KC announces new convention center hotel downtown (Kansas City, Liberty: neighborhood, to buy)

[xenokc]

From pro development perspective I'm for this project but pragmatic side knows that the convention industry nationwide is shrinking so this is a bit risky for KCMO to help subsidize. I think they should add residential, build a new tallest in KC. Having a mixed use residential/hotel building could reduce City investment risk some. Hotel industry has its ups/downs (in addition to convention industry) and they can provide concierge services to those who also live in the building, reducing chances of lost revenue in down periods. I've oversimplifying but may be worth exploring.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by xenokc

From pro development perspective I'm for this project but pragmatic side knows that the convention industry nationwide is shrinking so this is a bit risky for KCMO to help subsidize. I think they should add residential, build a new tallest in KC. Having a mixed use residential/hotel building could reduce City investment risk some. Hotel industry has its ups/downs (in addition to convention industry) and they can provide concierge services to those who also live in the building, reducing chances of lost revenue in down periods. I've oversimplifying but may be worth exploring.

Kansas City is not trying to become a top convention city, they are simply trying to get back into the game of being able to utilize what they have already built. KC really has missed out on tons of conventions because of the hotel situation there and with all the other tourism and hospitality infrastructure the city has built, the lack of hotel rooms has kept the city from booking even the bare minimum amount of conventions.

The city says it will invest 35 million into a 300 million dollar hotel that would finally give the convention people a full package to market. This is a no brainer and if the city isn't going to do the hotel, they should have never spent the other billion dollars on convention center improvements. Between the new Hyatt, the other hotels going up and the streetcar to crown center hotels, KC will jump way up on convention lists and finally be able to market and utilize one of the best exhibit hall/ballroom/entertainment district complexes between the coasts.

For downtown to come back, it needs all the parts to come back. Residential is well on it way, hospitality/conventions is literally this hotel away from coming back, entertainment has come a long way with the P&L District, Kauffman Center, College Basketball Experience, Midland Theater etc. Now the city the city needs to work on recreation and pedestrian experience (capping loop, adding bike lanes and trails etc) and get offices and jobs back down there because urban KCMO is still hemorrhaging jobs to Kansas. It would be nice if that proposed office tower near the Sprint Center could somehow go up even as spec, I think they would fill it with an out of town company if they built it.

[xenokc]

Either way the convention industry is still not what it used to be and KC has to compete with many more convention cities than 20 years ago. But yeah, it definitely increases KC chances. I'm not really against the plan as-is, but risk can more likely be reduced if a mixed-use hotel/residential building.

There is a chance this could get killed if they don't get it to the lame duck city council (favorable to project) before next election. Six CC members can't be re-elected and if this doesn't get to current council, it will be hot button election issue for others running.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by xenokc

Either way the convention industry is still not what it used to be and KC has to compete with many more convention cities than 20 years ago. But yeah, it definitely increases KC chances. I'm not really against the plan as-is, but risk can more likely be reduced if a mixed-use hotel/residential building.

There is a chance this could get killed if they don't get it to the lame duck city council (favorable to project) before next election. Six CC members can't be re-elected and if this doesn't get to current council, it will be hot button election issue for others running.

I agree, however, I would hope that even newly elected council members would see this is needed and it's worth the very minimal investment and risk. So long as they don't get elected by campaigning with what the public wants to hear (City is wasting money on hotel project). Ten years ago, KCMO would have had to put up half the money for this project, so that shows you how much more confidence investors and Hyatt have in both downtown KCMO and the potential for KC to get more conventions. This hotel is needed and I would hope that anybody with enough interest in KCMO to run for council would see that. But then again, KC lost four years of economic development by electing Funkhouser, so who knows who people will elect.

I agree with making it mixed use though. If the city is going to put money into this, go the extra mile and add a residential component to the project.

[xenokc]

From over on 'KC Rag'...

Re: New Convention Hotel
post by DaveKCMO » Mon Jun 15, 2015 2:25 pm

heard a presentation today:

- main entrance will definitely be at 16th & baltimore, city will be focused on pedestrian experience
- will be a corporate-run hyatt regency, and will meet all of those standards.
- possible january groundbreaking
- area plan will need to be amended to eliminate height recommendation at that site (no limit / FAR 15)
- hotel only needs 450 spaces, so any additional spots will be public
- may include an independence restaurant, in addition to the hotel restaurant
- rooftop facilities will be located on the shorter tower that's perpendicular to baltimore
- the taller tower (mike burke himself says 30 stories*, so i guess that's resolved?) is located closer to wyandotte to preserve views of P&L building from the south
- three other deals were negotiating with the city simultaneously, this one required smallest direct cash contribution from the city

* all of the renderings are of a 1,000 room hotel which explains why it's confusing to correlate the room count with number of floors and height

New Convention Hotel - Page 72 - KCRag Forum

If only 30 floors, I don't see how it can be as tall as old P&L building even if on a slight hill.

[xenokc]

Word is that the rendering above was when they were targeting 1000 rooms, so now with 800 will likely not be that tall. Not sure.

[KansasCitian]

This building is going to be a lot smaller than I originally thought it was going to be.

I just found an article that states Kansas City, MO officials waived a 130-foot height restriction to allow the 360-foot-tall convention center hotel.

At 360 feet, this building will not even crack the top 10 tallest buildings of Kansas City, Missouri. It will be 121 feet shorter than the Power & Light Building it is depicted as being larger than in the above rendering. It will be less than 50 feet taller than One Light, which is nearing completion.

This is still great for downtown.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by KansasCitian

This building is going to be a lot smaller than I originally thought it was going to be.

I just found an article that states Kansas City, MO officials waived a 130-foot height restriction to allow the 360-foot-tall convention center hotel.

At 360 feet, this building will not even crack the top 10 tallest buildings of Kansas City, Missouri. It will be 121 feet shorter than the Power & Light Building it is depicted as being larger than in the above rendering. It will be less than 50 feet taller than One Light, which is nearing completion.

This is still great for downtown.

Yes, but it will be a huge addition to the skyline simply do to its location. What' more important though is that KC is finally getting a new headquarters convention hotel to compliment and in many cases justify all the other city funded development downtown (convention center, ballroom, power and light district etc). I agree, it's great for downtown.

[KansasCitian]

Considering there was a height restriction of only 130 feet at that street corner, this is great. Like you said, based off of where this building is going in, it's going to do wonders for the skyline.

I also hope it sets a precendent for more buildings getting exceptions from a height restriction in the crossroads area. They city may not want it, but I think it'd be great to see crossroads peppered with taller buildings. At the same time, I don't want much torn down. Crossroads has a really great vibe, but I think a few highrises in that area, about as tall as the ones you see on the Plaza (12-18 stories) could be really attractive.

[kcmo]

Originally Posted by KansasCitian

Considering there was a height restriction of only 130 feet at that street corner, this is great. Like you said, based off of where this building is going in, it's going to do wonders for the skyline.

I also hope it sets a precendent for more buildings getting exceptions from a height restriction in the crossroads area. They city may not want it, but I think it'd be great to see crossroads peppered with taller buildings. At the same time, I don't want much torn down. Crossroads has a really great vibe, but I think a few highrises in that area, about as tall as the ones you see on the Plaza (12-18 stories) could be really attractive.

I wouldn't care what they built in the crossroads as long as it's built on a surface lot. Nothing should ever be torn down in urban kcmo to build something. There are so many empty lots to build on. Although I do agree that 12-18 stories would be ideal west of Main, I think you could go taller as you go further east.