NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Kemper Arena

Kemper Arena American Royal Center is an 19,500 seat indoor arena in Kansas City, Missouri that has hosted NCAA Final Four basketball games, professional basketball and hockey teams, the 1976 Republican Convention, and is the ongoing host of the American Royal livestock show. Image File history File links Kemper-arena. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Official website: http://www. ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... An illuminated, suspended, oval roof covers the 102m span of the central Forum of the Sony Center, Berlin. ... The Kansas City Scouts were an ice hockey franchise that played in the National Hockey League from 1974-1976 out of Kansas City, Missouri. ... The Sacramento Kings are a National Basketball Association team based in Sacramento, California. ... The name Kansas City Comets has been used by two different indoor soccer teams. ... The Kansas City Blades were a minor league ice hockey club that played in the International Hockey League from 1990 until the demise of the IHL in May of 2001. ... The name Kansas City Comets has been used by two different indoor soccer teams. ... Conference National Division Southern Year founded 2006 Home arena Kemper Arena City, State Kansas City, Missouri Wild card titles none Division titles none Conference titles none ArenaBowl championships none The Kansas City Brigade is an Arena Football League team that is playing their inaugural season at Kemper Arena in Kansas... The following is a list of indoor arenas. ... Nickname: City of Fountains or Heart of America Official website: http://www. ...

It is named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr., a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $3.2 million from his estate for the arena. R. Crosby Kemper Sr. ...

Currently, it is the home of the Kansas City Brigade of the Arena Football League. The usefulness of the arena will effectively end in the fall of 2007 with the opening of the Sprint Center. Conference National Division Southern Year founded 2006 Home arena Kemper Arena City, State Kansas City, Missouri Wild card titles none Division titles none Conference titles none ArenaBowl championships none The Kansas City Brigade is an Arena Football League team that is playing their inaugural season at Kemper Arena in Kansas... The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. ... The Sprint Center is a large multi-use indoor arena being built in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, located at 13th Street and Grand Avenue [2]. It is scheduled to be completed in October of 2007 and is expected to seat 18,500 people and have 72 suites. ...

History

Helmut Jahn's First Major Project Rises From the Stockyards

Kemper Arena was built in 18 months in 1973-74 on the site of the former Kansas City Stockyards just west of downtown in the West Bottoms to replace the 8,000-seat Municipal Auditorium to play host to the city's professional basketball and hockey teams. Kansas City Stockyards in 1909 The Kansas City Stockyards in the West Bottoms west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri flourished from 1871 until closing in 1991. ... The West Bottoms is an industrial area immediately to the west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River. ... Municipal Auditorium is a 9,287-seat multi-purpose arena in Kansas City. ...

The arena was the first major project of German architect Helmut Jahn who was to go on to become one of the most important architects of his era. An illuminated, suspended, oval roof covers the 102m span of the central Forum of the Sony Center, Berlin. ...

The building was revolutionary in its simplicity and the fact it did not have interior columns obstructing views. Its roof is suspended by exterior steel trusses. The nearly windowless structure contrasts to Jahn's later signature style of providing wide open glass enclosed spaces. Kemper's exterior skeleton style was to be used extensively throughout Jahn's other projects.

The building cost $22 million and is owned by the city of Kansas City, Missouri. Financing came from seven sources:

R. Crosby Kemper Sr. ... Kansas City Stockyards in 1909 The Kansas City Stockyards in the West Bottoms west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri flourished from 1871 until closing in 1991. ... Jackson County is a county located in the state of Missouri. ...

Glory Days in the 1970s

The arena won architectual awards in the 1970s and had three very prominent tenants: Image File history File links 1976_Republican_National_Convention. ... Image File history File links 1976_Republican_National_Convention. ... Robert Joseph Bob Dole (born July 22, 1923) is best known as a former Republican United States Senate Majority Leader and Senator from Kansas from 1969-1996. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 â€“ June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981â€“1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967â€“1975). ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ... Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 â€“ January 26, 1979), was an American politician, philanthropist and businessman, and was Governor of New York from 1959 to 1973, the 41st Vice President of the United States of America from December 19, 1974 to January 20, 1977, and a leader of the liberal...

1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... The Kansas City Scouts were an ice hockey franchise that played in the National Hockey League from 1974-1976 out of Kansas City, Missouri. ... The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield, which had been used since the leagues inception. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... The Sacramento Kings are a National Basketball Association team based in Sacramento, California. ... NBA logo, depicting former star Jerry West Location of NBA teams, conferences and divisions NBA redirects here. ... The 1976 Republican National Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri at Kemper Arena from August 16 to August 19. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 â€“ June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981â€“1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967â€“1975). ...

1979 Roof Collapse

On June 4, 1979, a major storm with 70 mph winds and heavy rains at 6:45 p.m. caused a portion of Kemper Arena's roof to collapse. Since the Arena was not in use at the time, no one was injured. June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

The collapse -- three years after the hall had hosted the 1976 Republican National Convention -- along with another Kansas City structural failure -- the 1981 Hyatt Regency walkway collapse -- shocked the city and the architecture world. The 1976 Republican National Convention was held in Kansas City, Missouri at Kemper Arena from August 16 to August 19. ... Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carying capacity of a component or member within the structure or of the structure itself. ... View of the lobby floor, during the first day of the investigation The Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapse was a major disaster that occurred on July 17, 1981 in Kansas City, Missouri, killing 114 people and injuring more than 200 others. ...

