Latest news with #DowntownCouncil
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some Kansas City leaders back emergency jail plan amid crime surge
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City leaders say enough is enough. After another weekend of chaos — from ATVs and dirt bikes flooding city streets to a juvenile reportedly pointing a gun at officers — pressure is mounting for a quick solution to what some had called lawlessness. Multiple arrests after KCPD crackdown on street racing, sideshows and ATVs 'We're fighting not only for your livelihood, for your family, but for the investments you've made — and it is so fixable. We can fix this,' said Sean O'Byrne, vice president of the Downtown Council. Despite a more visible police presence this weekend, concerns remain. That increased enforcement came just days after FOX4's weeklong coverage on the state of public safety — or what many argue is a lack thereof — in Kansas City, Missouri. Now, some city leaders believe they've found a stopgap solution. A temporary jail that could be built in under six months. Kansas City hasn't had its own jail since 2009. A long-term facility is in the works — but construction isn't set to begin until next year, and completion could still be several years Councilman Wes Rogers and Sean O'Byrne, that's too long to wait. Their proposal? A modular jail — a facility that could be built in as little as four to five months. 'We didn't fall into this situation — we got into this situation,' O'Byrne said. 'We're going to change the dynamic and we're going to make things different.' This modular facility Rodgers is proposing already has the support of six colleagues, which makes up seven of the thirteen council members, would offer Kansas City an immediate holding option while the permanent structure is built. 'We don't have a jail. People know we don't have a jail. It's causing problems that could be solved,' Rogers said. 'So we've got to do something in the meantime before the final jail gets built.' Rogers, a first-term councilman and former state prosecutor, points out that the city is spending over $5 million a year transporting inmates to Nevada and Johnson County. He says that model no longer makes financial or logistical sense — especially with crime trending upward and the World Cup set to arrive in Kansas City in just a few years. 'Constitutional rights are important, and Kansas City is not going to do anything that intentionally violates somebody's rights — it will be humane,' Rogers added, addressing concerns over inmate conditions. Downtown businesses aren't staying silent. O'Byrne says local companies are committed to Kansas City — but they need help. 'We're at an inflection point and that inflection point needs attention,' O'Byrne said. The first step in making the modular jail a reality happens on Tuesday, when the plan is introduced in the City Council's Finance Committee. Jackson County legislators to discuss penalties for off-road vehicles With seven council members already supporting it, this temporary solution may arrive faster than many thought possible. Stay with FOX4 as we continue to follow this developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
KC Downtown Council calls for increased effort in stadium border war
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Downtown Council has made its push to try to get the Kansas City Royals downtown in a new stadium. , it called for the city to work with the team and 'other political jurisdictions' on a downtown stadium. One of the reasons the council believes this issue is important is that Kansas is also trying to get the Royals to cross the state line. 'The State of Kansas is aggressively pursuing the Royals by offering a generous incentives package of STAR bonds,' part of the post read. 'We cannot ignore this very real competition.' Ragans redeems, Caglianone homers again in Cactus League Cubs rematch The Royals wouldn't comment on the council's post. 'Yeah,' Downtown Council Chairman Gib Kerr said when asked if Kansas scares him. 'Kansas is making a hard run at the Royals and the Chiefs for that matter. The STAR Bonds are a very powerful incentive, and there are multiple sites in Kansas that could accommodate the Royals and the Chiefs, and we have to take that seriously.' Friday, Kansas Republican House Majority Leader Chris Croft from Overland Park told FOX4 that Kansas leaders were working every day on this issue. 'You know, there's been people saying this is a border war,' Croft said. 'There's no border war on this thing. When Missouri went first in process, and they had troubles getting that, we wanted to make sure that those teams knew that we wanted to keep them in this area.' Because the city's supposed to be taking the lead on the Royals stadium, the question becomes whether there would need to be a vote of the people if the Royals go to Washington Square Park, a Kansas City Parks & Recreation property just east of Union Station. 'Yeah, whether it's the city or the parks department, that's yet to be determined, but my understanding is that the city or the parks department could enter into a long-term ground lease without having to go to a public vote,' Kerr said when asked if the parks department could own the property where a new Royals baseball stadium sits. Six bold predictions for the Kansas City Royals in 2025 Friday, Kerr added a ballpark downtown would be iconic. 'Especially if it's surrounded by major cultural landmarks like Union Station, Crown Center, the World War I Museum, and of course being on the streetcar line which is going to connect the river all the way to the Plaza and all the major cultural institutions along the way,' he said. At the Royals Rally in February, Chairman John Sherman said it was the team's objective to talk more about the stadium in the middle of the year, meaning the end of June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
