Category: Kansas City Missouri

Column: Pitch made for new airport terminal

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Opinion column

by Murrel Bland

In the 1950s, it became obvious that as air travel continued to grow, Municipal Airport in Kansas City, Mo., would soon outgrow its space. One of the proposed solutions was to combine Municipal with the nearby Fairfax Airport across the Missouri River. The opportunity was there to create a bi-city airport authority with runways stretching across the Missouri River. However, it never happened.

The major reason it didn’t happen was a matter of trust. The Kansas City, Kansas, City Commission didn’t trust the Kansas City, Mo., City Council and vice versa.

Looking back on that experience, it is quite understandable why there was a feeling of mistrust. Kansas City, Kansas, commissioners were indicted on charges of corruption, although none was convicted. And the ghost of Tom Pendergast, the longtime political boss, still haunted Kansas City, Mo., City Hall.

So Kansas City, Mo., officials searched for a new airport site, looking in Clay County. However, land costs were too expensive. They settled at the present site in undeveloped Platte County just south of Platte City.

Fast-forward to 2017. Joe Reardon, a former mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, was the featured speaker Friday, Oct. 20, at a meeting of the Congressional Forum at Children’s Mercy Park. Reardon is now the president of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. He spoke about the need for a new airport terminal.

Voters in Kansas City, Mo., will go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 7, to decide the fate of the new airport terminal. Kansas City, Kansas, residents do not vote on it. Reardon said it will be important for everyone who has friends in Kansas City, Mo., to encourage a “yes” vote on the new terminal issue. It will not raise taxes; the airport is funded by those who use it. His presentation last Friday was his 95th.

Reardon said the airport opened in 1972. During its first year of operation, the airport served about 3.8 million passengers. In 2016, that number had grown to nearly 12 million.

A change in security is a major factor that is demanding a new terminal, according to Reardon. Airlines, particularly Southwest, are insisting on more efficient security systems that can handle boarding passengers quicker.

Reardon also stressed the need for a modern terminal to attract new business for the entire region. He cited the 1914 effort of business and civic leaders who were bidding for a regional office of the Federal Reserve Bank. The selection committee came to Kansas City and was most impressed with the new Union Station that was a bustling enterprise. He compared that to the search committee for the most recent national Republican Convention; the committee members were brought in by private aircraft so they would not have to hassle with KCI.

So today, unlike the 1950s, there is a regional effort, headed up by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Reardon, to help secure a new airport terminal. Reardon said he is cautiously optimistic that the issue will pass; a poll indicates a 51 percent favorable vote.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.

First Friday exhibit features KCK artist

Kansas City, Kan., artist’s show opens tonight

Michael Young, a Kansas City, Kan., artist, has an opening reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at the Jones Gallery, 1717 Walnut, Kansas City, Mo.

The show is “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” a series of original paintings based on the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

The paintings will be at the gallery through October.

The artist’s website, michaelyoungfineart.com, features information and pictures from the “100 Years” series.


Art sale to benefit tallgrass prairie effort

Art depicting the rolling emerald hills and striking prairie fires of the tallgrass prairie will be part of the ninth annual Vision of the Flint Hills art benefit and sale at Buttonwood Art Space in Kansas City, Missouri.

The gallery exhibition will include art from and inspired by Kansas’ Flint Hills region, including the Konza Prairie Biological Station, a part of Kansas State University. Opening night of the art sale, featuring the diminishing ecosystem, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, at Buttonwood Art Space, 3013 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri, in conjunction with the KC Crossroads Art District’s First Friday Art Walk. Admission is free and sales will benefit the artists and tallgrass prairie education in the Flint Hills.

Fifty percent of the proceeds from sales will go to Friends of Konza Prairie, a nonprofit organization that supports the Konza Environmental Education Program, or KEEP, at Konza Prairie Biological Station south of Manhattan.

The exhibit also will feature QR codes that link to tallgrass prairie ecological information.

KC, Mo., on list of final 32 cities for soccer World Cup bid

Kansas City, Mo., has been named to the list of finalists, one of 32 North American cities that may serve as official hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to an announcement today.

The United Bid Committee announced the list this morning from New York. There are four cities in Canada, three in Mexico and 25 cities in the United States on the list. If selected, Kansas City could hold a World Cup game could be held at Arrowhead Stadium.

“As we move to the next stage of the bid process, we’re even more confident we have everything needed to deliver the largest, most compelling FIFA World Cup in history and help accelerate the growth of soccer across North America and around the world,” said United Bid Chairman Sunil Gulati, in a news release. “We have more than double the number of cities required to stage matches in 2026. We have a vision for growing the game and engaging fans as never before. Our biggest challenge will be finding ways to honor the enthusiasm of all the people across Canada, Mexico and the United States through the development of our united hosting concept.”

Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Mark Holland sent out a statement after the announcement of the bid.

“This news confirms to the rest of the country what we already know here in the heartland, that the KC metro is worthy of being called the soccer capital of America. As we move to the next round in the bid selection process, I know that we will have a strong case to make that Kansas City deserves to be a World Cup host,” said KCK Mayor Mark Holland.

“The Kansas City region has invested over $325 million in soccer facilities in the past decade, with another $500 million planned between now and 2026. As a region, KC and KCK sports venues offer numerous world-class soccer facilities, from Children’s Mercy Park in KCK, to Arrowhead Stadium in KCMO.

“Here in Kansas City, Kansas, we are home to the state-of-the-art Children’s Mercy Park, where Sporting KC recently became U.S. Open Cup Champions, cheered on by the greatest soccer fans in the U.S. The National Training and Coaching Development Center for soccer will open later this year. New soccer fields are flourishing all across the metro. And, of course, you can’t create a better atmosphere for a marquee soccer match than Arrowhead Stadium. You can be guaranteed that the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/KCK will be working with all of our regional partners to make this World Cup dream a reality.”