Wanted: $10 million more for UMKC’s downtown arts campus

“Anonymous” was the big donor, committing $3 million in the latest fundraising round for the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s proposed downtown campus for the arts.

That recently announced commitment was joined by $1 million from the R. Crosby Kemper Charitable Trust and Foundation and $500,000 from the Francis Family Foundation, contingent on the school receiving matching funds from the state.

The newest gifts bring UMKC to $38 million of the $48 million it needs to raise from private sources by June 30. That’s the deadline to apply for state funds to cover the remainder of the $96 million project that aims to build a new Conservatory of Music and Dance.

The new conservatory, to be located in a downtown area bounded by Broadway, Central, 17th and 18th streets, would be the first phase of the downtown campus. The campus, directly south of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, is one of the “Big 5” action priorities by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Fundraising for the downtown campus began in 2013 with a $20 million challenge gift from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation. “Anonymous” was a previous big contributor with a 2014 pledge of the land for the project.

Despite the remaining $10 million challenge, Chancellor Leo Morton said that UMKC is “within sight of reaching our goal” and that he expects to celebrate this year.

Conservatory dean Peter Witte said the $38 million raised so far represents the largest private fundraising for a single project in UMKC history.

The new campus would serve about 750 conservatory students, faculty and staff and would nearly triple its current space.

The last major announcement about fundraising for the downtown campus was in November, when UMKC said the David Beals Charitable Trust, Bank of America N.A., Trustee, pledged $1.5 million. In addition, two anonymous sources pledged $1 million each.

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Wanted: $10 million more for UMKC’s downtown arts campus."