Crossroads Already Hates New Downtown Kansas City Royals Stadium

First let's start with worthwhile economic perspective that shouldn't be overlooked . . .

Sports economist Victor Matheson is a professor at the College of Holy Cross and has thoughts on the Royals proposition.

“This is not an uncommon fight at all, it’s a total unfair fight for the taxpayers,” Matheson said. “This is totally a power move, as we see again and again and again, pro-sports franchises are terrible corporate citizens in almost any city they are in. Normal businesses pay taxes (to the) government to provide services, business needs, and sports teams think that should be the opposite.”

Matheson said subsidies to teams are typically not popular among taxpayers.

"Even though some legislators think they are popular, they find out the actual taxpayers are not nearly as happy to hand over their hard earned tax dollars to millionaire players and billionaire owners," he said.

And then, here's an important sentiment from the Crossroads that might resonate more than local leaders realize given that this community is comprised of very influential people with social networks that extend across the metro and the nation . . . 

After hearing the owners of the old KC Star building might offer their space to the Royals, Crossroads biz owner Matt Adkins worries they’ll only have room if they demolish neighboring blocks where his business sits now.

“To put a stadium in this neighborhood would destroy this neighborhood as far as the culture built down here for the last 25 years,” Adkins said. “It’s going to displace so many businesses and neighbors.”

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

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A timeline of what's happened so far in the Royals new stadium push

It's been a long and winding road

Developing . . .