((This post is taken from some of Laura’s social media comments on the subject and we felt as a team that it represented our position well. So we are reposting it here to share with all of you.))
Ok. For those of us who work and/or live in the Crossroads the past several weeks have been a constant non-stop discussion about the stadium and hustling to advocate for our community. In a friend's post I addressed someone's "Vote Yes" when he claimed that P&L is what made the Crossroads... I kinda snapped and responded. So here is my stance as someone who has lived in KC my entire life, and spent a good majority of it working in some capacity or another within the Crossroads Arts District: (TLDR: Vote NO)
"I am so sorry. But every time there is a large Chiefs or Royals related event... all of the small businesses in the Crossroads suffer. Power and Light did NOT "revitalize" the area... it has been a problem in the community since it's been here and is a failing business model... it contains only non-local businesses itself and has filed bankruptcy multiple years in a row. If stadiums "revitalize" the city they are in... then why is the area around the current stadiums not thriving? Displacing businesses IS displacing people. Large corporations are oblivious to the realities of artists, small businesses, and the service industry. Relocating is MORE than just getting a new location and a few thousand to keep quiet. We all have worked decades to create this ARTS district. The Crossroads ARTS district is what has put KC in the national spotlight for well over a decade now. Parking IS going to be a problem. We will all lose clients and customers because of no parking. And their survey of 30,000 parking spots is insane. All of us who live and work down here can tell you that parking is hairy on even an AVERAGE weekend night. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE listen to the people who actually live here and work in LOCAL KC businesses that this is not ok. I love the Royals... but they don't need to steal our already thriving district out from under our feet.
P&L opened the end of 2007... this district has been building and developing an identity for way longer than that. People who go to P&L are not really the same crowd that support and shop the Crossroads. A good number of the clientele for the small businesses actively avoid the P&L area as they come into the district. They tell us this. Often. People who go to P&L tend to stay within that section which means their money is going to non-locally owned businesses. Baseball fans when going to a game will go to the game. They aren't also going to get brunch, have their nails done, shop for jewelry and lingerie, or visit galleries. They will go to the game, eat and drink either within the stadium, go home. Perspective of those on the ground working here every day without the extra-resources of owning land and buildings with which to bargain... our livelihoods are on the line. They truly are. Not to mention the beautiful culture and community we have worked hard to develop and build to what it is now and what we hope to continue to nurture within our community as a whole. Our historic buildings are beautiful. Our small grassroots unique businesses are beautiful. We are a hometown with heart and we do love our Royals history as well... they need to try a DIFFERENT less disruptive space and the finances need to be really reevaluated because the numbers do not work in the community's benefit at all." - Laura Pensar
