Ballpark Village's dress code defended

ST. LOUIS -- Project managers for the new Ballpark Village next to Busch Stadium say they want the entertainment complex to be "family-friendly," even as some raise concerns about a late-night dress code.

Ballpark Village, a complex across the street from Busch Stadium featuring night life, bars and restaurants, has been years in the making. A grand opening was held Thursday.

Ballpark Village will have a dress code after 9 p.m., The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Among the things banned are sweatpants, bandannas, profanity on clothing, sleeveless shirts and exposed undergarments on men and team jerseys -- except on game days.

However, one of the bars, Fox Sports Live!, on Thursday afternoon relented, allowing St. Louis Cardinals jerseys and hats any time.

Alderman Antonio French questioned the code.

"This place is going to be a destination for a lot of tourists, a lot of people visiting our city," French said. "We hope the message is that they are welcome. Everyone wants to keep high standards, of course. But discriminating against people based on fashion is not a very welcoming message."

The Cardinals say the dress code is not complex-wide, though most of the bars will adhere to it. The restaurant owned by the team, Cardinals Nation, prohibits only obscene or indecent clothing.

Team president Bill DeWitt III said a nighttime dress code was reasonable.

"You don't want people in bare feet and no shirts," DeWitt said. "That's not a visitor these clubs are looking to attract."

Co-developer Cordish Co.'s rules on attire have raised concerns about its other developments, including Fourth Street Live in Louisville, Ky., and the Power & Light district in Kansas City, Mo. This month, lawyers filed suit alleging discrimination at the Kansas City complex.

The Ballpark Village dress code is nearly identical to that at Power & Light.

"I have a concern about who the dress code is targeting," said Jacque Land, former president of 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis.

DeWitt said the Cardinals picked Cordish because of its success developing just such districts.

"There's this implication it's a racist thing," DeWitt said of the dress code. "And it's not."

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com