KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When men’s and women’s basketball teams from the Big 12 Conference tip off their annual end-of-season tournaments at T-Mobile Center and Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri, this week, the Power & Light District naturally becomes a central meeting place. As such, the entertainment district is taking precautions to keep fans, employees and others from contracting and spreading the novel coronavirus.
Usually, school bands, fans and entertainers pack the district’s “Live Block” courtyard across Grand Boulevard from the T-Mobile Center.
This year, there will be no pep rallies. Guests have to have a seat, there is no standing room-only option. Tables in the Live Block are equipped with QR codes and a contactless ordering system. Capacity limits are in place. Face masks are required. Many restaurants are offering reservations.
“You’re not going to have the crowds,” said Rachel Waller, the director of marketing for the Power & Light District. “You’re not going to have the standing room, shoulder-to-shoulder like you would in the past. But you’re still going to have the fun entertainment, the big screens, the games on every screen, basketball everywhere.”
Johnny’s Tavern in the Power & Light District said it expects this week to look like the Chiefs playoff games, which attracted fans to the entertainment district.
“It’ll look a lot like it did for Super Bowl LV down here,” said co-owner Kyle Witherspoon. “That was a good learning experience for us about how to be able to accommodate people, keep people safe, continue to do the things we’re supposed to be doing down here.”
Johnny’s is not accepting reservations. It will simply stop accepting customers when it reaches capacity.
Current Kansas City regulations say tables must be six feet apart and guests must be seated. Waller said the Power & Light District has a responsibility to make sure guests follow city rules so the city can continue its recovery from the pandemic.
The men’s tournament begins Wednesday. The women’s begins Thursday. Both events will have a limited number of fans in attendance.
