The Kansas City city council votes Thursday on putting Kemper Arena on the market nationally as “surplus property.”
Councilman Ed Ford, who chairs the economic development committee says assuming full-council approval, the city will send out a request for proposals on Kemper in early April, hoping to get at least one feasible offer.
"If there is none, then the city is going to have to determine whether it makes economic sense to to tear it down or to mothball it, because status quo it's not working. It's costing the city too much money to keep it open for too few events,” said Ford.
Ford says the American Royal has expressed no interest in submitting a bid.
He says allowing 90 days for proposals to come in, any decision will be up to the new city council that is sworn in the first of August.
