A Kansas City Council committee is about to start discussions to determine the fate of Kemper Arena.
The arena in Kansas City was the premiere site for big concerts and sporting events until the 2007 opening of Sprint Center.
The city’s options for the arena include tearing it down, letting someone else remodel the building or do nothing.
Kemper Arena is still used for a few events, particularly during the American Royal season. The American Royal has a lease with the city for the arena, but it wants the city to tear it down so it can build and operate a new, smaller facility.
A Kansas City development company, Foutch Brothers, wants to build a second floor in Kemper Arena’s upper deck, enabling it to turn the arena into a big youth sports and training facility.
Those are two of the plans City Hall will consider when leaders start figuring out the arena’s future later this summer.
“If this is the beginning of the beginning, we’re ready to move,” said Bob Petersen of the American Royal. “We’re ready to see this thing move forward. If that’s where we’re at, we’re delighted to be part of the process.”
Developer Steve Foutch said he likes the American Royal, but he thinks his plan would work better for Kemper Arena.
A committee will start discussing the future plans for the building in July.
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