Sep

20

PAC returns to the Humps on the Hill

September 20, 2005 |

Performing Arts CenterAfter a five month pause to consider using the Lyric Theater, Julia Irene Kaufman and the board of the Performing Arts Center have gone back to the original plan of an architectural icon on the hillside at 16th & Broadway. However, fundraising is still stalled and there are no new details on the center’s design, cost, or business plan. The heiress and her boyfriend are still forgoing the services of professional fundraising and doing it themselves. If that fundraising had gone as planned, the building was supposed to be open for business by now.

Kaufman had an interesting quote in light of efforts to make Downtown more friendly to pedestrians… “We’re not talking about foot traffic and restaurants, we’re talking about driving in from Olathe, Lee’s Summit and the Northland,” she said.

Appareantly the Mission Hillbillies and McMansion crowd freaked out at the idea of mixing with the commoners on the sidewalks of the big, bad city and preferred a wide plaza for limo drop-off and pick-up. So KC will have yet another civic building where people will get into their cars and drive home as soon the show is over. That’s OK, because a vibrant street life is just touristy frou-frou anyway.


Comments

5 Comments so far

  1. Brad on September 20, 2005 6:52 pm

    That’s a damn shame. Just when I thought their mentality was evolving…

  2. chris on September 20, 2005 8:51 pm

    wow. that’s an amazingly short-sighted and ignorant thing for her to say.

    i’d love to see the full context of what she said though… not that it’d help *that* much. heh.

  3. Hippstar on September 20, 2005 10:06 pm

    The fundraising thing is very odd. I have subscriptions to the Symphony and the Opera, and I’ve never been asked to donate. I even wrote the Opera and the Symphony suggesting a capital campaign among subscribers.

    I never heard back from either. I was bored one day and tried to find a place to donate on the web, but there’s nothing. I’m not a big hitter, but plenty of subscribers are. The Lyric is terribly outdated. I would have ponied up a few bucks and I’m sure others would have given plenty, but no one was ever asked.

    As far as I can tell, she’s only gotten money from the Helzbergs, the Halls, and the Kauffman Foundation. So I’m not sure what she’s talking about regarding parking. But it’s strange how big a deal parking is for her. She also has that goofy comment about it being 2005 and people not taking a “streetcar” downtown. I thought the Kaufmans were all about KC and civic pride and such.

    But in her defense, I’ve seen the Symphony and Opera crowd. These people aren’t exactly going to bring a lot of life to the downtown street scene. But Julia’s still a doof.

  4. Bill Scheuernstuhl on September 21, 2005 11:12 pm

    I am amazed that Kansas City is still living with a mentality that these things aren’t important to the vitality of a city. The upper eschelon and politicians need to realize that this is what drives cities to success or failure.

    Maybe this attitude like this is what is snubbing the efforts!

  5. david on September 25, 2005 12:40 pm

    Im sure the architect will find a way to create a solid urban zone. I’ve seen the library in Salt Lake City that he did and it fits quite well into the cityscape along with having shops and a healthy flow of people.
    Its unfortunate to see that the people with the money are so ignorant about urban developement in kc.

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