Honorable Council Members of Kansas City,

Thank you again for hosting the public earlier this week at Kemper Arena, and for giving us the chance to share our perspectives about the fate of our arena. You are busy running countless aspects of the city, so your willingness to listen is greatly appreciated.

In deciding the fate of Kemper Arena, you have the daunting task of deciding between two competing proposals, each with compelling reasons for winning your vote. This open letter is written from the standpoint of one Kansas Citian who values heritage, economic opportunity, financial sensibility, and reason. One who is in love with Kansas City and who has had the fortune of studying cities around the world. Hopefully it is of some small help in your quest to do what is best for our city.

Economics

On one side, you have a plan developed by a special interest group with powerful ties to you. They want to destroy the publicly held Kemper Arena, and they ask that we as a city pay $6 million dollars for that undertaking. They want a new private building, built specifically for their purposes, and they want an additional $40 million in public funds to build it.

On the other side, you have a plan offered by a private developer with a track record of successful adaptive reuse projects. That plan saves Kemper Arena, and requires $0 of additional public funding.

When we as a city face unprecedented economic challenges, shouldn’t the economics of the decision be a no-brainer? Shouldn’t this point alone mark the end of the conversation?

We Have a Disorder

Demolition by default is engrained in our city’s culture. Every time we demolish a reusable building to put up something in its place, we decouple a link to our past, we devalue our present, and we rob our future of potential prosperity. Our disorder is incredibly wasteful and harms our regional economy to an incalculable extent.

Once It’s Gone, It’s GONE.

Like all buildings with age, Kemper Arena needs some TLC. But its bones are immaculate. It is supremely flexible as a public venue. It’s a solid example of a unique, globally rare architectural style, one of the earliest works of an architect that became world famous. It’s identifiable and iconic, and adds to our city’s identity.

The replacement looks a bit out of place in a city. It looks and feels like it belongs in the suburbs. It lacks any distinguishing characteristics. It does not convey meaning nor does it add value to the character and identity of our beloved city.

Half of their plan’s footprint is dedicated to ornamental landscaping, which is at odds with their primary reason for wanting no compromise on the plan they propose to you: they need more “surface area” for activities.

Breach of Contract

The American Royal is quick to remind you of our city’s contractual obligation to keep them happy for many years to come, whether or not they’ve upheld their end of the same obligation. Contracts are great when honored by both parties. So should we ask whether American Royal has fulfilled its side of that contract? Can we talk about where that rodeo went, or the underwhelming performance of every other event they hold besides the annual barbecue competition?

The City We Want To Be

We are known worldwide for barbecue, thanks in great part to the tireless efforts of American Royal. Their plan calls for public money to destroy Kemper Arena in order to make way for a new building. They view the barbecue competition, a 3 day event held once a year, as the primary driver of requirements. They are unwilling to compromise, because any re-allocation of space on the site would jeopardize the event’s status as the “largest barbecue competition in the world.”

On the other hand, the private developer proposal in front of you calls for zero public funds AND saves Kemper arena, but still accommodates all of the uses required by American Royal. Except for 150 lost parking spaces, out of thousands, which could easily be regained through the addition of a small parking garage to the plan. This plan allows American Royal activities to continue unfettered, while also creating worlds of possibility to attract additional activities, such as eSports.

eSports???

Yes. eSports. The fast-growing, billion dollar and climbing competitive segment of the $80 Billon / year video gaming industry. eSports tournaments frequently swell past the 75,000 attendee mark. They take place over days. They’re happening more frequently, at bigger sizes, with higher stakes. Both coasts have major eSports event rosters. Few eSports events happen in the Midwest, despite clear pent up demand for them. They generate millions of dollars in economic impact per event. They attract younger generations, contributing to the vitality of our current and future workforce.

Kemper is made for eSports. It’s the right shape and size, is near ultra-fast gigabit internet, in the middle of the country. It even looks like a space ship — Bonus!

Kansas City could, with Kemper, Sprint Center, and Bartle, become a video gaming epicenter.

If you commit to the American Royal’s plan, you do so at the exclusion of all other possible uses for the facility. And you do so on the public’s dime.

If you commit to the private developer plan, you fully accommodate American Royal’s key annual activity while opening up new worlds of possibilities.

Which is better for the West Bottoms neighborhood, and the city as a whole? Are we forever a bbq town, or can we become a world class city with world class bbq?

The First Rule of Business: Protect. Your. Investment.

What happens when we destroy otherwise reusable buildings — physical embodiments of human, energy, and financial resources? Where does the investment go? The $23 million of public money we spent building Kemper in 1972 is over $100 million in today’s dollars. If we raze Kemper, as we’ve done with thousands of reusable structures before it, we choose to write off our investment at its present value. And American Royal wants $6 Million of our dollars to carry out the destruction.

Can we afford their plan from that perspective? And how many billions worth of present value have we already wasted through the wrecking ball?

Thank you again for your service to our beloved city, and for your willingness to listen to reason.

Jase Wilson

Help Stop Senseless Demolition

If you’re reading this letter and wondering how this is even up for discussion, you can help bring about reason:

• Take action by signing the petition.
• Learn more about the private developer plan.
• Follow the story by liking Save The Kemper on Facebook.
• Share this message with your followers online and offline.