Developer David Cornish’s business model involves large-scale development around sporting facilities — a business model that’s worked in some cities. But he has harsh words for Kansas City officials over the dearth of events scheduled at Sprint Center.
Developer David Cornish’s business model involves large-scale development around sporting facilities — a business model that’s worked in some cities. But he has harsh words for Kansas City officials over the dearth of events scheduled at Sprint Center.
Cordish is the developer of the Power & Light District retail and entertainment complex in downtown Kansas City. The complex, quite honestly is struggling: it’s failed to attract many retailers, and it doesn’t sound like more are on the way. Cordish lays the blame at the feet of Sprint Center failing to provide major sports tenants for the facility.
"The words ‘gross negligence’ and ‘pitiful’ come to mind," wrote Cordish in a letter to Mayor Mayor Mark Funkhouser. "The arena is a disaster because it has virtually no events and no professional basketball or ice hockey team. … How long will it be before the media and the voters realize the underutilization of the arena?" In a follow-up letter he said tenants were interested in leases but were scared off by light-rail development in the area.
The complaints from Cordish comes after arena manager AEG expressed great pleasure with how Sprint Center was performing, with 140 events held since the arena’s opening, attracting 1.3 million visitors to downtown Kansas City.
