KC spent $25M to build temporary jail before World Cup. It won't open until after
A temporary jail originally proposed to help Kansas City’s public safety efforts during the FIFA World Cup still isn’t operational as the first match in the city is set to kick off.
City officials now say the $25 million facility won’t be used during the international soccer tournament at all.
That’s despite city leaders previously pushing for its construction because of an expected surge of tourists during that time. The City Council even increased funding for the project and waived environmental building standards in January to speed up construction at 7740 E. Front Street in hopes to complete it in time for the World Cup.
Jackson Overstreet, a spokesperson for the city, said on Tuesday that shipping delays of materials needed to construct the modular jail under construction in the East Bottoms has pushed back its completion date to mid-July. That’s roughly the same time the final World Cup match in Kansas City will be played on July 11.
“The municipal detention center will not be operational during World Cup events,” Overstreet said. “In addition to the construction, the Department of Public Safety is currently working through the process to establish facility operations, which includes developing policies and procedures, securing supplies and equipment, contracts for services, hiring, and training staff.”
The news comes on the day the first of six World Cup matches in Kansas City pits Argentina against Algeria — two teams that are using the metro as their home base for the duration of the tournament.
The Argentina national team, which features the most popular professional athletes in the world, is expected to bring thousands of fans to the city alone. In City Council discussions about the proposed temporary jail, the surge of soccer fans was specifically and often cited as an urgent reason for the construction of the facility.
But the jail was also pitched as a multi-year stopgap solution until the city constructs a new permanent jail — a planned $151 million detention facility slated for the same location.
Megan Strickland, a spokesperson for Mayor Quinton Lucas’s office, said the city’s pursuit of a temporary jail was not meant exclusively as a World Cup initiative. She said a detention facility is a long-term public safety priority for the city that will exist beyond the duration of the World Cup.
“It is essential the City ensure humane treatment and public safety for our entire community,” Strickland said in an email. “Domestic abusers, reckless drivers, and other municipal arrestees will exist long after the final match is played in Kansas City. We are building detention and community rehabilitation facilities that will last long after as well.”
Sixth District Councilmember Johnathan Duncan, who has opposed building a new city jail, said on Tuesday that the temporary jail has made Kansas City an “international laughingstock.”
He was the only council member to vote against the temporary jail when the City Council approved funding it in October.
“But there’s nothing funny about wasting $30 million on a jail that will do nothing to improve the lives and well-being of our City jail population,” Duncan said. “The vast majority our jail population suffers from severe poverty, substance abuse disorder, and severe mental illness such as schizophrenia which requires rehabilitation rather than incarceration to solve.”
World Cup
The city has been building the new, temporary facility in order to hold detainees facing city charges — such as trespassing, theft, car break-ins, resisting arrest, assault, indecent exposure or unlawful use of a weapon. It was originally expected to be completed by mid-May.
A city spokesperson said in April that the facility was expected to be only partially operational by June 1. More than two weeks after that deadline, the facility is still not open.
That is in contrast to the urgency for the stadium that some city officials expressed. Second District Councilmember Wes Rogers last year pointed to the World Cup as the driving force for the project.
“The World Cup’s coming whether we are ready for it or not, so we’ve got to get this built,” Rogers said during a City Council meeting. “The repurposing part is a huge piece of this if we want to get it right. There’s some really neat things we can do, but right now, the conversation’s got to be, how are we going to have this open so we’re prepared for a safe and successful World Cup.”
Rogers said on Tuesday that he wishes the modular jail was up and running for the World Cup, but noted the city will still need it after the tournament. He said staffing issues are part of the problem.
“We can’t open a jail until we have the staff to run it,” Rogers said.
WIthout the temporary jail operating, the city will continue to send arrestees suspected of municipal offenses to jails in other parts of Missouri — specifically, Vernon County, near Nevada, and Johnson County, just outside of Warrensburg.
Overstreet said the city is also working on a contract with Johnson County to add another 20 beds for the city to use during June and July. He said that would help address any increases in municipal violations during the World Cup.
“The City remains confident in the regional partnerships and resources in place to support a safe environment for residents and visitors during the World Cup,” Overstreet said.
Future needs
The new temporary jail is expected to provide about 100 beds across cells and dormitory-like areas. Overstreet said once it’s completed, the modular jail will be used until a permanent detention and rehabilitation center is built in the city.
Kansas City has not had its own jail since 2009 and currently contracts out with other counties to hold detainees. City officials have long raised concerns about the arrangement, including over the treatment of people in facilities a long drive away from family, lawyers and the city’s limited oversight.
To address those concerns, voters approved extending a public safety sales tax that will be used to fund the construction of a permanent detention center.
The city anticipates that the permanent facility will be constructed in the next four years.
“Through the Department of Community Safety, the City is building a sustainable public safety and accountability system that will serve Kansas City residents long after this summer,” Overstreet said.
