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Synopsis:
On the eastern edge of the new entertainment district, a state-of-the-art, 18,500-seat arena opened in October 2007 offering marquee concerts and sporting events. Sprint Center is part of Downtown redevelopment efforts that will transform the area into a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week entertainment district. The arena will become a tourist draw with the new College Basketball Experience and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The 41,000-square-foot building is connected to Sprint Center by a walkway and features a Hall of Fame, as well as an interactive fan area designed to bring visitors into the excitement of a college basketball game.
Full Story:
On the eastern edge of Kansas City's new entertainment district, a state-of-the-art, 18,500-seat arena opened in October 2007. The $276 million Sprint Center is part of Downtown redevelopment efforts that will transform the area into a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week district featuring restaurants and retail activity. The arena complex is located between 13th and 15th streets and Grand and Oak streets in downtown Kansas City.
Sprint Center offers national and regionally known concerts and special events. Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) oversees the arena and is working to attract a major league sports franchise as the primary tenant.
The Kansas City-based National Association of Basketball Coaches operates the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on the arena site. The 41,500-square-foot building called "College Basketball Experience" is connected to Sprint Center by a walkway. The two-story complex features a 10,000-square-foot Hall of Fame, as well as a 30,000-square-foot interactive fan area designed to bring visitors into the excitement of a college basketball game.
A collaboration of architect firms called the Downtown Arena Design Team (DADT) designed the arena. The DADT consists of Ellerbe Becket, HOK Sport + Venue + Event, 360 Architecture and Rafael Architects, Inc. The Hall of Fame portion of the complex was designed by New York-based Edwin Schlossberg Inc. and includes memorabilia, exhibits and induction ceremonies of legendary college basketball players and coaches.
The $250 million public/private project is funded in part by the city of Kansas City, which will contribute $184 million initially and up to $16 million more if needed. The revenues for the city's share will come from a $1.50 business fee applied to hotel rooms and a $4 increase in the daily car rental tax, which were approved by voters in August 2004. There is also a 2.275 percent user fee on all ticket sales. AEG provided $50 million for the arena. Sprint Corporation has agreed to pay $2.5 million annually for 25 years for the naming rights to the overall facility. The National Association of Basketball Coaches provided $10 million.
Photo Credit: Photos Courtesy of the Kansas City Convention &
Visitors Association.
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