So the Cordish Co. just spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build a snazzy new entertainment district Downtown, and the city spent over $100 million in taxpayers’ money to subsidize the construction. But a recent KC returnee notices that they couldn’t be bothered to spend a few hundred dollars on bike parking.
Fortunately, the situation should be remedied eventually. The Cordish Co. is planning to install bike racks in the Power & Light District, they just seem to be taking their own sweet time doing it. Even better, the city is planning to install bike racks in many of the city-owned garages in the Downtown Loop. Hopefully by this summer we will have some weather-proof places to park! In the mean time, check KCBike.Info’s parking map to find bike racks near the P&L District.
Returning to KC and its booming downtown
March 30, 2008
By KELLY THOMPSON
Special to The Star
During the Big 12 basketball tournament, a friend invited me to come down to the Power & Light District. Her message was in the form of a picture text, the image was of a crowd of people with the line, “Can you believe this is downtown KC?!?”I recently relocated from Baltimore to Kansas City. I’ve seen the Power & Light District concept play out at Baltimore’s Power Plant Live. But no, I couldn’t believe it was downtown Kansas City.
I was working on my laptop only a few blocks away at one of the coffee shops in the Crossroads district, so I hopped on my bicycle and rode over. I grew up in Kansas City and I don’t remember people riding their bicycles anywhere. Since moving back after about 10 years of living in other areas, I see a lot of bicycle riders here, commuting or just out for a ride.
With that noticeable rise in bicycle riders I was a little upset to find not one place to park a bicycle in the Power & Light District. I asked plenty of Power & Light District staff about this. One lady instructed me to just latch it to the “big ’ol fence.” Well, that certainly is not the most secure form of parking but I locked the bike there anyway.
Once inside the gates, I found my friend a couple of drinks into her night. “Isn’t this amazing?” she asked. Indeed it was. There were hundreds of people in downtown Kansas City, a sight I was happy to see. She then said, “We (she and her husband) rode the Max down. Aren’t we so urban?”
I laughed. I wouldn’t describe my friend as the most urban person I know and she wouldn’t either. That they took the bus to their Friday night destination was exciting and—it gets better—the bus was crowded. “Standing room only,” she said.
We talked a little bit about the restaurants and bars in the area, giving mixed reviews due to so many being chains. We all agreed we would like to see more local businesses in the area. But I’ll dream that many of the empty buildings surrounding will eventually be filled with local businesses.
We weaved in and out of conversations seamlessly, discussing travel, national political leaders, health-care for citizens, cultural strains and economics of the United States.
“Look at this,” my friend said, pointing to the joyful crowd in front of us. “We’re in the middle of a recession? This doesn’t look like a recession!”
No, I have to admit it didn’t look like a recession and while my reviews remain mixed on the Power & Light District being my scene, I can say with certainty it was good to see people in downtown Kansas City. I hope to see more.
Kelly Thompson is a video producer. She lives in Kansas City.
