Was a time businessman Doug Weltner was once considered the savior of Westport…
Weltner and his real estate company outbid others around 1990 to purchase Westport Square and the parking lot along Westport Road across from Kelly’s and the old Stanford and Sons.
As I recall, he paid around $850,000 for all of it. Then he cleaned it up and did some remodeling. Some.
Weltner’s game plan was to clean up Westport and protect the parking for customers and businesses. He was at practically every meeting of the Westport Merchants over the years and stood tall against the street problems and for wanting “the right crowd” in Westport.
Over the years however Weltner sold off everything in Westport that he once “cherished,” so in the end, he seemed to care more about the money than he did Westport.
Unlike Westporters like Bill Nigro, the Kelly’s and James Westphal.
So while the Power & Light District continues to fail and Westport pays the city S500,000 a month in sales taxes, the P&L gets $1.5 million from the city each month to cover its debt.
Meanwhile, the city hasn’t given Westport a million dollars in over 30 years.
So Weltner basically left Westport and ran to Johnson County with his Mission Farms development, where there was plenty of parking.
In my opinion, Weltner could care less about Westport.
I don’t believe he ever did.
And now that he’s sold off almost all of his interest in Westport Weltner wants to close Westport’s main parking lot and add a bunch of chain restaurants there.
Just what Westport doesn’t need.
Another Mexican eatery, a deli and a cookie joint.
And just like that, no more parking.
Oh, you can still; park on the street or in Manor’s lot at the rear end of the area. Nice.
On top of all that, Westport holds some of its biggest events in that parking lot. In other words, Weltner may destroy or seriously injure St. Patrick’s Day, the Westport Art Fair, concerts and other events.
Thanks, Doug!
Westport has fought against all odds to remain the city’s top party zone.
And it’s the only place you can see crowds or much biz during the week in Midtown. The P&L is only busy on weekends or for a few special events like the World Series and World Cup. However those type of events don’t come around very often and they draw little to no crowds on weeknights.
Does Weltner need the money?
It’s also odd that Weltner was the one who spearheaded the city grandfathering in parking requirement exemptions for new businesses in Westport like Port Fonda, Gambles, Whiskey Bar and Ale House. And now the main parking lot is gonna be gone.
Poor city planning once again.
Westport’s next big thing; No Parking!
Westport’s been working to try and get the city to buy the lot from Weltner and sell it back to the merchants. So there’s a chance that Weltner can be talked out of screwing up the parking in Westport for the right price.
He has sold off most of his other property in Westport, reportedly to the tune of $6 million (that’s the rumor). Plus he collected rent there all those years.
This parking lot fiasco would deal a major blow to Westport.
There’s already limited parking there and many folks don’t go to P&L due to its limited parking options.
Losing that lot will make a lot of women have to park even further from the core of Westport’s entertainment scene, where late at night things can get a bit sketchy. So great idea, now let’s scare them off.
Westport’s been mistreated by the city for decades and they sure don’t deserve yet another bomb dropped on their heads now.
Hey Kansas City, are you gonna jump in and help. It is election time.
…many folks don’t go to P&L due to its limited parking options.
“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” -Yogi Berra
for wanting “the right crowd” in Westport.
Jesus Glazer, could you have possibly made it sound more racist?
Well take it anyway you want. It wasn’t my comment.
Still sounds like a thought crime to me Glazer. You are treading on dangerous ground with such outrageous comments. Your exposure for “Noticing” could be fatal. Loss of job, friends, public humiliation, censored and pilloried by the media (You are in the public eye.) and were you in England and many other countries, you would already be subject to prosecution.
Hold your breath and hope it blows over before any of millions self appointed “Race Police” turn you in.
And for crying out loud, quit “Noticing” things.
Hah funny Chuck…as the article points out I didn’t say that others did. Of all the points of the story its always an oddball line that gets attention and not the meat of the article.
Craig was tip toeing around the subject not embracing it.
Behind the scenes the powers in westport have been doing everything in their power to discourage African Americans.
That’s no secret to but Craig was not a party to that.
Christ, he ran the top black dance club in town for several years until westport ran him off
its funny how they do try to discourage African Americans at Westport and P&L but the music in a lot of those bars play mainly African American music and top 40 but you don’t want them in your establishment seems strange and one thing about most African Americans we are excepting to different cultures unlike the ones that wanna keep us out not all black people are trouble makers
run a bus from the plaza to Westport or use the grocery parking lot or
find an alternative. why not build on that prime property?
the guys in it for the money.
