Kansas City Public Radio Reporting History Of Country Club Plaza Omits BLM Riots

Once again . . . Public radio proves that state-sponsored media with help from donors still can't offer an accurate view of objective local facts. 

We'll stipulate that there are MANY causes for the demise of the Plaza . . . But two weeks of HISTORIC rioting, burned cars, broken windows and boarded up storefronts in 2020 deserve at least a mention when documenting the story of this iconic entertainment district. 

The reality is that protesters shamelessly targeted this district without any regard for the hundreds of centrally located jobs it provided. 

When the smoke cleared . . . There was NOBODY willing to hold rioters accountable and even the KCMO council & prosecutor worked to forgive dozens of people charged during the confrontation.

And so . . . This really we're sharing a report that it's really a history, it's cover-up that hopes to blame middle-class consumers for their own demise . . . Which is fun but not entirely accurate . . .

"Can Kansas City's venerable shopping district hold onto its mix of prestigious national chains and trendy local businesses as it moves into its second century?"

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

At 100, the Country Club Plaza is less full, owned by outsiders and heading into an uncertain future

For a historical deep dive on the Plaza, listen to "100 years of the Plaza" from KCUR's podcast A People's History of Kansas City on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher. Take a walk around Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, and the signs of trouble are inescapable. More than two dozen storefronts are vacant.

Country Club Plaza at 100

Over 100 years, the Country Club Plaza has survived floods, social unrest and protests, and challenging economic climates for its shops, restaurants and storefronts. KCUR's Jacob Martin reports that as the Plaza marks this anniversary, the district is no longer locally owned, stores are closing and a controversial new development is planned to replace a historic church.

You decide . . .