Kansas City voters just approved a $100 million borrowing plan aimed at keeping some of downtown’s most recognizable public buildings in working order. The package sends major repair money toward Bartle Hall and Municipal Auditorium while also addressing the city’s aging government facilities, including City Hall.
The convention-and-government buildings bond won 68% support in Tuesday’s primary, clearing the four-sevenths supermajority required for passage, according to The Kansas City Star. It was one of several major city measures on the ballot, but this one puts a fresh pile of public money behind the buildings that host conventions, concerts, basketball games and the daily machinery of City Hall.
Bond Plan Targets Downtown’s Biggest Maintenance Backlog
The measure was designed as a “no tax increase” initiative, meaning Kansas City plans to issue the bonds strategically as older debt is paid off rather than raise taxes to repay the new borrowing. The city’s formal bond ordinance also confirms that the authorization covers renovations, equipment and improvements for convention facilities and government buildings constructed before 1950.
About $75 million is slated for convention facilities, with roughly $35 million going to Bartle Hall and about $40 million directed to Municipal Auditorium. The remaining $25 million is intended for older government buildings, a partial answer to the city’s sizable list of unfunded maintenance problems at City Hall, as outlined in The Beacon.
At Bartle Hall, the work is expected to include HVAC and other mechanical upgrades, along with electrical improvements needed to keep the convention center competitive. The project matters beyond fresh paint and fewer temperamental air vents: city officials have argued that modernized facilities are essential for landing major conventions and sporting events that bring visitors and spending downtown.
Municipal Auditorium Gets A New Lease On Event Life
The buildings covered by the bond are not exactly spring chickens. Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium and Music Hall opened in the 1930s, while City Hall opened in 1936, according to a Kansas City city release announcing the ballot package.
The timing is particularly notable for Municipal Auditorium, which is preparing to host the UMKC Roos men’s basketball team for home games next season. The women’s team also plans to play at least two games there, giving the venue a fairly immediate test of whether its next chapter can include both historic charm and modern athletic demands, The Kansas City Star reported.
Mayor Quinton Lucas celebrated the bond’s passage alongside voters’ approval of other city initiatives, including measures involving affordable housing, East Side redevelopment and water and sewer improvements. The hard part now shifts from campaign-season promises to project lists, construction schedules and the inevitable question hanging over every public building repair plan: which leaky, creaky problem gets fixed first?
