Businesses in proposed Royals stadium footprint worried about future
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s been a series of anxiety-ridden sleepless nights for business owners within the footprint of the Kansas City Royals’ new stadium.
On Tuesday, those fears were confirmed for people operating within the ballpark’s newly proposed boundaries in the Crossroads District.
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Quite a few businesses lie east of the former Kansas City Star building between Oak and Locust streets.
Under the proposal from the Kansas City Royals, those businesses wouldn’t stay. According to a map of stadium plans, the Royals envision that area for their corporate office, a hotel, and other developments.
Multiple businesses in that area said there was little communication about the announcement, even when they asked direct questions to people in the know.
“A real sentiment of mistrust has developed,” said Jill Cockson, owner of the Chartreuse Saloon.
Cockson said she has spent years building up her business. Now, she feels betrayed because she expected a different location in downtown’s East Village to be selected instead.
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“It makes no sense to me because the East Village is clearly, when you come at it from a community impact perspective, polar opposite,” she said.
“The East Village is pretty much eight vacant lots ready to go, more or less, with very, very minimal community impact — whereas this is a thriving neighborhood that people have been putting back together for decades,” Cockson said.
The Royals announced a new proposed downtown Kansas City baseball park site on February 13, 2024. The Royals announced a new proposed downtown Kansas City baseball park site on February 13, 2024. The Royals announced a new proposed downtown Kansas City baseball park site on February 13, 2024. The Royals announced a new proposed downtown Kansas City baseball park site on February 13, 2024.
Matt Adkins, co-owner of The Pairing Crossroads Wine & Grocery, said he understands the appeal of a downtown stadium but struggles with doing it at the expense of businesses already here.
He worries this will put them out of business.
“I’m stressed, depressed, angry, kind of all the above,” Adkins said.
“It’s pretty much to the point where it’s never not on my mind at this point in time. When I get in bed at time, the last thing I think about before I go to sleep, the first thing in the morning, sometimes in my dreams in between — it’s a lingering nightmare right now,” Adkins said.
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Businesses outside of the stadium’s footprint had a different take on this, expressing hope about the customers it could drive to them.
But for those inside the boundaries, the feeling is opposite. Some have already displayed signs are asking customers to vote against the 3/8th sales tax extension on April 2, seeing that as a potential saving grace.
