More than 200 times a month, graffiti appears on downtown walls, buildings and signs. City officials say they scrub the surfaces clean, only to see them tagged again the next day. But businesses and hotels are fighting back, sending the message that downtown Kansas City is a welcoming, thriving and safe place.
The Hampton Inn Downtown Kansas City at 801Walnut Street is in the heart of the city’s business district and caters to a lot of travelers throughout the year. General Manager Darryl Bulson says keeping the building free of graffiti has been an exasperating chore, but not to do it is bad for business.
“You can look up a hotel, and it’s a five-star hotel with the highest reviews, and you drive by it and there’s graffiti on the wall. You’re probably gonna keep driving,” he said, “because that just automatically makes you think that, well, this is a really, really bad part of town.”…