Kansas City Forgets BLM Riots As Plaza Stores Shut Down?!?

This week there has been continued conversation regarding the worsening fate of the Country Club Plaza as this iconic Kansas City institution continues to suffer economic FAIL.

One of the most important things we've noticed . . .

Local media seems quick to blame management and forget the very recent past.

Here's an example . . .

The Plaza is currently owned by two separate real estate firms: Macerich, a real estate investment trust, based in California, and Taubman Centers, based in Michigan.

“The disconnect is between two and three different companies, and each part of that company is doing a different portion, and the arms and legs are not working together,” Chrysalyn Huff, co-owner of RE:, a home goods store said.

Huff also said that the Plaza management has made cuts to weekend maintenance staff, which has negatively impacted business.

Ownership of the Plaza declined to appear on Up To Date, but in a story this month for Flatland, Taubman provided this comment: "The truth is, the plaza successfully met the challenges faced by the changing retail environment and the pandemic head-on. It is strong and is well-positioned to thrive.”

Huff and Enders both said the future of the Plaza is promising, and that customers are looking for that marriage of local businesses and big brands.

We don't contradict this conclusion but there's something else that needs to be part of the discussion. 

KANSAS CITY MSM PAINFULLY OMIT ANY MENTION OF RIOTS/UPRISINGS/LOOTING/PROTEST AMID THE SUMMER OF 2020!!!

Call it whatever you want . . . What's not up for debate is that racially charged violence cost MILLIONS worth of damage and likely chased people away from the entertainment district for good.

Meanwhile . . . 

The MSM line is to blame only COVID or the rise of Amazon.com.

Meanwhile, local media has merely chronicled the retail exodus over the past two years.

A TKC confessional . . .

Over more than a decade of covering the Plaza we once believed that youth "flash mobs" were the cause of so much trouble . . . We were sadly mistaken. 

The downward spiral of the Plaza was sparked by violence in the name of "social justice" that burned cars, fought police and killed a local photographer. 

What's even worse is that rather than providing any leadership . . .

Mayor Q joined protests that turned violent after dark and shouted "no justice, no peace" against local law enforcement who didn't have anything to do with the horrific murder of George Floyd. 

Any objective witness who has the best interests of Kansas City heart would view this action as irresponsible, amateurish and unforgivable.

Sadly . . .

All of these concerns have been forgotten and disregarded by local journalists in their coverage of the Country Club Plaza and its continued demise.

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

Why are so many stores closing in Country Club Plaza?

A string of recent store closures on the Country Club Plaza has some local business owners concerned about the future of the shopping district. Over the past year, nearly a dozen stores, including national chains and local independent shops, have left the Plaza.

You decide . . .