Our blog community called this one earlier in the year and now we're claiming today's announcement as our own . . .
To wit . . .
DESPITE HYPE AND FAKE NEWS, UMKC GIVES UP THE DOWNTOWN DREAM OF A CONSERVATORY!!!
Urban core cheerleaders and paid hype-men were pushing this one and even claimed a new chance after the sancho Guv was taken down.
Alas . . . These prancing students will never call downtown home.
Check the confirmation of our 1st news . . .
The seven-year CRUSADE to bring the UMKC Conservatory of Music to downtown Kansas City officially ended today as university officials rejected any downtown location.
Chancellor C. Mauli Agrawal said UMKC will only consider sites either on the Volker Campus or within a 2.5 mile radius in the next round of considering proposals.
“This decision has been driven by extensive conversations with our Music, Dance and Theatre faculty, most of whom felt strongly that proximity to the Volker campus must be an essential element of the new facility,” Agrawal said in his statement.
“With that decision made, we can now move forward with a sharper focus to our planning and decision-making.”
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Developing . .
I'm sorry that this plan didn't work, but I'm not surprised. It took way too long to line up financial support, even though Dean Witte made a huge effort. I hope they can find a better location for the Conservatory.
ReplyDeleteNo need for the Streetcar extension to UMKC now. Maybe the students will learn how to use the bus system.
ReplyDeleteGreedy, mooching, second rate school.
ReplyDeleteYou’re being way too generous. Third rate school at best.
DeleteGovernor Parson is more interested in fixing highways and appropriately addressing the school system in the state.
ReplyDeleteLooking after actual state government responsibilities!
What a concept!
These folks should go see if the Helzbergs and Kauffmans have a few million around they want to throw in the pot.
Keeping the conservatory out of downtown is momentum and moving forward.
ReplyDeleteWhere will the future unemployed artsy fartsy get their degrees ? High there is a shortage of construction workers, how about building an education building that has a real purpose ?
ReplyDeletein other words, the faculty refused to go downtown, hassle with parking, dragging their instruments and their props and costumes around. One would think management would have asked them, seven years ago, "If we build it, will you come?"
ReplyDeleteThere's plenty of land and vacant buildings on Troost near UMKC that could be used for future development.
ReplyDelete^^^^^^^^^^ Lol. That would make sense but we don't want our ballerinas to go missing.
ReplyDeletelet's hope it happens and is contiguous to the campus.
ReplyDeleteit'll be one more element propelling umkc forward.
This is another bad decision by UMKC among others, like not changing their name to the University of Kansas City several years ago. There's many other poor decisions UMKC has made and none seem too significant, but over time they add up to a school that has little identity.
ReplyDeleteThe most successful school at UMKC is based downtown, the dental school. The conservatory downtown would have been a statement that UMKC is serious about the arts, but that is not the case and they'd rather move to a renovated westport middle school across the street from the Fast Stop on 39th street.