Kansas City trying again to find new use for Kemper Arena

The Kansas City Council votes Thursday on a measure to start formally seeking a new use for Kemper Arena — only this time it looks like the American Royal won’t be a player.

The city has determined that no department has a need for the underused facility, so the council is poised to direct the city manager to advertise nationally for new ideas.

That national request for development proposals should be issued within the next few weeks, and responses would be due in 90 days, Councilman Ed Ford told his colleagues on the council’s Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee.

It will take time to evaluate any submitted plans, so that means Kemper’s future in all likelihood will be decided by a new City Council that takes office Aug. 1.

While the American Royal has been a key user of Kemper Arena over the years, its representatives have told the city they do not intend to submit a development proposal, Ford said Wednesday.

American Royal officials did not return phone calls seeking comment Wednesday. But in a speech in February, the organization’s new board chairman, John Mitchell, acknowledged that the state of Kansas wants the Royal to move to Wyandotte County.

“It sure feels good to be courted,” Mitchell said, adding that if the move to Kansas doesn’t work out, the American Royal feels good about remaining in the West Bottoms. He also said the American Royal was “in early-stage discussions” about relocating the World Series of barbecue to a venue that has more parking and public amenities. He said that move would provide “more flexibility regarding Kemper Arena.”

Ford and the council tried unsuccessfully last year to reconcile two competing visions for the Kemper Arena property: the Royal’s desire to replace the arena with a new $50 million multipurpose center, and a rival plan to preserve and repurpose Kemper Arena as a youth sports facility. Both those plans were withdrawn late last year, so the city is now trying to clarify whether any other developers are interested in the arena building, or whether it needs to be demolished.

Kerrie Tyndall, assistant to the city manager, told the committee that Kansas City will pay off the last $4.25 million of a multimillion-dollar bond issue for Kemper Arena by April 2016. After that time, the city could possibly sell or redevelop the building for a new user, she said, so the request for proposals paves the way for that to happen.

This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Kansas City trying again to find new use for Kemper Arena."