KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas addressed numerous deferred maintenance needs at the Kansas City Convention Center Friday, noting how the Question 1 bond measure on the Nov. 8 general election ballot would fund improvements if approved by voters.
Question 1 would allocate $45 million to fund improvements at the Convention Center and Music Hall. The bond measure would also provide $80 million for Parks and Recreation deferred maintenance improvements in all 10 community centers as well as parks, pools, and recreation facilities in all areas and Council districts of Kansas City.
Any Convention Center projects funded by the bond would first have to go to the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council for a final vote of approval.
"This is a no-tax increase bond election and so there is no particular impact on anyone who is paying their tax bill," Lucas said. "Instead, this is the sort of thing where we actually saw that we have the opportunity on our city ballot sheets to bring up this important issue so we could address deferred maintenance. I think this is a fiscally responsible way to make sure we're addressing these items."
Lucas compared the cost of renovations to starting from scratch, saying that building a new Municipal Auditorium would possibly cost at least $200 million and a new Convention Center may cost even more than that.
"Rather than spending half a billion dollars on new infrastructure in the city, doing it right, making sure you're taking care of your structures is something that I'm proud of city government being a big part of," Lucas said. "We're not looking to move on from some of our important facilities."
Prioritized maintenance needs in the Convention Center include technology and network upgrades, carpet replacement, and restroom renovations.
"I think we all saw that at this moment, it's important for us to make sure that as we talk World Cups and every big thing coming to Kansas City, we take care of what is still here each and every day," Lucas said.
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