KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Missouri - Kansas City and Kansas City Athletics hope to take full advantage of the extended Kansas City Streetcar line.
The KC Streetcar southern expansion is set to be complete in 2025 with the final stop at W. 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard.
The stop is just down the street from the main UMKC campus, and athletics officials at the university are looking for a developer to build a 5,000-seat multi purpose arena on a section of land that used to contain student housing.
The university said Monday it has issued a request for proposals from developers interested in building the facility on the 5-acre site.
School officials say that the arena could potentially be the new home for the school’s men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball games.
“This RFP creates a tremendous opportunity for UMKC to create a new gateway for the campus to engage with the Kansas City community,” Dr. Brandon Martin, vice chancellor/director of athletics at UMKC, said Monday in a press release. “Athletics is a critical component of this project, which will certainly enhance our facilities and position us well with our peer institutions. It will empower our athletes department and offer a tremendous experience for our student-athlete, as well also our student body, fans and community supporters while increasing the visibility of UMKC as the premier university in the region.”
In 2019, the school started hosting games at the on-campus Swinney Center. While the center has drown increased attendance games, being built in 1941 means it doesn’t have modern amenities for student-athlete and fans, the school said.
Work on the $350 million, 3.5-mile southern extension of the KC Streetcar started in April 2022, spurred by the successful launch of the original streetcar line between the River Market neighborhood and Kansas City's Union Station.
Earlier this month, project officials remained committed to a 2025 completion date.
More information about the KC Streetcar extension is available online.
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