Kansas City will cast a wide net for ideas to reuse Kemper Arena

Could Kemper Arena someday become a megachurch, an aquarium, a youth sports hub or some other giant cultural or commercial attraction?

We’ll find out later this year.

Kansas City officials are putting the finishing touches on a request for proposals that should be issued by mid-May. They’ll cast a wide net, seeking innovative ideas locally and nationally to reuse the aging, neglected arena.

“We need to find out, once and for all, what realistic proposals there are for this grand old lady,” said Councilman Ed Ford, chairman of the City Council’s planning, zoning and economic development committee. The committee and city staff talked Wednesday about how to roll out the request to get the best results.

Proposals will be judged in part on how well they encourage broader West Bottoms development, how they conform to a long-term lease with the American Royal Association and how they help the city eliminate its maintenance costs for the facility.

Ford cautioned that the city may get some very good ideas, or may get none, which could indicate that Kemper needs to be demolished.

But Ford, who leaves office this year along with much of the rest of the council, won’t be around for any decision. That will be up to the next council, which takes office in August.

The schedule calls for the request to go out next month, with responses due 90 days later, although that time frame may be extended. The city hopes to review proposals and get public input in October and start negotiations with a winning bidder in November.

However, the city can’t legally convey the site to any developer until April 15, 2016, when it pays off the last of the 1996 bonds that were issued for the last arena improvements.

This story was originally published April 29, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Kansas City will cast a wide net for ideas to reuse Kemper Arena."