Under the leadership of Mayor Kay Barnes, Kansas City provides tax incentives to just about any developer who can count his toes. In many cases -- say, bringing Kohl's to the Northland -- those subsidies hardly seem justified. But every once in a while, the city helps out a worthy cause. Case in point: the restoration of the President, a 14-story hotel that originally opened in 1926 and hosted everything from a Republican National Convention to Bob Dylan. Shuttered for a generation, the Hilton President returned last winter as a lush boutique hotel; the ornate detail in the lobby speaks to a time before modernism made the public realm such a cold place. Tax-supported bonds paid for a portion of the $45 million restoration, which was opposed by some city leaders and nearly didn't happen when developer Ron Jury's financing fell through. The project survived. Now locals and conventioneers alike can enjoy drinks and live music in the hotel's Drum Room. The city is still too generous, but this handout at least makes the town stand out a little.
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