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Jun
20
The gift that keeps on giving
June 20, 2008 |
No, it’s not The Clap, it’s The Cordish. As in the Power & Light District developer the Cordish Company. We begged the Cordish Company to help us revitalize Downtown, and some days it seems like we might have made a deal with the devil. The gifts have ranged from record-setting tax breaks to delayed openings to diverted bus routes to competitive advantages over local businesses to special liquor laws. The latest gift courtesy of the boys from Baltimore is a racist dress code.
Cordish is certainly not alone among shopping center owners in banning hip hop fashion as a way to cut down on gangsta conflict, but their Kansas City dress code seems to be especially harsh. I’ve been known to pop over to my Midtown Chipotle in a white t-shirt for a quick burrito, but doing that Downtown would get turned away from the Chipotle in the P&L District.
Comments
15 Comments so far
great blogger. keep rehashing the 5, 6 and 10 PM news.
Cordish and P&L is taking this city to the cleaners and will likely close several local businesses.
It astounds me that Kay Barnes never thought to put together a group of local business people to build something that said KC and benefited the people who helped build it.
As we have seen Cordish will compete on all levels to win. Politically as they did with Westport this spring in the State Legislature and comercially as we have seen them do with the Crossroads and other local venues.
They will use their deep pockets and PR muscle to out market everyone in the area.
I fail to see what’s racist about expecting people to dress with a little self respect before entering a PRIVATE area.
So why is this different from the City Council prohibiting a LEGAL product (cigarettes) from privately-owned businesses?
The dress code is for the KC Live area, which if you aren’t dressed to go out and look good, then don’t go, I don’t want you there ruining the view. If you’re going to Chipotle, then the dress code won’t matter. If thugs didn’t act like thugs, then what they wore wouldn’t matter. I mean look at guys in suits, only 400 of them are being arrested this week by the FBI for $billions in mortgage fraud. Safe crime is good, everyone lives even if they’re living on the streets. : )
“Cordish and P&L is taking this city to the cleaners and will likely close several local businesses”
Pluuzzzeeeh. They are a BUSINESS and are supposed to make MONEY. This is not Bolivia (yet). If any businesses close, it’s because THEY failed.
This story made me so mad in the Star today. If the rule isn’t being enforced totally, then that’s wrong and a seperate issue. But all these people who will run for Mayor (”Airline Friendly” Reilly, “Let’s Bulldoze East Plaza” Gottstein”) are crying racism. The rules themselves are fine. It’s a PRIVATE place not a post office or city hall. What about the hip hop clubs in the city that enforce the same rules???
It might be a racist dress code, but so what? It will keep P&L from turning into Deathport for a while. If I want to get shot or raped, Westport is it. If I want to have a good time away from ghetto d-bags, P&L.
Last time I checked, anyone can buy a white t-shirt. How can a dress code be racist? Dress with a little class or stay away. And if you do come, spend some money, that’s why it’s called a BUSINESS.
The problem isn’t the dress code; it’s the fact that it isn’t being enforced fairly and evenly that is causing most of the problems.
I’ve visited P&L repeatedly since it opened. I can’t give you exact numbers, but it’s a minimum of 1-2 times per week for the past two months — sometimes to walk around and have a beer, other times to watch a ballgame. Sometimes, I’ve walked in with rather long cargo shorts; other times, a plain white T-shirt underneath an untucked button-down shirt; other times, wearing a baseball jersey or football jersey. I haven’t been denied access; at worst, the goon in front of the place has looked me over once or twice and then waved me through. At the same time, I’ve seen people with similar attire (if not people dressed better than myself) either given an extremely hard time or refused service altogether.
I’m 26 and white. The people who I’ve seen being refused service are, judging by their looks, in the same age range … and they’re NOT white — none of them. When that’s happened, I’ve asked for my bill, paid and left without giving a tip, and I’ve explained to the server and/or host that I won’t give my business to a place that doesn’t treat people fairly. I’ve encountered this at Tengo Sed, Vinino, McFadden’s and Lucky Strike. I haven’t had this occur at Ted’s, Biersch or Raglan Road. Those three places will get my money. The first four won’t.
Like I said, it’s not the dress code itself that’s racist. It’s the racist a-holes masquerading as “security guards” who like to act as judge and jury that make it a problem.
Most security people have an instinct for who is out for the right reasons. Just because the people who were denied access weren’t white doesn’t automatically make the security force racist.
“Instinct”?
HAHAHAHA
Listen, whether or not you think people are thugs based on their attire doesn’t matter. If you pay taxes, you should be allowed access into KCPL because you helped pay for it.
The only requirement for getting into KCPL should be your IRS refund stub.
Sorry, obvious douchebag troublemakers don’t make the cut…I highly doubt that those rejected are “honest taxpayers”…are YOU willing to have them redirected to YOUR house to party instead?
Who’s talking about house parties? We’re talkign about an entertainment district that is supposed to be for everyone.
It’s much easier to turn potential troublemakers away than to force them out. It’s a public safety issue.
Actually, your claim that the dress code is “racist” is itself a racist comment because it presupposes that all and only the members of a particular ethnic group dress a certain way (i.e. all black people where big baggy white t-shirts and sag their pants).
I’m a white guy, and I’m sure if I tried to enter the P&L District the other night wearing a plain white t-shirt the security guy (who was black, by the way) would have turned me away. So please spare us your lame and unintelligent accusations of racism.