Cindy Cash: Village West a Success
Cindy Cash, KCK Chamber of Commerce
SPECIAL TO KC STAR: “VILLAGE WEST IS SUCCESSFUL” by Cindy Cash
KANSAS CITY, KS – “Show me the money” is the last line in Wayne Hodges’ guest commentary on March 4. I’d like to start there in responding to some of his observations about business closings in Village West. Village West is successful. In 2008 vs. 2007, the center experienced a 6 percent increase in stores that were open both years. Village West is a regional tourism destination and offers day-to-day retail needs.
One reason for its appeal and success is that it is within a day’s drive of more people than any other tourism destination in the country. While we certainly are in some tough times, people are not stopping their day trips or weekend trips to someplace close they can drive and have fun. Since the opening of Village West, it has added close to $9 million a year in property taxes. These dollars have helped us weather some of the cuts in recent years from the state and federal government and jumpstart revitalization efforts east of 78th Street.
These efforts include the new grocery store at 18th Street and Interstate 70, which cleaned up a blighted piece of property. Also worth noting are several housing developments such as Escalade Heights on Meadowlark Lane, Peregrine Falcon on Seventh Street and Reunion Homes on 18th Street just north of Quindaro Boulevard.
The Unified Government has not spent all of these funds on new projects; they also have used these dollars to continually reduce the tax rate nearly 26 percent since 1997. The Unified Government’s portion of the tax bill is now less than 50 percent. We are now paying a tax rate that is lower than the city/county tax rate in Topeka and Leavenworth.
In addition, once the Village West STAR bonds are paid off in approximately five more years, the sales tax dollars that will then come back into the local and state revenues will help offset property tax rates in our community. This is how Johnson County has been so successful in having lower property tax rates and bills. They have had the sales tax dollars to make up the difference. Soon we will, too, and it will not only come from our local residents, but also regional residents and visitors.
Village West has added several thousand jobs to our community. These jobs, according to Hodges, are not “providing residents a better opportunity.” I personally take some exception to that comment since my working life started in retail environment in high school and college. I see the jobs at Village West and other commercial developments as opportunities for our young people to learn skills and the world of business along with earning money. The column also talks about the disturbing trend of stores closing at Village West.
Retail stores and restaurants come and go in good times and slow times. It is an extremely competitive business, and consumer tastes change with the times. Businesses also make mistakes about where they locate or what they offer their consumers. Sometimes stores just don’t fit a community or the shopping center they are in. And quite frankly sometimes, it is poor management that will close a business. And from a marketing aspect, shopping centers will move stores in and out or around to keep a center fresh and people coming back. Retailers and restaurants are not necessarily a forever business for many reasons.
Our community has changed a lot since the announcement of the retail partners at Village West in 2001. We have seen businesses, shops and housing built throughout the county. I believe the investment in the area west of I-435 is pretty solid in these tough times. Do we need and want more development there and throughout our county? You bet, and dedicated folks in the public and private sector are continuing to work on that. Look for the first Best Buy in Wyandotte County to open soon and later a new Super Wal-mart and other accompanying retailers.
In the eyes of the region and throughout the country we are a success story. Recently Wyandotte County was ranked the 17th highest county in the United States in job growth among the nation’s largest 335 counties through July of 2008. It is up to us to keep the success going.
Cindy Cash is president of the Kansas City Kansas Area Chamber of Commerce and a founding member of the Downtown Shareholders.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Douptuppy
May 14th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
We do not want a city that will duplicate a “Big Branson” for tourists. We are needing a city that can bring in opportunities for families to live the American way, purchasing homes, buying a new car and to be able to feed a family. We are not interested in jobs that only offer part-time work that do not provide health insurance and if it did the check would not be enough to pay for it. Next time when they make a deal in bringing in new business’s offering a tax free deal at our expense, maybe they should take a good look at Kansas resident to see we are barley feeding ourself. We are going from appetizers to crumps while the new brought in business’s are serve with a full meal.
May 14th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Her only rebuttal was that SHE worked in retail as a teen- well grown folks don’t want that as their primary income!
May 14th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
WAYNE, I AGREED WHOLE HEARTEDLY WITH YOUR LAST ARTICLE. This lady’s response shows that she has a stake in the facade of the Legends success. Her being part of the business commission and all, in order to attract more businesses the old ones have to show they are thriving, so she’s trying to combat you. And while she’s on the subject of saying all that they’ve done for the KCK area, then tell me WHY THE HECK DID WE SEE IN THE PAPER THIS WEEK THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS TO LAYOFF OVER 100 PEOPLE DUE TO MONEY ISSUES! Does not this money supposed to help the schools too, and if so, why do we have to lay off if they are pumping $9 MILLION into the system? I think this lady is getting a cut, that might be why her face is all screwed up. HEY MAN, REPORT THE NEWS AS YOU SEE IT, AND FORGET THE REST! Because me as a consumer see it like you do.
May 14th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Wow! That is quite a response. Wayne, I’m taking your side on this one because I know you know your stuff!!!
June 5th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
I’m ok with new business and commerce. But mentioning teenage income when the city average is well below others counties in Kansas sort of concerns me. I lived in Wyco for 20 years but i decided to move because i didnt see opportunities for growth. The county seems hell bent on developing the western side of KCK while leaving the poor and impoverished on the east side out in the cold. Tell me where’s the growth in that?
July 6th, 2009 at 11:21 am
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July 24th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
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July 27th, 2009 at 10:49 am
This is a very informative post! Keep up the good work.
August 24th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I have to agree with Cindy. I think Kansas City Kansas has done a great job in the past few years cleaning up the place and grabbing new retail. Kansas speedway, Schilliterbahn, Legends, Cabellas, Nebraska Furniture Mart, T-bones and Great Wolf Lodge are all great assets to the KCK area. Before legends KCK didn’t even have a movie theater. I would have to say Cindy is doing pretty good. I don’t know her or even if she personally had anything to do with Village west but that is a pretty impressive resume. Ya its great to add new jobs that are high paying but most of the people you are talking about who are “living in poverty” probably wouldn’t qualify for the job or wouldn’t even apply for the job because they are comfortable living off of welfare and foodstamps. Wayne talks about Linen and Things going out at the Legends well if he knew anything he would know that the entire chain went out of business not just the one at Legends. As for Saddle Ranch its already reopend under a different name. Tell the people living in poverty to move to Johnson County where the grass is greener oh wait they can’t afford it. I’d like to see these people get jobs too so I could stop paying them to sit at home and spend my money. RIP Indian Springs
September 1st, 2009 at 6:56 pm
This is a very informative post! Keep up the good work.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:49 am
[...] To see Cindy Cash’s rebuttal in the Kansas City Star, click here: http://www.massappealnews.com/?p=806 [...]
January 22nd, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Hodges is a ranting idiot. He doesnt even live in Wyandotte County. At least public officials are doing what they can to improve economic conditions in Wyco. Hodges criticizes jobs paying $7 per hour at Village West. Doesnt he understand we have to crawl before we walk. What does he expect? Jobs paying $30 per hour? Get real
January 22nd, 2010 at 4:08 pm
F. Erickson why the insults??? The man is only proposing ideas that are good for the citizens of Wyandotte county. He is not disrespecting anybody. I dont see a problem with asking KCK’s city’s leaders to find better paying jobs. I live in Atlanta and we need money too. Lets stop putting each other down and start working together.
November 1st, 2011 at 11:41 am
[...] *CLICK HERE FOR CINDY’S REPORT* [...]