Kemper Arena received historic designation on Friday. This means Kemper will now be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Foutch Brothers announced plans in May for redeveloping the arena into a multi-use venue. However, their plans were contingent on historic tax credits, saying a third of the financing relies on the arena being on the National Register for Historic Places. This move would qualify it for state and federal credits.
Some changes had to be made to the original application.
Kemper's architecture was originally the driving force behind the quest for historic status, but architectural changes made in 1996 disqualified Kemper from the historic designation.
The most recent proposal cited the building's history as a regional entertainment venue - when rock bands and concerts were so popular, larger venues were needed. Some of the events held at Kemper were:
- The Scouts hockey team in the 70s
- The Kings in the 70s and early 80s
- College basketball
- Music concerts
- American Royal
- FFA conventions
"It was big in the arena rock period," said Elizabeth Rosin, the local historic preservationist who drafted the application.
One last change was made to the application this week, according to a reviewer for the National Register of Historic Places, Roger Reed. A recommendation to change the dates. Instead of asking to consider Kemper historic from 1974 to 2007, when Sprint Center was built, the reviewers requested a change to 1974 to 1996.
In an email late Friday, Reed proclaimed he'd signed the nomination. Kemper Arena is officially historic.
The obvious next questions are:
- Will the Foutch Brothers really take on the project they so publicly announced?
- And what does all of this mean for the American Royal?
The future of the now-officially historic building is still unclear.
In August, Mosaic Life Care finalized the initial agreement with Foutch Brothers, LLC to become the Naming Rights Sponsor for the arena.
Previous coverage:
- Kemper Arena will become Mosaic Arena, developers announce Naming Rights Sponsor
- Kemper Arena's future will rely on its past, literally
- Public gets first look at new plans for Kemper Arena
- Kansas City selects Foutch Brothers to redevelop Kemper Arena
Stay with 41 Action News for more on this developing story.
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Christa Dubill can be reached at Christa.Dubill@kshb.com.
