Kansas City’s Kemper Arena has gained historic preservation status from the National Park Service according to KansasCity.com, which will clear the way for its redevelopment as an amateur sports complex.
Kansas City Councilman Scott Taylor said in a new release “that the historic designation has been secured for Kemper Arena. … The historic designation allows the developer to secure historic tax credits which are essential to financing the renovation into a youth sports facility.”
The release said Kemper, set to be renamed Mosaic under a sponsorship agreement with the chain of health clinics, has been granted status on the National Register of Historic Places because of its significance in local Kansas City cultural history.
Kemper Arena was the site of the 1976 Republican National Convention and former home to big league and minor league sporting events for historic tax credits baked into redevelopment plans.
Most buildings on the national registry are at least a half century old. Kemper was built just 42 years ago. Its potentially historic architectural significance was compromised by changes made in the 1990s.