I’m with Harley on this one…
When Weltner owned Westport Square echoing the parking lot was important to him. Now he doesn’t.
But what businessman in his right mind would want to own a free parking lot on prime storefront property.
I get that his tenant choices seem a little weak, but that’s his decision. Over the years any number of established Westport retailers thought that the tenant choices and themes chosen by some of the bar owners was toxic. And you know what? On more than one occasion they were right but the bar owners were free to make their choices.
I think this is a case of sour grapes meets wishful thinking.
There was a service that did this very thing. In fact, it went from westport to plaza, martini corner, waldo, p&l, and a few stops in between. It was cheap and you could hop on and off all night. It was even a party bus style trolly system so you could keep partying on the way to the next place! The problem? It was uner utilized so it’s creator, Bill Nigro, one of the men fighting for westport’s survival, had to shut it down.
That’s true, BSS
NEWS FLASH…DOUG WELTNER HAS ALREADY FENCED OFF THE PARKING LOT. WITH CONSTRUCTION NOWHERE IN SIGHT WELTNER HAS CLOSED OFF THE LOT WITH FENCING. NICE OF HIM…AT LEAST WESTPORT CAN NOW GAUGE HOW IT WILL WORK WITH CUSTOMERS NOT USING THAT LOT…THOUGH ITS THE MAIN LOT, THERE IS STILL MANOR AND SUNFRESH AND STREET PARKING..MY GUESS IS, WESTPORT WILL SURVIVE BUT ITS A BLOW.
how many spacds were there? didn’t seem like many,,,,maybe
a hundred spaces….does that include the space by Panera?
whatever the case…Westport will adapt and survive.
Plus glaze…outside the art fair and st. pats day what other events
would be eliminated that DDON’T HAVE TO DO WITH DRINKING….
THERES SPACE WHERE THE FANNYS USED TO BE….THE
AREA ON BROADWAY WHERE THE MUSIC STORE STREETSIDE
WAS….
The Westport roots festival is one… these new buildings will block off visibility for buzzard beach, eat me gormet as well as some of the entrances to the Westport saloon and the piano bar… this doesn’t seem like a good move for the city in the long run
Well, they’ve been having a beer fest. And if something cool happens with the Royals or Chiefs they do that
insomnia cookies….a picklemans deli…..a Hispanic
restaurant…….can’tthey stop this…where will all these
peoplepark…plus Westport will be gone in 5-6 years…
everything is going south boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you miss your meds today hahahaharley? Three posts earlier you said Westport would adapt and survive, now you say Westport is gone in 5-6 years!
Hmm…
St. Patricks Day,
Middle of The Map,
Westport Art Fair,
Westport Roots Festival.
Zombie Crawl,
Halloween.
Yep! I work right by there. Its blocked off and several other parking spots along the road beside it. Construction through there would be a nightmare and business killer.
dumbass…look at whats happening south…
an entire entertainment district in jco will
hurt all those places….
in 5-6 years 135-151 in joco will replace
these districts.
greatest sports bar in the nation is being
built at 135th…..top golf coming to
o.p…….why hang in those areas…..joco
will finish them off.
Not a good thing…I love p and l and Westport
but its all headed south folks.
please read my comments….Westport can
survive but you’re already seeing what the
future holds………I said survive!!!!!!!!
I’M SURE SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN TO SAVE WESTPORT.
HAVENT SEEN THE AREAS AROUND THERE BUT THERES GOT TO
BE SOME SPACE TO BUILD A GARAGE……..WHAT WOULD KC BE
WITHOUT WESTPORT?????????????????????///
There is a great garage already. Use it and WALK. But be sure to leave your laptop/tablet on your front seat before you lock your car up, Harwee. But I’m really sorry to hear that Villa Capri won’t be opening up in Westport.
