also being upgraded to Interstate grade to New Orleans to tie into the ports in LA.

It's much more effective as an intermodal center.

ditto. RG was costing the city a ton of money to keep open and why do you need a 10k foot runway for a handful of cesnas based there?

When KCMO unloaded RG, it was able to redirect Federal money going to a money pit and improve its corporate airport (MKC) which is in a much better location for a commercial airport. Trying to keep RG open was one reason Downtown airport got into the shape it did and downtown lost many corporate jets to Kansas, but now MKC has bounced back with is being more of a priority.

Metro KC already has a more modern and better funded cargo/intermodal airport in Gardner (new century) which also has a long runway and KCI is also developing a solid cargo business. Lee's Summit's airport has been upgraded as well. RG was simply not viable as an airport and I think Barnes realized that.

I think she made what she thought was the best use of the airport.

Or the city could have said no to BNSF and ran them off to Kansas, and barely kept open two city airports (RG and MKC) all while wondering why their deteriorating hangers were becoming vacant. RG would have eventually shut down anyway and there would be no BNSF hub there.

The investment made by BNSF has brought in warehouse developer centerpoint and probably helped KC keep Allied Signal (they are currently building a 600 million dollar plant nearby).

Let's see, a plant that employs thousands of highly paid workers, an intermodal facility and a logistics warehouse park or a 90% abandoned air force base with a deteriorating runway and a handful of light planes, not to mention an underfunded downtown airport due to RG that was losing planes fast.

I think she made the right choice.

[Versatile]

I think i read it was only a million per year. Chump change in the scheme of things. The last event at the airport was a Balloon fest that had an attendance of 800,000 people. Seems a little odd.

Can you give me a link for that 20 million. Cannot see how that numbe can be true. Wasn't much to do other than mow the place. Sure a little bit more than that.

[xenokc]

I don't think it was $20M per year but over several years. My memory may be off.

Anyroad, the benefit of the intermodal site is far far greater. Something like $200M-$250M was invested and it has grown the freight industry here. It was a no brainer. Even if she did make some kind of promise, when BNSF comes around and says they'll invest $200M+, it's OK to change plans.