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It’s one thing to hear it from a politician, quite another from straight-talking Crossroads artist and community leader Peregrine Honig.
“I think what’s great about the Power & Light is they really are bringing a lot of people downtown,” Honig says. “I mean, I’ve already spent a lot of money there — I’ve been bowling, and I tried the burger place. I mean it feels a little like a mall, an adult entertainment arcade. And I will say they’re cookie-cutter. I’ll tell you what it’s good for: the people who want to experience chains. And we like to compete.”
That via Honig’s lingerie, swimwear and fashion boutique, Birdies.
“We’re actually doing better because they’re not very day-oriented,” Honig says of P&L. “I mean, who bowls during the day? And you don’t really see people walking around with shopping bags down there because there’s nowhere to shop.”
The Power & Light has failed so far to deliver on its promised retail component. Anyone see a Kate Spade there?
“I don’t think that many small stores that have fresh faces can afford the overhead, maybe,” Honig ventures.
Which reminds Honig of another downtown missing link.
“There’s just so many people living down here now, and there’s nowhere to buy groceries,” she says. “It would just be nice to have a place to buy local food. It doesn’t need to be some huge, crazy conglomerate thing.”
And while it’s nice to see everybody hopping on the eco bandwagon, “I think there’s a certain amount of commercialization of green products,” Honig says. “I mean, there’s a lot of (B.S.) going on with massive companies marketing massive products as green. But if you buy your food and produce locally you’re saving a lot of gas and labor. Like, I buy Shatto milk, and I love the glass bottles.”
That brings us to Clay Chastain’s missing-in-action light-rail plan.
“Where’s my public transportation, that’s what I want to know,” Honig says. “I voted for that. Where are my gondolas? Why did they take my gondolas away? I want a railway. I want light rail.”
Like most light-rail experts, and KC Mayor Mark Funkhouser and Chastain, Honig recognizes the city needs to start with an actual light-rail spine rather than cheaping out with streetcars.
“You need a basic system, then the buses and streetcars act as conductors for that system,” Honig says. “We have so much to offer people from the suburbs here, but nobody wants to spend the money on gas anymore.”
The current state of First Fridays?
“It’s actually back in full bloom after winter had it boxed in for what felt like a year,” Honig says. “It’s always nice to have new people (downtown). Yeah, last First Friday was rocking.”
Any complaints?
“Yeah, I want my street fixed,” Honig says. “Look at the sidewalk. They went and did all these repairs two years ago, and then it all got un-level. My customers wear high heels, you know.”
Little help?
As Crossroads merchants brace for the eighth annual West 18th Street Fashion Show — themed Summer at Sea — on June 14, they are busy raising funds for next year and beyond.
“We’re building a lid, a removable lid over the street for the fashion show,” Honig says. “It’s going to be 100 feet long and lighted. It’s going to be very expensive, but it will be amazing. But we’re going to need a lot of help to make it happen.”
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