In the last 10 years, more than $6 billion has been invested in Downtown Kansas City. No city in America has done so much in such a short time to revitalize its Downtown, and the world has begun to take notice.
Kansas City reached a tipping point over the last six months as national, regional and local media attention has been piqued with two, world class experiences – Google’s selection of Kansas City to be the home of its first high-speed fiber network AND the grand opening of the $400 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in the Crossroads. Tipping point? Well, consider….
Frommers, Oct. 25, 2011, named Kansas City a Top 10 Travel Destination for 2012 – the only American city on the annual list.
- “When Kansas City’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opened in September 2011, the new building was immediately hailed as an architectural icon.” “…it not only looks interesting, it’s one of the most technically advanced performances halls in the nation.”
- Frommer’s cites a short list of other outstanding attractions, with the vast majority being Downtown – National WWI Museum, College Basketball Experience, Power & Light District, American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
The New York Times, Oct. 24, 2011, presented a glowing review of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and of the Kansas City Ballet’s performance of Tom Sawyer.
- “The center, already a landmark, opened in September. The exterior is a bold white array of patterned curves, with a line of wires like flying buttresses at the front, all above extensive parking space. It also houses a concert hall, and the all-white foyers provide ample space to audiences of both halls. By evening, these foyers are glamorous and spectacular; the all-glass facade gives a spacious view over the city.”
United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), January 30, 2012, The UMKC Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (IEI) entrepreneurship MBA emphasis was awarded the 2012 National Model Graduate Entrepreneurship Program from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). The school beat out 624 programs from other universities. Each university was thoroughly evaluated by The Journal of Product Innovation Management. According to the USASBE, The IEI “inspires and nurtures future generations of entrepreneurs, delivering transformational entrepreneurship education and experiences university-wide.”
The Atlantic, Oct. 20, 2011, presented an article for its series, CITIES: Place Matter. The magazine positioned Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas as twin cities, or “The New Capitals of High Speed Internet.”
- “Waterfalls. Monuments. Beautiful buildings. They’re all classic postcard pictures, summing up what’s good about a place. Fast download speeds, on the other hand don’t lend themselves to easy advertisement. But they are quickly becoming one of Kansas City’s biggest sells.”
Forbes, Oct. 14, 2011, ranked Downtown KC as the #7 Best Downtown in America.
- “Although there had already been a wide variety of artists living, working, and coalescing around downtown Kansas City, the brand new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts just opened in September and quickly became central, and a visual monument to just how seriously Kansas City takes the arts.” Also cited …”love of culture,” “a a walkable and livable downtown,” and “a wide variety of neighborhoods…”
PBS Newshour, Oct. 14, 2011, featured the Kauffman Center on the national broadcast of on PBS Newshour. Moshe Safdie, Julia Irene Kauffman and Jane Chu were interviewed by Jeffrey Brown who toured the Kauffman Center and attended Grand Opening performances.
- The eight-minute feature introduced the Kauffman Center as “…a shiny new showcase for the arts in the Midwest.”
- Safdie spoke of “…the need for a building to reflect the cultural essence of its location and remaining timeless”
Travel + Leisure, Oct. 11, 2011, rated Kansas City as America’s Most Affordable Getaway and best barbecue.
- Readers of Travel + Leisure chose Kansas City in the magazine’s annual survey. KC also topped the survey in barbecue and placed high in driving ability, wireless coverage and friendliness.
Under30CEO, Oct. 6, 2011, ranked Kansas City as the #2 city in America for Young Entrepreneurs behind New Orleans and ahead of New York City, Austin, San Francisco, Boston, Palo Alto, Chicago, Washington DC and Seattle.
- Under30CEO is a virtual magazine based in New York that is the leading site for young entrepreneur advice, news, trends and events. Readership of 500K
- “Did you know there was a Silicon Prairie? Well maybe not but Kansas City is at the heart of entrepreneurship in the Midwest. The fact it came in at #2 on the list shows how passionate the community is about being recognized as an up and coming town for entrepreneurship. The city is the headquarters of many major companies like Sprint, H&R Block, AMC Theaters, Applebee’s and more. Kansas City is also home to the largest foundation for entrepreneurs in the world, The Kauffman Foundation.”
The New York Times, Sept. 15, 2011, featured the Kauffman Center on the eve of its gala opening night with an article, In Kansas City; an Arts Center Makes Its Debut.
- “As arts organizations from one coast to the other wrestle with cuts in grants and declines in ticket sales, an ambitious new performing arts center in the middle of the country is defying the trend.”
Time Magazine, Sept. 12, 2011, featured the Kauffman Center at the top of an arts and culture feature, Light and Space: With big art for a small town…
- “With this new venue and his Crystal Bridges Museum (also featured in the article), opening in the coming weeks, the multi-national architect Moshe Safdie is having a huge year. His Kauffman Center is a concert hall – two, actually – that looks like a concertina or maybe a pair of those puffy shoulder the Elizabethans favored.”
Architectural Digest, September 2011, featured a dramatic, full-page photo of the Kauffman Center and hailed it: DISCOVERIES: The Best in Design, Culture and Style.
- “Landlocked though it may be in Kansas City, Missouri, the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts certainly makes a splash. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the building rises like waves from a five-acre park that neighbors both the Crossroads Arts District and the Sprint Center arena.”
The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 22, 2011, selected Kansas City as one a national industry hub for information technology in an article, Where the Action Is.
· “Across the country, new industry hubs are drawing entrepreneurs and investors—and offering start-ups support and safety in a turbulent economy.”
Google Website, May 2011, introduced Kansas City, Missouri to join KCK has the home to its first high-speed fiber network.
- What is Google doing in Kansas City?
We plan to build an ultra high-speed broadband network in Kansas City on both sides of the river. Our network will deliver Internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit (or 1,000 megabits) per second. That’s more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today. - Why did Google choose Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri?
Nearly 1,100 communities across the country expressed interest in this project. Our goal was to find a location where we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community, and develop working partnerships with the local government, utility and community organizations. We believe we’ve found this in both Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.
Kansas City… If you don’t believe it’s the greatest city in the world…you’re on the outside looking in.
