Bannister Mall - Most popular for December 2007
Viewing all posts which authors have tagged ‘Bannister Mall’.
You can also subscribe to this tag's feed.
The KC City Council today unanimously passed Lane4 and the Wizards TIF plan for Bannister Mall
today, 13-0. As I stated yesterday, the one doubt had been Mayor Funkhouser. Funkhouser again in
the meeting today stated his stance on Super TIFs, but then stated that he realized for this
redevelopment, a Super TIF was required for it to succeed.
Back in December, I posted my wants and wishes for 2007. Then in June I made a midyear review of
those wants and wishes. Here we are in December again and I'm ready to go through these one last
time to see how well my wants and wishes were fulfilled this year.
- The Wizards Announce 2007-2008 home.
After looking through how my wishes for 2007 went, it's time to make my wishes for the upcoming
year in regards to the Wizards.
1. Save Bannister Mall Petition Fails - This is a great location for the stadium, but more then
that, this is a part of Kansas City that needs to be redeveloped. It's a huge eyesore on Kansas
City, and if this petition gets enough signatures, the plan for the area will basically be dead due
to the time line that the Wizards have.
Today after I got off of work, I made a trip over to Bannister Mall to take a look at the area as
it is now, and how I remember it as a kid (except busier back then). I brought my camera along to
get some pictures of what the place is like now and wanted to compare them to how the area will be
once the 3 Trails Development takes place.
You knew this was coming. You may not wanted to have admitted it, but you knew it was coming. The
Save Bannister Mall Group Inc, is attempting to block the destruction of Bannister Mall and
adjacent Benjamin Plaza to build a new complex that would include the Wizards stadium.
The group has filed a notice of intent to circulate a referendum petition.
Kansas City Mayor, Mark Funkhouser, will make have his first public session on the Lane4/Wizards
Bannister Mall TIF tomorrow at the Kansas City Council Finance Committee meeting. The meeting is at
8:15 am on the 10th floor of City Hall, at 414 East 12th Street. This is another big hurdle for the
plan, as Mayor Funkhouser ran for mayor on a reformation of the TIF platform.
Mayor Mark Funkhouser has made his feelings known on the redevelopment plan of Bannister Mall and
the surrounding 3 Trails Area. He's excited about the plan. But he is not going to sign off until
more discussion has taken place, including the dropping of the Super TIF requirement.
Funkhouser says that the Super TIF will generate "no benefit" for the city with the use of the
Super TIF.
The Finance Committee has passed the Three Trails TIF plan today unanimously, putting to the city
council for it to be passed. The other good news from this article is the news at the end of the
beginning of the fourth paragraph.
But a late amendment that would give the city the opportunity to remain engaged
with the financing of the project while it is being reviewed for state
assistance persuaded the mayor to drop his objections.
Along with the whole finance meeting and Funkhouser saying that the Super TIF should be removed,
local residents around the mall are speaking up.
The Star article I posted in the Funkhouser post has a few South KC residents talking in it.
They're wanting this thing passed, and the fact that Funkhouser seems to be dragging his feet looks
to them as though Funkhouser cares nothing about the South side of town.
One day after Mayor Funkhouser stated that while "excited" about the planned redevelopment of
Bannister Mall, he didn't want the plan to use the Super TIF that the plan called for, the
developers stated their displeasure in his decision.
The article has quotes from the councilwoman, Cathy Jolly, of the district that includes the
Bannister Mall complex.
Last week, Robb Heineman was on Sports Radio 810 here in Kansas City, on Between the Lines with
Kevin Kietzman. The Wizards have posted the interview on their website, you can listen to it
here.
Overall the interview is really well done. Kietzman, who I'm normally not a fan of, asks some very
informative questions to get more information out of Heineman about the project.
I've said it before, but this week is a big week for the Wizards, Lane4, Bannister Mall, and the
Three Trails TIF. After the Finance Committee tabled voting on the plan last week, it is back on
the agenda again for the meeting tomorrow at 8:15 at City Hall.
After that meeting, should all go well, it will go to the full city council for a vote on Thursday,
again at City Hall.
Today was supposed to be the day that the KC Council Finance Committee voted on the plan at
Bannister Mall for the redevelopment of the area. Unfortunately 3 hours or so after the 8:15
meeting started, no vote had been taken, and the matter had been tabled until next Wednesday when
it will be voted on.
The KC Star points to some good news for the Wizards on their primary target for a new stadium
in KC
A proposal to redevelop the Bannister Mall area with a project anchored by a Wizards soccer
stadium was endorsed today following a compromise that won support from Mayor Mark Funkhouser.
