KCMO City Council approves millions to expand CPKC Stadium, projects along riverfront

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted Thursday to approve the expansion of CPKC Stadium and the riverfront area.

Development upgrades will focus on more major events, housing and entertainment, per the city.

Renovations to the stadium will increase capacity to over 18,000, which could help attract the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup.

KCMO is set to pitch in $185 million, funded through sales tax revenue generated by the stadium and surrounding district. Debt shortfalls will be the responsibility of the Current's ownership group.

"For too many years, our riverfront was a landfill in the heart of our city," KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a news release. "Today, our riverfront is a leading destination in our region and the Midwest that's poised to grow even more. With the City's approvals, the riverfront will continue to transform into a place where people can watch a match, walk an extended trail, and be part of a vibrant neighborhood."

The new infrastructure will help support a mixed-use district, new transit and other improvements, like trail extensions and updates to stormwater and drainage systems.

Plus, the mayor said 1,500 parking spaces will be added in the process of building out the "most innovative public-private sports and entertainment project in the Midwest."

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