Belton holds public hearing on $250 million in tax breaks for entertainment district

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Ryan has extensively covered the Uptown Entertainment District in Belton, Missouri. If you have comments or concerns, please reach out. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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On Tuesday night, the Belton City Council is holding a public hearing regarding its major Uptown Development District, for the issuance of $250 million in Industrial Revenue Bonds (Chapter 100) to fund the project over a 20-year period.

To go along with a potential tax abatement is $250 million of private investment.

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KSHB 41 Cass County Reporter Ryan Gamboa has extensively covered the progress of the project since it was first announced in November 2025.

The multi-purpose development, in addition to 600 new homes, would offer five 6,000-square-foot sit-down restaurants, 7,500 square feet of retail and a 110,000-square-foot entertainment complex.

Back on March 10, 2026, at a city council meeting, Tyler Burks, a representative from the developer PETRA, announced that an agreement had been signed with B&B Theatres.

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The agreement would include go-karts, a new movie theater and a bowling alley.

Since the project was announced back in November 2025, the developer PETRA has stated the project would be paid for through private funding.

In the past year, PETRA has gone to the city council to consider other taxpayer-funded mechanisms to help finance the project.

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The project is expected to come in four phases, starting with a 100,000-square-foot entertainment district with a mix of retail uses. Phase two includes 30,000 square feet of pad sites for retail and dining. Phase three includes approximately 312 residential units in a multi-family development. Finally, phase four rounds off 288 housing units and 15,000 square feet of retail space.

According to public documents, the $250 million Chapter 100 bonds do not require the expenditure of city funds. The bonds will be purchased by the developer or its affiliates, and are payable solely from project revenue and do not constitute a debt or liability to the city of Belton.

Public records indicate that, upon completion of the project, it will significantly increase the property value, estimated to generate upwards of $67 million in taxes. Under the proposed agreement, the developer would only pay $11.5 million in property taxes over the next 20-years, if passed, saving the developer about $56 million over the abatement period.

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The most impacted over the next 20-years by a loss of taxes paid is the Belton School District — it's estimated $35 million will be abated if passed, followed by the city of Belton, and a combination of other taxing jurisdictions.

The developer, PETRA, is also asking for a second funding agreement where they receive up to $7 million from the sales taxes the new business generates, essentially indicating taxpayers are helping pay for the project's infrastructure cost through tax breaks and sales tax rebates.

The Uptown District development is one of the largest projects to date for the city of Belton to take on.

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The city is also considering the development of a professional baseball stadium, and the city has yet to release a feasibility study pertaining to that project.

Additionally, the city is actively engaged in litigation pertaining to an affordable housing development in Belton. The lawsuit claims the city sided with discriminatory comments made by residents in opposition to the project and violated the Fair Housing Act.

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The Belton City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The Council Chambers are located at 520 Main Street in downtown Belton.

While residents will not have the chance to provide input on the project due to the council not offering a specific public comment period without prior sign-up, the public is still encouraged to attend.

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