Some Crossroads businesses could find new homes inside new Royals stadium
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals released commitments to the Crossroads Saturday, the neighborhood the team has chosen for its stadium location.
One of them includes opportunities for locally owned businesses to lease space within the stadium.
Chiefs, Royals critical of Frank White in new letter
Kansas City Royals Vice President Brooks Sherman and Chief Commercial and Community Impact Officer Sarah Tourville were in the Crossroads Monday. meeting individually with businesses that would be displaced if the Royals build a downtown stadium surrounding the old Kansas City Star building.
Mercy Seat Tattoo owner Chet Duvenci had his meeting with the team last week.
“There was no hard numbers. No real offers. I showed up to the meeting kind of wondering what they were going to offer for us, since they are trying to move into our neighborhood and move us out. They had a lot of general statements but no specifics,” Duvenci said.
The Crossroads Community Association says its been working with the team to get specific and measurable commitments. It hopes to have those commitments signed by both sides by the day of the special election April 2.
The Royals outlined some of those yet to be fully agreed upon commitments over the weekend, including support for small businesses and entrepreneurs, construction mitigation programs, traffic management, support of public art and forming a Crossroads Community Improvement District.
“The key point is protecting the small businesses that are affected both directly in the footprint of the stadium here and during construction and all the other impacts,” David Johnson, Crossroads Community Association Board Member, said.
The Royals also say they’ll provide opportunities for locally owned businesses to lease space within the stadium and surrounding development at reduced lease pricing.
Longtime Chiefs cheerleader dies after childbirth
The CCA says it wants a firm number of at least 20 percent of available space. Like the Crossroads Community Association, the tattoo parlor says it’s waiting to see that commitment in ink.
“We have not been offered any space inside the baseball stadium if they are offering 20 percent of space to local businesses we have not been made aware of that whatsoever. I’ve never seen a tattoo shop inside a stadium, but maybe it would be great,” Duvenci smiled.
