Uber opening Kansas City office, adding staff

Uber, in what it calls another sign that it’s in Kansas City to stay, is opening an office in the east Crossroads area to house its local staff and serve drivers.

The office, south of the Sprint Center in the former Retro Downtown Drinks & Dance bar space on McGee Street, should be up and running by October, said Andy Hung, general manager for Uber Kansas City. Renovation got underway in time for Techweek, whose events have drawn thousands to the city.

“Today is about the riders and drivers in KC who fought to make sure Uber was here to stay,” Hung said. “It is fitting that we are breaking ground during Techweek, and we will be able to share this moment with so many community partners.”

Uber, whose smartphone app lets users summon a ride, started its Kansas City service in 2014 and had operated out of hotel rooms and other temporary spaces. Executives including Hung commuted each week from Uber’s regional headquarters in Chicago, which oversees Midwest teams from Minnesota to Oklahoma City.

The plan to put down roots and accelerate expansion of the service in the area took off in April this year after Uber reached a compromise with the Kansas City Council on regulating its services. That same month, a Kansas state effort to bar the service failed in Topeka. In late July, Uber drivers got permission to pick up passengers at Kansas City International Airport, rather than just being able to drop them off.

The ground floor of Uber’s new space will provide a help and support center for drivers, should they have trouble using the app or need other help. The upstairs loft space will be offices for the support and office staff, which has grown to seven people.

An eighth staff member is being hired, to help sign up new drivers, support current ones and coordinate driver operations. The staff could grow further depending on Uber’s success in the area.

“KC partners are what makes the business successful, and we aim to provide top-notch customer service in order to retain them,” Hung said.

Uber currently operates in 339 cities in 61 countries.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Uber opening Kansas City office, adding staff."