O nooo, I read the whole link — geesshhhh… Part of the Charm of Westport is it’s “lack” of National Chain Shops & Eateries. If I wanted that, I would keep my happy-self North of the River and hit Zona Rosa… I feel sorry for Buzzard Beach — who will know they’re back there if the new buildings are blocking them from prime view — on the flip side, maybe these National Chains will draw more people to Westport benefiting the mom and pop shops. I don’t believe any of them serve alcohol so it’s not a threat to the existing Bars, but I can see where you wouldn’t want anymore competition food wise… I guess I’ll have to hoof it over to 39th Street to escape the “Chain Food-ness Panera-Style Vibe”. Personally, I’ll take Blue Stem or the Flea over any of these new options…
As for the Parking Situation — I am from NY originally (KC transplant in 1990) and I’ve had to walk everywhere to get to everything so I am used go that — ladies, get your gentlemen to drop you off in front of the club if your dressed in heels — for me, Westport will never be the same since the loss of the Beaumont Club (parking never stopped me from going to Beaumont, but no one liked it). I suppose someday, like City Market, Plaza, and Zona a Parking Garrage might be a viable solution…
One final note… I was assaulted in Westport when I worked for Birch Telecom as an Account Executive in 1998 — I happened in broad day light, a man tried to get my bag while I was walking to my sales call. I had a second incident in 2000, when riding with a co-worker, he left his laptop in the back seat of his car (covered up and locked) — when we came back from lunch his car window was broken and the laptop stolen. Neither of these incidents kept me from coming back, but I’ve never walked alone in Westport since. I am a regular at the Riot Room and the Foundry and I remember when The Hurricane and America’s Pub were the places to be. I miss the days when it was so packed the streets were blocked off and police were at the ends of the street…
I supposed I wouldn’t mind seeing something in that parking lot, but it’s really disappointing to find that it’s not a Kansas City Local Home Grown Company. I would support a petition against these businesses or show up for a vote if invited to do so…
That lot only holds about 50 spaces, the art fair only uses it as artist parking, and it has only been used for outdoor St Pats for a couple years and the crowd is weak in that lot. Buzzard beach gets more street cred as a dive bar by being in an alley, Westport saloon has an entrance on Pennsylvania and panera on Mill Street. The only business it will truly negatively affect will be Ernie Biggs which can move signage to the Mill Street side. The choice of another mexican place is dumb, but have no real problem with pickleman’s or insomnia cookies. This changes nothing.
+1
This parking lot has been for sale for the last 5 plus years. If everybody was so concerned why did they wait for this to happen. This is private property and as much as any of us don’t like it he is perfectly entitled to develop it. We live in a capitalist society and this is the way it works.
The real villain / idiot is Brent Lambie. He bought Westport Square from Weltner but didn’t have the brains to realize that buying this lot (which was part of the package) was important to protect Westport (and his investment). If Westport Square tenants are hurt by this, the value of Brent Lambie’s investment will be less than it would have been. Selling Westport Square someday with no parking will not be easy. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING AND IF THEY DIDN’T SHAME ON THEM.
I’m with you, Strav
the man makes sense. This could have been fixed back then. Now its a nightmare.
glaze knows this area better than anyone..
if he says its a “nightmare” it s going to be one…
and the woman is right…what happens during
construction? Westport road is basically closed
down for what 4-5 months or more?
the area will survive…but at what cost?
Unfresh does not allow parking on the weekends to anyone not going the the store. They have attendants and the fear of a tow would make me abide.
Wait a second. In 2015, people still go to Westport? Even if there are safer bar alternatives that are closer in your local suburb? That I may ad is away from the Black Plague???
Sigh…what a bunch of rubes.
Stay in your basement. Don’t you dare got to westport!
Yes that lot has a ton of events. But I have noticed most everyone who complains about parking is at least 50lbs overweight. STFU and take a cab if your cankles can’t take it. I have never had an issue with parking either place even on two nights of sold out shows at both the Midland and Sprint Center and I show up 10 minutes late. If you don’t want to pay for parking, then you are too cheap and/or broke and probably got your event tickets from calling into a radio station. Either way, you don’t have any business being out at night with the rest of us who actually have money and want to enjoy an evening downtown or in Westport.
Somebody say Port Fonda? Port Fonda sucks ass. They were great in the trailer downtown. Now you can’t hear anything in the place when it’s loaded up with old people who think it’s wonderful. Take a page from the remodel of District Pour House and install some sound dampeners between the ceiling joists. LOL Port Fonda for a while only had pork on the menu – like trying to scare off both the Halal hunters as well as the kids from Mt. Zion – “THOSE PEOPLE” like Glaze didn’t say. That appears to have changed as I see more meat choices now so maybe they suck less. I’ll have to rush right out and try the chicken as I was GODDAMN sick of having somebody else shove pork down my dates’ throats. LOL And speaking of Glaze, I see Port is serving lengua so all your mustache riders can go there to get their dose of tongue since you left Westport.
-Brosun