Voter-approved bonds provide a starting point for renovations to historic facilities, with broader convention center improvements proposed through 2036.
Kansas City officials on November 5 advanced a plan to modernize the city’s convention and entertainment campus. The proposal identifies approximately $75 million for initial improvements and outlines a broader $500 million vision extending through 2036.
The City Council approved Resolution No. 260960, directing the city manager to evaluate a plan from architecture firm Populous. The resolution also calls for procurement of initial renovation work and a financing strategy for future phases.
The proposed investment spans the next decade. However, the council has not authorized construction of the entire plan. Available project documents also do not specify funding for later phases.
Kansas City voters approved a $100 million general obligation bond measure on August 4. The measure supports improvements to convention facilities and historic city buildings, with approximately $75 million identified for the convention complex.
“Kansas Citians voted to preserve our historic gathering spaces while equipping them with the technology and amenities to be competitive in our region and globally,” Mayor Quinton Lucas says in a November 5 statement.
Lucas says the facilities support thousands of jobs across the convention, hospitality and entertainment industries.
Initial Investment Focuses on Historic Facilities
The first phase, called Phase 0, focuses on Municipal Auditorium and the Music Hall. The city’s November 3 presentation identifies 2028 as the target year.
The preliminary budget proposes more than $25 million for arena modernization. Improvements include seating, restrooms, concessions and event amenities.
The plan also identifies more than $9 million for accessibility improvements and $3.5 million-plus for Music Hall preservation. Exterior enhancements would receive more than $9 million, while building performance and operations account for another $13.5 million-plus.
The budget includes a $60 million construction allowance and $15 million for design, administration and other project costs.
Municipal Auditorium will also become home to University of Missouri-Kansas City basketball. The venue already hosts conventions, exhibitions, performances and sporting events.
The city has not clarified whether the 2028 target represents construction completion, reopening or another project milestone.
Broader Vision Would Connect Convention Facilities
The Populous plan outlines three additional phases to improve campus connections and modernize event facilities.
Phase 1, targeted for 2030, proposes a Central Street connector and a new campus entrance.
Phase 2A, planned for 2032, focuses on northern event space. Its goals include greater flexibility and improved event capabilities.
Phase 2B, envisioned for 2036, would modernize southern event space and complete the proposed campus transformation.
These later phases remain preliminary and would require additional financing and approvals.
According to Visit KC’s convention center guide, the existing complex covers eight downtown blocks and offers more than 800,000 square feet of event facilities.
H. Roe Bartle Hall provides 388,800 square feet of contiguous, column-free exhibit space across five configurable halls. The facility can accommodate more than 2,000 standard 10-by-10-foot booths.
Utility ports sit on 30-foot centers throughout the exhibit floor. They provide electrical, telephone and Internet connections. Some also offer water, gas, compressed air and drainage.
The campus includes meeting rooms, the Grand Ballroom and Municipal Auditorium’s 46,000-square-foot Lower Exhibition Hall, known as the LEX.
Together, these spaces accommodate large exhibitions, general sessions, conferences and performances.
The long-term vision proposes additional exhibit and gathering space. However, the presentation does not specify how much space the project would add. It also provides no details about changes to freight access, loading docks or exhibit-floor utilities.
Barney Allis Plaza Adds Outdoor Event Options
The modernization plan also seeks stronger connections to Barney Allis Plaza, a separate redevelopment project next to Municipal Auditorium and the convention center.
The plaza is scheduled to reopen in spring 2027. Its outdoor gathering areas will accommodate festivals, temporary activations and convention-related events.
Plans include a paved event plaza, terraced lawn, pavilion area and flexible oval lawn. The pavilion area could accommodate food trucks and temporary programming.
The project also includes a replacement for the underground Auditorium Parking Garage. The former garage closed in April 2024 because of deteriorating conditions.
The new garage will have capacity for approximately 580 vehicles.
Although the plaza redevelopment is separate, the convention campus plan includes exterior improvements connecting the facilities to the public space.
City Must Establish Implementation Strategy
Resolution 260960 directs the city manager to determine which improvements should advance. It also calls for a request for proposals covering repairs and upgrades to Municipal Auditorium and the Music Hall.
The city must develop a financing strategy that addresses funding sources, multiyear construction costs and ongoing maintenance expenses.
The resolution requires a progress report and implementation recommendations within 60 days of adoption.
Several operational questions remain for convention organizers, exhibitors and service contractors. These include whether future renovations will affect exhibit-floor infrastructure, freight movement, loading access or event scheduling.
The council’s action advances the initial renovation process. However, the broader campus transformation still depends on future decisions about project scope, funding and construction schedules.
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