KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The new Royals stadium near Crown Center is a two-billion-dollar vision for Kansas City’s future. For one Hispanic-owned marketing firm, it’s also a rare and open invitation to bring a growing community to the ballgame.
Jennifer Valdez owns JA Beauty and Skin and knows firsthand what it means to build something for the neighborhood downtown.
“I grew up in the area, and always had my eye on this special gem. That kind of inspired me to open it here,” Valdez said.
To her, the new ballpark isn’t just about baseball. It’s about whether Kansas City’s fastest-growing community finally gets a seat at the table.
“I can’t wait to see what opportunities this brings for this strip and the area,” Valdez said.
Luis Padilla, founder of Fresco Marketing Agency, said it’s an opportunity for small businesses to tap in.
“It’s bringing a lot of visibility to the area,” Padilla said.
After the 2023 season, Padilla gathered four focus groups across Kansas City and Omaha and a survey of 140 Latino residents in the metro. For the last two years, he’s worked with the Royals, highlighting the Hispanic community’s ties to baseball and to the area the team wants to move.
“We found out that started being more proactive and being more engaged with the Latino community, they reacted in a positive way,” Padilla said.
The Latino community is one of the fastest-growing and most vibrant in the KC metro. KC’s Hispanic Chamber cited Hispanic and Latinos make up 11 percent of the metro’s population.
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