Carroll County Employment

Ten years ago, when plans were gearing up to build what would become the Sprint Center, the Kansas City Sports Commission commissioned a study that included examining how Kemper Arena might be reused for the American Royal.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Now that a $70 million proposal rolled out by the Royal in October that called for demolishing Kemper and replacing it with a 5,000-seat equestrian and agricultural center appears to be stuck amp;#x97; Mayor Sly James says itamp;#x92;s low on the cityamp;#x92;s priorities amp;#x97; perhaps it might be useful to take another look at what the commission came up with in 2002.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Ron Labinski, a respected sports architect who helped prepare the Kemper reuse study then, thinks itamp;#x92;s still valid. Heamp;#x92;s the founder of HOK Sports, now called Populous. Populous also designed the American Royalamp;#x92;s new plan for a retro-look equestrian and ag center.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Two concepts for revamping Kemper to make it work for the American Royal were suggested in that report.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;One called for creating a new enclosure in the existing structure that would lower the ceiling and cut off the top of the seating bowl, leaving the existing hockey-size floor intact and surrounded by 8,000 seats.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;The other called for raising the floor and eliminating the lower seating bowl, putting the suite level next to the show ring and reducing capacity to 10,000 seats. In addition to fewer seats, the second option would create a larger floor more suitable for rodeos, 170 by 285 feet, and have room below to house animals, stage events and hold exhibitions.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;The study estimated either option could be done for less than $10 million. Even with inflation, thatamp;#x92;s a lot less than $70 million.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;The one I liked the most was getting rid of the lower-level seats and building a new floor at the concourse level,amp;#x94; said Labinski, who is now retired. amp;#x93;I would make a much bigger rink and would put suites in the prime position where they traditionally are at equestrian facilities and cut capacity in half.amp;#x94;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Bob Petersen, president and CEO of the American Royal, was not in charge when the study was conducted. After reviewing the 2002 proposals, he noted that the seating level would still be twice what the Royal wants in its new plan and that both options would leave the Kemper with a larger volume than needed, leading to higher operating costs.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;He also was skeptical about the access ramp that animals would use to reach the show floor from below would work.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;We suspect the ramp amp;#x85; would be prohibitively steep for equestrian and livestock uses,amp;#x94; Petersen said. amp;#x93;This would need more detailed study.amp;#x94;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;J. Mariner Kemper, CEO of UMB Financial Corp., who along with his father, R. Crosby Kemper Jr., have offered to help raise $10 million toward the proposed new American Royal facility, said retrofitting Kemper Arena along the lines suggested in the 2002 report would be a amp;#x93;Band-Aidamp;#x94; approach.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;It would still be an old building in need of new bathrooms, new boilers and still need upkeep,amp;#x94; Kemper said. amp;#x93;Youamp;#x92;re not investing in the future when you do that.amp;#x94;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;He also thinks many people have misinterpreted the American Royal proposal. lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;Thereamp;#x92;s the notion that taxpayers are being asked to help private citizens with something they want to do,amp;#x94; Kemper said. amp;#x93;The reality is, private citizens are offering to help the city with a problem it has.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;At the end of the day, if the city and City Hall donamp;#x92;t want to help the private sector, weamp;#x92;ll continue operating the facility, and the city can dump money into Kemper Arena and weamp;#x92;ll make it happen. Or we can do something that will attract private support.amp;#x94;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Dave Fowler, chairman of the American Royal board, said some had dismissed the project as being a glorified horse barn.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;Itamp;#x92;s erroneously referred to as an equestrian center,amp;#x94; he said. amp;#x93;I wish we could eliminate that label. Itamp;#x92;s for all kinds of agricultural activity, not just equestrian. That sounds like itamp;#x92;s just for a few wealthy horse enthusiasts.amp;#x94;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Kemper said the American Royal should be looked at as a major economic development asset for Kansas City, one that draws people from all over the Midwest to stay at the cityamp;#x92;s hotels and eat at its restaurants.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;The American Royal is not asking voters to approve a new building over new sewers or infrastructure or a convention hotel,amp;#x94; he said. amp;#x93;Weamp;#x92;re asking that the American Royal building be part of the cityamp;#x92;s strategy to move forward.amp;#x94;lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;Labinski said the 2002 study was done with an eye toward finding the most cost-effective way to reuse Kemper Arena and help the Royal. lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;I think that itamp;#x92;s still valid and certainly deserves somebody looking at it,amp;#x94; he said. lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;And Labinski wonders why that more frugal approach was overlooked when the Royal came out with its $70 million proposal two months ago.lt;/pgt;lt;pgt;amp;#x93;It certainly raised the same question in my mind: What are they doing that for?amp;#x94; he said. amp;#x93;Theyamp;#x92;re asking for public money, and it would be a horrible waste to spend that kind of money, especially in these times.amp;#x94;