The Legacy of Kay Barnes

On Sunday, the Star ran an article that discussed the legacy of Kay Barnes.  It discussed what history may or may not look back on as the success of her term as mayor.

Mayor Barnes has been a bit of a whipping boy among the media and blog community since the election season began back in January.  In fact, one of the carrying points for Mark Funkhouser's mayoral win preyed on Barne's willingness to give TIF dollars to pretty much anyone who asked. 

It's easy to criticize Mayor Barnes.  I have my own criticisms, that include her over-use of TIF and her being the "downtown mayor" and yet blatantly disregarding a proposal for a downtown baseball stadium put forth by the downtown council (which the city should have looked into on its own) and supporting the overly expensive renovations to the Truman Sports Complex. I also worry about how the new entertainment district performs financially (even though I overall support the project, even without an anchor tennent for a few years).

However, I think the long term view of Barne's legecy will be very positive. Barnes did something in her 8 years in office that can't be measured in dollars and cents, or in the amount of TIF giveaways.  Mayor Barnes gave the people of Kansas City a glimpse of what is possible here.

When I first moved to Kansas City in 1996, downtown KC was mostly a ghosttown.  The Crossroads were scary.  Midtown was even more scary.  Outside of the Velvet Dog and Crown Center, there was little between Westport and the River that was of interest.

Whenever a lot of new projects got recommended, the overarching attitude was that that won't work here in Kansas City.  Sure, it would work somewhere else, like Chicago, Salt Lake City, or even St. Louis, but not here in KC.  We were different.

Over the past 8 years, that attitude has changed.  Not only CAN we renovate Kaufmann Stadium and keep the Royals from leaving, there are people who are pissed that we didn't do it better.  We can build a new arena - -and potentially land a winter-sport professional franchise.  No longer is light rail something that "won't work here because we're too spread out" but something voters voted for and the city better figure out how to make it work.

Developers, citizens and suburbanites are all looking at downtown, midtown and the crossroad -- and even further East now, as areas of interest.  Crown Center is no longer a nice area surrounded by blight, but a is just one of many destination areas in southern downtown.  With more stuff on the way.

Yes, some things need to change.  We've not spent enough time/resources focusing on our neighborhoods.  We have some debt to repay.  We have a sewer system to fix.  This is one reason why I openly supported Funkhouser for mayor.  But I think the difference in this city now, vs 8-10 years ago, is now we're looking for solutions to our problems, instead of determining that it can't be done here.

In my opinion, this was mayor Barne's gift to our city and will be her legacy. I can't measure it.  Heck, I can barely definite it.  But the attitude in this city, as I type this from the formerly abandoned TWA Headquarters building in the Crossroads (that I thought should have been torn down 8 years ago), has definitely changed for the better.  That can't, won't, and shouldn't get lost in the criticism. 

Comments

[carl larabee]

You are gracious to a fault.Downtowns across the US excluding only a handfull of states,
have been booming in recent years. Excess money from private investment,pension funds,reits,public entities to name a few,have been seeking returns in a time of low return on investment aka a strong economy. Which is why MANY of the TIFS granted were uncessary. Irresponsible is the least offensive word I can aptly use to describe the honorable Mayor living in blighted briarcliff

[Brent]

Carl,

I don't disagree. However, I do think that overall Kansas City suffered from an attitude of "we can't do that here" and "it won't work here". You can still see all kinds of signs of it. For example, light rail has worked in pretty much every city in the country that has implemented it -- but because Kansas City is "so different" from other areas of the country, and "married to our cars" (which is no different than 99% of the other areas in the country) that many say it won't work here.

Kay very much allowed us to see that we can accomplish things here and things that "won't work here" do.

Did she over-use TIF and developer handouts? Absolutely. To a point that was almost criminal. But she allowed us to see that some good things can work here...and that's something.

[carl larabee]

Brent, I think a lot of the current chaos at City Hall, owes to the ongoing clash between the former Mayor, her special interest supporters, and the new Mayor's opposition to the former's patronage form of KC Gov. Let's not forget the previous administration's TIF giveaways, special land deals, and the credit/debt incurred by we citizens on behalf of private developers. Now adding to our new Mayor's burdens,a recently slumbering, "pro-Kay-all day" City Newspaper editorial board, and a looming financial crisis produced by the prior administration. And so, will the new Mayor overcome these obstacles amid his total lack of political skills? I believe we, in KC are living a 21st Century version of "Mr. Smith goes to Washington". Starring the new Mayor as Mr. Smith!!