KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. She has also been following announcements related to the Open Doors program. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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Kansas City is moving forward with its Open Doors program, designed to fill empty storefronts with local businesses ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Applications are now open for both retailers seeking temporary storefronts and property owners willing to lease their spaces.
Racquel Rodriguez, owner of El Café Cubano, Kansas City's first mobile Cuban coffee truck, is applying for the program.
"Our goal is to welcome those individuals to Kansas City," Rodriguez said.
She hopes to transition from her mobile operation to a temporary storefront through Open Doors, seeing it as an opportunity to introduce visitors to Kansas City's diverse food scene.
"To welcome the tourists to Kansas City over a cup of Cuban coffee is mind-blowing," Rodriguez said.
Nia Webster, assistant director of the Kansas City Neighborhoods Department, said the city is looking for businesses that can offer authentic local experiences.
"Pitch us things that we know people will want to see or experience," she said. "Show us something about Kansas City that you want other people to experience."
The program requires participation from both sides of the rental equation. While businesses apply to operate pop-up locations, property owners must also volunteer their vacant spaces.
"We would like to get properties that are downtown along or around the streetcar line in other business or commercial districts," Webster said.
The city plans to bridge the gap between property owners and temporary tenants by subsidizing part of the lease costs and providing grants to help businesses get started.
"This money is not going to cover 100% of the cost. Doing a pop-up is not cheap, and it's not going to be for the weak heart," Webster said.
Retail applications close Dec. 5. The city hopes to begin building out storefronts by February so they can open by the first week of May, well ahead of World Cup activities.
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