City officials scout potential sites for financial black hole

Mayor Mark Funkhouser is skeptical that Kansas City can afford to subsidize a 1,000-room conventional hotel. But that didn’t stop a group of city officials from sizing up prospective sites for such a behemoth.

On Wednesday, Councilman Ed Ford and HNTB architect Todd Achelpohl led a tour of the blocks surrounding Bartle Hall. Eight potential sites, including Barney Allis Plaza, have been identified as potential sites for the hotel, which tourism officials say is needed to maximize the city’s already sizable investment in convention assets.

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