Kansas City is taking action to address vacant storefronts before the FIFA 2026 World Cup arrives, committing $1.4 million to help small businesses move into empty retail spaces.
“It’s a two-way street. We’re exposing small businesses to available properties. We’re exposing property owners to small businesses that could potentially be in their spaces,” said Nia Webster, assistant director of Kansas City, Missouri’s Neighborhoods Department.
‘It creates that cool diversity that Kansas City is’: Small business hopes to fill vacant storefronts ahead of World Cup
This opportunity could provide small businesses with a platform they never thought possible, including Pancho’s Blanket, which is considering opening a second storefront.
Through the program, selected businesses and artists will receive free or reduced leases in vacant storefronts downtown and in other parts of the city…