American Royal enlists experts on how to pay for Kemper Arena proposal

American Royal Association officials hired a team of public finance professionals to examine how to pay for a proposal to replace Kansas City’s aging Kemper Arena with a new Agricultural Events Center, the Kansas City Business Journal reports.
“Every past building project for the American Royal has been a public-private partnership with the city of Kansas City, and we look to continue that approach,” says Brant Laue, newly elected chairman of the board of directors.
The nonprofit’s annual board of governors meeting was this week. The American Royal has an agreement with Kansas City to use the Kemper Arena and other facilities through 2045.
On Oct. 25, American Royal officials announced the proposal to raze and replace the Kemper with a 5,000-seat coliseum and other new livestock facilities. However, the plan requires city approval.