KANSAS CITY, Mo. — UMKC basketball returned to downtown Kansas City, Mo., on Friday night, as the Roos men’s and women’s teams tipped off their home schedules at Municipal Auditorium, the first time the programs have called the building home since 2018.
The move comes as the city lines up a major makeover for the 90-year-old venue. Mayor Quinton Lucas said $75 million of the $100 million bond question that voters passed in August is set aside for the auditorium. City Council members also signed off this week on plans covering Bartle Hall, the Music Hall and the auditorium.
According to Matt Cunningham, who serves as a deputy operations director for City Hall, bond dollars are earmarked for new arena seating, updated restrooms and better concessions, plus simpler paths through the buildings. The work also calls for exterior changes that tie the auditorium to Barney Allis Plaza and make nearby streets easier to walk.
Lucas has said the goal is year-round activity downtown, and the renovation is meant to keep the Art Deco building competitive while holding on to its character. The auditorium piece is one part of a much bigger district plan expected to run about $500 million across 10 years.
The building carries deep basketball history. Its floor has staged nine Final Fours, a record for any arena, and the Roos first made it their home in the late 1980s.
Athletics director Brandon Martin called the night emotional and said the school wants to build ties with neighbors and downtown workers. UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal made the trip from campus to the game on the streetcar.
Former Roos guard Michael Watson, who holds the program’s career record for three-pointers, played at the auditorium from 2000 to 2004.
Section: More Kansas City MO sports news
Filed under: Kansas City MO Sports News
