UMKC has revised its vision for how to develop a five-acre parcel of land at 51st Street and Brookside Boulevard, next to the southern terminus of the Kansas City Streetcar. That new vision calls for a phased approach, with the first step focused on retail and a later step to include building a small arena for UMKC Division I athletics and community events.
Based on this new approach, UMKC will close the current Request for Proposals, or RFP, which sought plans for a combined retail/arena project adjacent to the new streetcar stop. UMKC may seek further proposals in coming months.
With the highly anticipated start of streetcar service to UMKC in mid-2025, the university foresees increased traffic and visitors to campus. In collaboration with the Streetcar Authority, UMKC has opened a parking garage for public use by commuters that is connected by a pedestrian walkway from the garage to the streetcar stop.
UMKC envisions a project on its Brookside property as a community asset and highly visible gateway to the UMKC campus from the west. Retail amenities would be a natural addition to the area, and would also benefit UMKC students, faculty and staff.
The university launched the original RFP in 2023, but later hit pause to conduct a feasibility study to determine the right combination of size and programming for the proposed arena and how that would fit in with retail development and be financially viable.
The results of that analysis have led to the uncoupling of the projects. But UMKC leaders are still high on the project. They say the phased approach will give the university more flexibility to work with partners to achieve their vision for a community asset that will benefit the campus and its neighbors.