City hires consultants as Truman Sports Complex faces uncertain future

With the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs possibly leaving the Truman Sports Complex, Kansas City leaders are beginning to plan for what comes next at the city’s longtime sports site.Kansas City leaders approved an ordinance Thursday allowing the city manager to quickly hire outside consultants and spend up to $450,000 to study future downtown entertainment and recreation projects tied to the Truman Sports Complex.The measure authorizes contracts with economists, urban planners, attorneys and engineers to assist with redevelopment and planning efforts in collaboration with Jackson County. City officials said the work will focus on evaluating options for the complex and surrounding areas as the long-term future of the site remains uncertain.”We care about working on the future of the Truman Sports Complex,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “We’re already speaking to firms and others about how to have a repurposed future for the Truman Sports Complex.”Lucas said the complex is an “important part of Kansas City” and said one of the reasons for the lack of development was the teams wanting a large parking lot at the complex.To speed the process, the ordinance waives the city’s normal bidding and contracting requirements, a move the City Council said is in the city’s best interest. The funds will come from the city’s Conventions and Sports Complex Fund.The vote happened following an executive session.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

With the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs possibly leaving the Truman Sports Complex, Kansas City leaders are beginning to plan for what comes next at the city’s longtime sports site.

Kansas City leaders approved an ordinance Thursday allowing the city manager to quickly hire outside consultants and spend up to $450,000 to study future downtown entertainment and recreation projects tied to the Truman Sports Complex.

The measure authorizes contracts with economists, urban planners, attorneys and engineers to assist with redevelopment and planning efforts in collaboration with Jackson County.

City officials said the work will focus on evaluating options for the complex and surrounding areas as the long-term future of the site remains uncertain.

“We care about working on the future of the Truman Sports Complex,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said. “We’re already speaking to firms and others about how to have a repurposed future for the Truman Sports Complex.”

Lucas said the complex is an “important part of Kansas City” and said one of the reasons for the lack of development was the teams wanting a large parking lot at the complex.

To speed the process, the ordinance waives the city’s normal bidding and contracting requirements, a move the City Council said is in the city’s best interest.

The funds will come from the city’s Conventions and Sports Complex Fund.

The vote happened following an executive session.