TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! A Talk with P&L District Chief Operating Officer Kevin Battle!!!

I knew that Chief Operating Officer of the P&L District Kevin Battle was serious about improving the image of P&L District when he sought me out and worked with me to set up an interview to discuss all things Cordish and Kansas City.

Walking into the posh offices atop Town Pavilion it was clear to me that this is where more important people than TKC make decisions which impact folks on the streets below.

The most important thing that came out of this meeting for TKC readers is greater access to workers within the P&L District to fact check posts. Mr. Battle agreed that the upcoming NAACP meeting and protests efforts that are underway represent some unique challenges and opportunities for the District. On the topic of ongoing discrimination complaints made in the context of planned protests, Mr. Battle called the accusations "baseless."

Most importantly, Mr. Battle didn't back down from previous statements that he plans for the P&L District to extend its help to the NAACP as a major "supporter and host" to the upcoming National Convention. In fact, Mr. Battle confirmed that he had purchased an entire table (a pricey prospect) at a recent NAACP event and has further and developing sponsorship opportunities in mind. However, to put the move in perspective Mr. Battle reminded me that the P&L District makes the same kind of outreach efforts to a great many of Kansas City's diverse communities. Considering that the upcoming NAACP convention is going to be right next door at The Sprint Center, it simply doesn't make sense to think that the P&L District wouldn't take some sponsorship role . . . Local NAACP President Anita Russell can gripe all she wants about my wording but I've fact checked this sponsorship question twice now . . . And that's twice the work I put into most of the posts on this blog. Simply opening up her books and the books of National and other local NAACP orgs would be a lot more convincing than her rhetoric on the matter.

Mr. Battle and I simply disagreed on a recent lawsuit of the Missouri Human Rights Commission. The Chief Operating Officer didn't seem to get the seriousness of the move and explained it as a matter of a dispute over the "process" of complaints whereas I think that any attack from a party place against an organization facilitating Human Rights is unacceptable.

During the conversation it was clear that Mr. Battle was a rather brilliant guy who has an impressive command of the issues facing the P&L District. He touted the upcoming P&L Garment District and a few new stores in order to speak to concerns about local participation.

On the question of this year's $12 million subsidy from Kansas City, Missouri Taxpayers Mr. Battle was quick to remind me that a great deal of the initial $300 million deal to establish the District went to infrastructure improvements that not only benefit the P&L District but also downtown KC. Despite my nitpicking about nearby restaurant closings, undue influence over the affairs of local politicos, government subsidized entertainment and lingering doubts about any real progress to change public perception regarding dress code discrimination . . . Mr. Battle remained steadfast in his opinion that the P&L District was a boon for The Downtown area along with a top advocate for all things inside the loop. Mr. Battle blamed a great deal of any financial hardships on the recession but pointed toward progress to archive profits while viewing the KC subsidy as an overall investment in Downtown.

We ended the conversation with talk about the future for the P&L District. I've always been of the opinion that all entertainment venues have a short lifespan and the fickle party-going crowd isn't dependable for consistent revenues. Mr. Battle quickly offered a catchphrase that he has obviously put a lot of thought into . . . He spoke of his long term goal of making the P&L District "not just a destination but a tradition." It sounded like the perfect PR pitch but I was actually impressed that Mr. Battle has given that much thought to the long term destiny of the P&L District.

All things considered, it was a productive meeting if only to get a quick glimpse of the folks on the other side of one of the most controversial entertainment venues in all of Kansas City. I expect to write more things bashing the P&L District in the future but I'm also glad to have another source for fact checking . . . This year may prove crucial for Kansas City's priciest party investment and we'll see if they will be able to successfully deal with ongoing concerns under what could be a national spotlight.

Developing . . .