City Council Recap: All Eyes on Titus Bond

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Developer/Entrepreneur, Titus Bond Makes Bold Propositions to Advance Downtown Properties

Monday, October 3, 2022 – Tension was high a the City Council Meeting last Monday when developer/entrepreneur, Titus Bond stepped up to the podium to present plans to move forward with renovations at the old Roosevelt School Gymnasium which he intends to use to house a minor league basketball team, the Excelsior Springs Scream. The Excelsior Springs Planning and Zoning Commission had voted to make a recommendation to the Council to approve the special use permit for Mr. Bond’s company, Forward Excelsior LLC, to utilize the facilities in late September, but the City Council still needed to approve the plans.

The key sticking point of the plan seemed to be in regard to parking. Bond, who has already begun promoting the Excelsior Springs Scream, touts a crowd capacity for Roosevelt of 200 spectators. Council members brought up the fact that the planned renovations proposed by the Planning and Zoning Commission specify only 22 parking spots. Councilwoman Sonya Morgan said she had spoken with residents living in the area who had concerns about the potential impact of traffic and parking in the neighborhood surrounding Roosevelt. She went on to suggest tabling the discussion until evidence of a plan for parking could be reviewed.

F.D. Roosevelt Field 10/09/2022 (photo S Jason Cole).

Mr. Bond has purchased several properties in Excelsior Springs including the Roosevelt Football Field/Stadium, the Royal Hotel, Paradise Playhouse, the Excelsior Springs Standard’s old headquarters on Thompson, and during this meeting he revealed he had purchased the Spa View property just north of downtown. He claimed tabling the proposal for this permit would result in the collapse of the development of his other properties.

“If you table the discussion, I can’t go spend money on the parking lot. Which means I’m not going to be able to have games there… It means Paradise Playhouse isn’t going to open up because I don’t have another traffic source for another entertainment venue. It means locks will go on the gate to the Royal Hotel because I won’t have the scale to bring people into the community. And you have to hit it with scale and right now. No one else is doing it,” said Bond. Bond said the success of this project will allow him to open Paradise Playhouse by early December and 17 Thompson (Old Standard Building) by mid-March.

Council members expressed concern about the overall timing of the Roosevelt project. Councilman Mark Spohn said, “So you’ve talked with [the City’s Economic Developer] about our requirements for parking… Can you make that happen in 45 days?” Bond indicated his confidence stating, “I’ve done more in less time…” Bond also said he didn’t believe there was any real concern regarding parking from the residents in the neighborhood. “I’ve knocked on those doors, I’ve talked to them, and they invite me in for coffee. And, I find it hard to believe that there’s an overwhelming consensus of concern. I don’t even think they would be concerned if there wasn’t a parking lot. I think they’d be telling people to park in their driveways and selling them hot chocolate after the games,” he boasted.

Bond backtracked at one point saying, “I don’t know if we’re gonna get [the parking lot] done in 45 days, I mean, we got the lighting plan done today, so…” Spohn abruptly asked, “So do you have an alternative plan to relocate those games somewhere until that happens so that you can get occupancy?” Bond, “Uhh… I don’t know.” Spohn, “Because that would probably have to happen.” Bond, “We’ll see how the conversations with the city go on the parking.”

The conversation turned to the previous approval of planning and zoning and recommendations by city staff and employees. Mayor Sharon Powell stated, “at some point, we have to trust that our staff would be working with him. And if things are not as they should be, they would stop the work.” A vote was taken and an ordinance approving a special use permit for the commercial rental of the old Roosevelt High School gymnasium for public events was approved unanimously.

Now the Council and the community wait to see if Mr. Bond can fulfill his promises.

Watch the full video above to see more of the interaction, including Mr. Bond’s implication that he will be building the world’s longest putt-putt golf hole on Spa View Hill.


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2 thoughts on “City Council Recap: All Eyes on Titus Bond”

  1. In all the decades Roosevelt School was operational, and with all the plays, football games, graduations, school functions of all kinds, there were never the parking concerns the council is bringing to light.
    Nothing has changed in that whole neighborhood in all those many years and I do not understand why the council cannot get behind a positive venture such as this.
    The many comments voiced all the time that “there is nothing to do in this town”, here are the opportunities for new blood, money and activities.
    LET’S GET BEHIND THIS AS A WHOLE COMMUNITY!

  2. I agree with the Council on the issue of parking. Downtown already needs more parking for local events like parades, Chamber events, DEP events, local restaurants need more parking for their customers. We need more parking within walking distance of Downtown before we think about adding more traffic.

    I own a house Downtown – no one i know on my street has ever said – Oh yeah park in my driveway. Im constantly telling random people I need at least infront of my house to park. My lot is not large enough for two cars or a garage so I have to park one car in the street. I dont want to fight for my parking spot when I get home.

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