Royals, Chiefs mascots and leaders pitch stadium projects to Big 12 fans
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals canvassed outside T-Mobile Center Thursday afternoon, trying to get Jackson County residents to vote yes on Question 1 in the upcoming April 2 election.
If voters say yes, 3/8ths of a cent in sales tax money will continue going to both teams. The Chiefs will use their half of the money to renovate GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Royals will use their half of the sales tax money to help build a new stadium in the East Crossroads.
The Chiefs had KC Wolf and the Royals had Sluggerrr hand out ‘Vote Yes’ stickers for that question.
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“Well Jonathan every conversation matters because whether you live in Jackson County or not, you likely have a friend in Jackson County,” Royals Executive Vice President Sarah Tourville said in an interview with FOX4 Thursday when asked why her employer should come to this event when so many of the people there don’t live in Jackson County. “Reminding people about the passion of these two teams and the strength that they bring to Kansas City’s important to us for both local people that are voters and also indirect people who can influence voters.”
KC Wolf and Sluggerrr were out on Grand hanging out with fans from 4 to 5 p.m. that day. Inside the Power & Light District earlier that afternoon was former Royals Center Fielder and Jackson County resident Brian McRae.
“It’s a subject that hits home because I live downtown,” McRae said in an interview with FOX4 Thursday when asked about the new Royals stadium. “I have friends that have businesses, and I hang out in the Crossroads area quite a bit, and I don’t want to see those places gone.”
McRae told us one of the places he goes to is the Cigar Box. That business would have to move if the Royals move to the East Crossroads. McRae’s not part of the ‘Vote Yes’ campaign, but he did say he plans to vote yes. The same goes for Missouri Democratic U.S. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, who represents the downtown.
“I think many people in the city are of the thought that both the Royals and the Chiefs add significance to our community,” Cleaver said in an interview with FOX4 Thursday outside the College Basketball Experience.
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Royals President of Business Operations Brooks Sherman and Tourville both told us they met with more than a dozen business owners in the East Crossroads Thursday morning. Chartreuse Saloon Owner Jill Cockson hosted the meeting. She leases her building and has encouraged residents to vote no April 2.
“We’re looking at these as an agreement with both of those parties whether that is individually with them and the Royals or whether that’s a three way agreement that includes us all,” Sherman said when asked whether he could foresee the Royals paying a tenant like Cockson and her landlord Matt Abbott separately.
Juan Acosta was doing electrical work at the Record Bar Thursday when FOX4 found him. On the windows of that business were ‘Vote No’ and ‘Save the East Crossroads’ signs. Acosta lives in Jackson County. He plans to vote no.
“I’ve been seeing the ads on TV about the stadium,” he said Thursday. “If I owned a business out here, I wouldn’t want it out here, and from a personal standpoint, I just know the challenges of commuting back and forth, and I do a lot of work around this side of town. It’d be just a huge pain for me personally.”
Late Thursday afternoon, County Executive Frank White asked the Chiefs and the Royals to pay for the April 2 special election. He says it will cost $1 million.
