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PRO For nearly two decades after the demise of the River Quay in the mid-1970's, Kansas City struggled to find a way to fund plans to develop its riverfront and revitalize the River Market area. Although the concept enjoyed widespread support, insufficient funding prevented its implementation. Riverboat gambling changed all that. Since 1996, Kansas City has received over $101.2 million from its two gaming operators. This is in addition to lease payments that allowed for the issuance of $22 million in bonds for riverfront development in 1998 and which continue to generate more than $4 million per year. The gaming money is allowing the city to create Riverfront West, a mixed-use urban village with as much as three million square feet of residential, retail and office space. It includes a pedestrian and bicycle trail connecting it to the Richard L. Berkley Park, a 17-acre showcase of outdoor activities including a natural amphitheatre. In addition, the development includes the Town of Kansas Bridge, providing access to future development projects such as an Interpretive Center for the Town of Kansas Urban Archaeological Park, redevelopment of the Kansas City Wharf Building through mixed-use development and the addition of a specialty restaurant or a performing arts center. Prior to riverboat gambling, nearly 100 acres of land under city ownership was a virtual wasteland. Rather than serving as a showcase for the riverfront that lead to the birth of Kansas City, it was used as dumping ground for things such as the Kemper Arena roof that was destroyed in 1979 and as a city tow lot. Money from riverboat gambling has created an opportunity to revitalize the riverfront and bring new hope for the place where Kansas City began. The Grand Avenue viaduct, made possible by gaming money, ties the new riverfront to downtown, enhancing opportunities for development there. The voters' decision to legalize gambling is still controversial for some. However, riverboat gambling has indisputably provided Kansas City with a unique opportunity to create a riverfront that gives us a sense of community pride. |
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CON On February 28, 1803, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and a handpicked crew began one of the greatest journeys of exploration ever recorded. The Missouri River was their westward highway to uncharted lands rich in both Native American culture and natural resources. Nearly 200 years later, I had the pleasure of exploring the same river aboard a posh excursion boat. The journey upriver from St. Louis gave us a perspective on the river unseen by most city dwellers. On the lower Missouri both fishing and pleasure boats dotted the river, and the banks were lined with campers. As the boat continued west it docked for the night at a variety of quaint towns: Washington, Booneville, Fort Osage, and Napoleon to name a few sites. But by the time the boat with its 200 passengers had reached the banks of Kansas City, the quaintness had been left behind and the wildlife had disappeared. Instead we were greeted with half submerged barges, scrap iron piles, graffiti-riddled underpasses, abandoned buildings and factories. Understandably, the boat did not stop at Kansas City. Thank goodness for small town common sense. The boat bypassed Kansas City for the gambling-free zone of Parkville, where there's a place to dock, a place to relax beneath shade trees, quaint shops and a variety of restaurants. Kansas City has missed the boat, but we had our chance. In the early 1990s, when gambling interests pushed the notion of riverboat casinos, they promised Mark Twain-era paddleboats steaming up and down the Missouri. Waterfront development would expand along the banks. Independent businesses would flourish. We voted on that promise, but other than the barely-adequate Berkley park, all that we have are promises. As the 200th-year anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition approaches, the riverfront remains largely unusable and blighted. Thousands of visitors are expected to travel their route, but if they hope to see a picturesque view from the banks of Kansas City, good luck. If they try to find the river from the gambling "boats," they will be even more disappointed. Most have nothing like an observation deck. Could it be that they don't want their guests distracted from the business at hand? |
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