Kansas City approved a resolution brought forward by Mayor Quinton Lucas. It launches the modernization plan for the Convention Center and the Municipal Auditorium, starting with the restoration of Bartle Hall, the Municipal Auditorium, and the Music Hall.
The project is based on a $100 million loan voted in August, of which approximately $75 million is earmarked for the complex. In total, $500 million is planned over ten years to modernize the conference spaces.
The first phase, worth $75 million, is scheduled for 2028. It includes modernizing the stands, restrooms, and food service facilities, improving accessibility, preserving the Music Hall, and connecting the building to Barney Allis Plaza. The following phases, through 2036, are intended to create new exhibition and meeting spaces throughout the campus.
" The people of Kansas City have voted to preserve our historic gathering places while providing them with the technologies and equipment necessary to be competitive in our region and internationally., said Mayor Quinton Lucas. Our convention and entertainment facilities provide thousands of jobs in Kansas City and dozens of sectors that welcome millions of residents and visitors each year. The Municipal Auditorium and the Music Hall have hosted our greatest moments for nearly a century. Thanks to the voters, we can make our historic convention center, H. Roe Bartle Hall, the Municipal Auditorium and the Music Hall modern, accessible and competitive with newer facilities, near or far, for the next hundred years. Kansas City will thus remain the venue for great events and memorable memories. »Quinton Lucas promises,".
