Kansas City News Blog

Photo by Peter Rugg

P&L cops cast out a white T wearer

Poetic justice has emerged in the long, often tedious debate about the dress code at the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City.

Acting on complaints the ban on long white T's and chains discriminates against African-Americans, the City Council took a step this week to regulate how the Cordish Co. regulates its customers. Terry Riley's Planning and Zoning Committee passed an ordinance on Wednesday limiting the reach of dress codes in places that benefit from taxpayer assistance.

Councilwoman Beth Gottstein made the point that the new rules apply to all redevelopment districts. But clearly, the ordinance was designed with one redevelopment area in mind.

Cordish can't complain too much about being singled out, however. The company sought special treatment when the entertainment district was in the planning stages.    

In 2005, Cordish asked Missouri lawmakers to pass legislation making drinks portable within certain entertainment districts. The law was written in such a way that only the Power & Light District qualified for the exemption.

Cordish fought to protect the exemption when, last year, merchants in Westport and other neighborhoods lobbied for the same freedoms during "festival" events.

Today, Cordish finds that special attention doesn't wear so well. The full council votes on the prohibitions on P&L's prohibitions next week.

Getting the ordinance out of committee took some doing, in no small part because the ordinance is, essentially, a double negative. During Wednesday's meeting, Councilman Ed Ford instigated a gouge-out-your-eyes-boring discussion about whether the ban on T-shirt bans prevented merchants from giving the heave-ho to douche bags who feel the need to emblazon their torsos with profane or inappropriate language. Wording was inserted expressly allowing businesses to discriminate against guys wearing "I fucking love to cuddle" shirts.