Legal Industry Outlook

When To Declare Downtown A Success?

On a rare cool rainy Friday morning in late July, Ingram's Magazine assembled a worthy body of attorneys and other interested players, including engineers, architects, financiers and city officials. They met at the new Plaza offices of Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin to share their collective thoughts on the development process, particularly as it relates to Downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

This assembly was a part of Ingram’s ongoing effort through its Industry Outlook series to highlight economic development issues in the greater 20-county Kansas City area. Ably chairing the assembly was Dave Fenley of Blackwell Sanders, which sponsored this Industry Outlook.

Success

Given the abundant activity Downtown, Fenley asked his colleagues whether the redevelopment of Downtown could be considered a "success," and, if so, how did they define success,

“I think the goal is to have a 24-hour vibrant downtown with people living, working and playing,” said Dave Frantze of Stinson Morrison Hecker. On these criteria, he saw the results as mixed. Although the “play” and the “live” part of the equation have firmed up nicely, the “work” factor lags. “We’ve seen an exodus of business out of downtown for a generation now,” said Frantze. “We’re going to have to figure out a way to make it vibrant enough to bring people back into a work venue.”

(front row, left to right)

John Snyder, Sonnenschein

Dave Fenley, Blackwell Sanders

Susan McGreevy, Husch & Eppenberger

Aaron March, White Goss Bower March Schulte & Weisenfeld

(back row, left to right)

Dan Murphy, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy

Ron Coker, Burns & McDonnell KCMO Capital Improvements Management Office

Edward Bullard, Shook, Hardy & Bacon

Charles Renner, Husch & Eppenberger

Galen Beaufort, City of Kansas City, MO

Steve Sparks, Bryan Cave

Jim Calcara, 360 Architecture

Dave Frantze, Stinson Morrison Hecker

Phil Kusnetzky, McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan

Jerry Riffel, Lathrop & Gage

Bill Quatman, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy

Sherman Botts, Lathrop & Gage

Charles Miller, Lewis Rice & Fingersh

Doug Stone, Polsinelli Shelton Welte Suelthaus

Spencer Thomson, Blackwell Sanders

Jack Holland, Oppenheimer & Co.

Matthew Ruark, Collateral Mortgage