Plan for New Convention Center Hotel

The city is currently studying a plan for a 1,000-room downtown convention hotel center hotel. The project is in the planning stage, which entails hiring a consultant to oversee the plausibility of the city owned project.


City Councilmembers and The Convention & Visitors Association contend that more rooms are needed to ensure the success of the convention center. They argue that Bartle Hall is loosing prospective conventions due to lack of available hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center.

Currently there are seven hotels that can hold 2,000 persons, two of which are more than a mile and a half from the convention center. The Downtown Marriott has roughly 600-750 rooms available, but 2000 total in the downtown area would be the optimum number to accommodate larger conventions.

A report last year showed that only half of hotel rooms available hotel rooms in the area were occupied during the first quarter.

The city isn’t yet to the development stages, but developer Ron Jury already has already a plan for the structure. Jury, who redeveloped the President Hotel is proposing a project that includes using the Power & Light Building in conjunction with new structures to create a roughly 1,000 room complex.

The city's Planning and Zoning Committee is scheduled to vote on the matter next week.

Read the Ordinance - 090444

In the news
• New tower proposed west of Power & Light Building in big hotel project
• Proposal to build downtown convention hotel raises questions

43rd and Main TIF Project Comes to a Close

The City Council finalized a compromise ending the 43rd and Main TIF, Thursday. The plan will pay remaining project costs and redistribute surplus money back to the city. The remaining costs include money for

• Streetscape and sidewalk repair
• S.M.A.R.T Housing Program
• Demolition of the Naughty But Nice building

The 43rd and Main TIF project was created in 1994 and comprises the Southmoreland neighborhood. The council and TIF Commission came to the conclusion that it has served its purpose of rehabilitating the area and therefore did not need to continue.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a development tool that uses future property taxes and other taxes generated by new development to pay for costs of construction of public infrastructure and other improvements. It will oftentimes divert money from school districts and other general funds to sponsor the development.

Read the Resolution - 090347

43rd and Main TIF in the News

• Welcome news about TIF
• TIF project on its way out

Heap of the Week

On the NorthEast News website, I found an entertaining page. The Heap of the Week shows photos of particularly egregious littering!

Abortion Bill Stalls

The House and Senate couldn't come to an agree on the before mentioned abortion bill causing Rep. Bryan Pratt, a Blue Springs Republican to give up on it.

Bill Designates December 25th as Christmas

Representative Mike Cunningham(R) of Rogersville, MO introduced a bill in the house that designates December 25 of each year to be known as Christmas and requires state agencies, public schools and colleges, and political subdivisions to use the traditional names of holidays.

Read the bill -HB 128

Rural Empowerment Zone

A bill going through the MO House and Senate currently deals with the interesting topic of the Rural Empowerment Zone. The Rural Empowerment Zone is an tax-exempt area a rural area with high levels of poverty and unemployment. This bill makes it illegal to have two Rural Empowerment Zones in one county, and allows Rural Empowerment Zones to exist in any county with 18,000 or fewer residents

Click on what you would like to see - more details about the bill, Rural Empowerment Zones, or just what taxes they are exempt from.

Bill in Jefferson City to Limit Abortion Rights

Going through the Missouri House and Senate is a bill regarding consent requirements for obtaining an abortion and creates the crime of coercing an abortion. It is already a crime to coerce anyone into having an abortion, and the rest of the bill details what a physician would be required to do before performing and abortion:

• provide printed materials detailing the risks of abortions
• provide the mother with the age of the unborn child
• give the mother the opportunity to view the ultrasound and hear the heartbeat
• past 22 weeks through pregnancy, provide the mother with info about the pain caused to fetus
  
• Prominently display statements encouraging a pregnant woman seeking an abortion to contact agencies that help women carry an unborn child to full term and that no one can coerce a person to have an abortion

For more info click here