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When did Kemper Arena open?

When did Kemper Arena open?

September 30, 1974
Hy-Vee Arena/Opened

How old is Kemper Arena?

47c. 1974
Hy-Vee Arena/Age

Why was Kemper Arena built?

Kemper Arena was built in 18 months in 1973–74 on the site of the former Kansas City Stockyards just west of downtown in the West Bottoms to replace the 8,000-seat Municipal Auditorium to play host to the city’s professional basketball and hockey teams.

Who owns Kemper Arena?

Foutch Brothers, LLC
Hy-Vee Arena/Owners
Foutch Brothers LLC, the Kansas City-based architecture and development firm that is spending $39 million to repurpose the 44-year-old arena, announced Thursday that naming rights for the iconic West Bottoms venue had been sold for an undisclosed amount to West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee Inc. for a period of 10 years.

How many people died in the Kemper Arena?

Five workmen were killed and 15 were injured today when the roof of an $8 million stadium under construction near O’Hare International Airport suddenly collapsed “like a whole lumberyard falling down” moments after a jetliner reportedly roared overhead.

What happened to the Kemper Arena?

Eighteen months ago, the city council sold the shuttered Kemper Arena in the West Bottoms to the Foutch Brothers for just $1. Foutch Development and Architecture spent $39 million to renovate the facility into a youth and adults sports facility with 2-acres of hardwood courts on two levels.

What is Kemper Arena called now?

Hy-Vee arena
Kemper Arena is now officially Hy-Vee arena. An agreement between Hy-Vee Inc. and Foutch Architecture and Development was announced this week with Hy-vee purchasing exclusive naming rights and other partnership benefits.

Was the Kemper Arena rebuilt?

Kemper Arena is reborn as Hy-Vee Arena after $39M renovation [PHOTOS] Hy-Vee Arena, formerly Kemper Arena, is open after a $39 million renovation by Foutch Brothers LLC turning the facility into a two-level youth and amateur sports hub whose grand opening was Friday.

Why did the Kemper Arena fail?

The collapse was triggered by fracture of the high strength bolts, part of the hanger that suspended the roof from the space frames. Analysis demonstrated that failure of just one of four bolts per hanger resulted in a large prying load on the three remaining bolts.

What year did the Kemper Arena collapse?

1979
On June 4, 1979, in the same facility that once had hosted the Republican National Convention, nearly a third of Kemper Arena’s roof collapsed during a rainstorm. A supervisor had observed water pouring in and the scoreboard falling. Finally, a large area of the roof collapsed onto an unoccupied seating area.

How much did Kemper Arena sell for?

Kansas City sold Kemper Arena to Foutch for $1. The facility, which had languished since the Sprint Center opened downtown in 2007, was costing the city about $1 million in annual maintenance costs.

How did the Kemper Arena fail?

When was Kemper Arena built in Kansas City?

Here is a timeline of the arena’s 40-year history: 1974 – Kemper Arena opened amid a large public building boom taking place in Kansas City. Crown Center, Kansas City International Airport, Arrowhead Stadium, Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium) and Kemper Arena were all built in the early 1970s.

When do public hearings start for Kemper Arena?

The City Council’s economic development committee has begun a review of the two options: either raze the arena or renovate it. Public hearings begin later in July and a decision will be made within 90 days. Cody Newill is part of KCUR’s audience development team.

When did the roof collapse on Kemper Arena?

In June 1979, pooling rainwater, loose bolts and pressurized drain pipes caused Kemper Arena’s roof to collapse. The American Royal building was practially brand new in 1993, when this photograph was taken. In 1997, a $23 million expansion added nearly 2,000 seats and a glass concourse to Kemper.

When was the American Royal livestock arena built?

Additional American Royal livestock buildings were built adjoining Kemper in 1991–92 at a cost of $33.4 million (the City of Kansas City built the original American Royal Arena in 1922 nearby for about $650,000) In 1997, a $23 million expansion made significant changes to the original Jahn design—most notably a glass-enclosed east lobby.