The American Institute of Architects had given the building an "Honor" award in 1976[1] and thousands of its members were at its annual national conference there less than 24 hours before the 1979 collapse. Further, the collapse coupled with the January 18, 1978, collapse of the Hartford Civic Center from heavy snow in the early morning hours just after a University of Connecticut basketball game prompted architects to seriously reconsider computer models used to determine the safety of arenas. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the professional organization for architects in the United States. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... The Hartford Civic Center is a sports and convention complex located in Hartford, Connecticut. ... University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut, commonly known as UConn, is the State of Connecticuts land-grant university. ...

The arena was one of the first major projects by influential architect Helmut Jahn who was to take over the Murphy/Jahn firm founded by Charles Murphy (architect). Steel trusses that hung from three huge portals supported the reinforced concrete roof. Design elements had called for compensating for winds that caused the roof to swing like a pendulum. The exterior skeleton design had been considered revolutionary in its simplicity (it was built in 18 months). An illuminated, suspended, oval roof covers the 102m span of the central Forum of the Sony Center, Berlin. ... Charles Francis Murphy (1890 â€“ 1985) was an American architect based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Unfortunately, two major factors came together on June 4, to cause the collapse.

The first issue was that the roof had been designed to gradually release rainwater because the sewers in the West Bottoms could not adequately handle the rapid runoff at the nearby confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River. This caused the downpour to "pond" (where water fills in as the roof sagged) adding to the weight. The West Bottoms is an industrial area immediately to the west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri at the confluence of the Missouri River and Kansas River. ... The Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the United States. ... The Kansas River near De Soto and Lenape, Kansas The Kansas (or Kaw) River is a river in eastern Kansas in the United States. ...

The second issue was that there had been a miscalculation on the strength of the bolts on the hangers when subjected to the 70 mph winds while supporting the additional rainwater weight as the roof swung back and forth. Once one of the bolts gave way there was a domino effect on the south side of the roof. Although the bolts were enormous, the media was to make much of the fact that "one broken bolt caused the collapse."

Approximately one acre, or 200 × 215 ft of roof collapsed. The air pressure, increased by the rapidly falling roof caused some of the walls to blow out. However, the portals remained undamaged.

An investigation was conducted and the issues were addressed and the arena reopened within a year.

College Basketball Mecca

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced N-C-Double-A or N-C-Two-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... NAIA is an acronym (or an initialism) that can refer to the following: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in the United States. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored American football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska, and Washington University of... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Categories: College athletics conferences ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mid-Continent Conference (Mid-Con) is a college athletic conference which operates primarily in the Midwestern United States, with outlying teams in Louisiana and Utah. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Other Professional Sports

The name Kansas City Comets has been used by two different indoor soccer teams. ... For the NPSL of 1967 see North American Soccer League National Professional Soccer League was a professional indoor soccer league in the USA. It started out as the American Indoor Soccer Association in 1984 but changed its name to the National Professional Soccer League in 1990. ... The Kansas City Blades were a minor league ice hockey club that played in the International Hockey League from 1990 until the demise of the IHL in May of 2001. ... The International Hockey League (IHL) was a professional hockey league in the United States and Canada from 1945 to 2001. ... The Kansas City Knights is the name of a American Basketball Association minor league basketball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. ... The American Basketball Association (ABA) was founded in 1967 and eventually merged with the National Basketball Association. ... The name Kansas City Comets has been used by two different indoor soccer teams. ... Conference National Division Southern Year founded 2006 Home arena Kemper Arena City, State Kansas City, Missouri Wild card titles none Division titles none Conference titles none ArenaBowl championships none The Kansas City Brigade is an Arena Football League team that is playing their inaugural season at Kemper Arena in Kansas... The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. ...

1999 Death of WWF Star Owen Hart

On May 23, 1999, Kemper Arena hosted WWF Over the Edge which is remembered as the site of WWF superstar Owen Hart's death. A few months later, Owen's brother, Bret Hart and longtime friend Chris Benoit had a tribute match in honor of Owen at Kemper Arena on WCW Monday Nitro. For more details on the accident see the Owen Hart's biography. May 23 is the 143rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (144th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Poster for the 1998 edition of Over the Edge. ... Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 â€“ May 23, 1999) was a Canadian professional wrestler and entertainer. ... Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957 in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian former professional wrestler, and part of the famous Hart wrestling family. ... Christopher Michael BenoÃ®t (born May 21, 1967 in MontrÃ©al, QuÃ©bec), is a French-Canadian professional wrestler currently wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on its Smackdown! brand. ... WCW Monday Nitro logo, 1999-2001. ... Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 â€“ May 23, 1999) was a Canadian professional wrestler and entertainer. ...

On April 21, 2002, the World Wrestling Federation returned to the venue for WWF Backlash where Hulk Hogan began his final reign as WWF Champion when he defeated Triple H in the evening's main event. This was also the last pay-per-view before the company changed its name to World Wrestling Entertainment. This was also the first pay-per-view the company held after its "brand extension", in which the company was split into two different groups - RAW and SmackDown! April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... Backlash 2006s Promotional Poster featuring Triple H WWE Backlash is an annual WWE event, which started in 1999. ... Terrence Gene Bollea (born August 11, 1953 in Augusta, Georgia), best known professionally as Hulk Hogan (and occasionally Hollywood Hulk Hogan), is an American professional wrestler and actor. ... Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1970 in Nashua, New Hampshire) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley (usually abbreviated to Triple H or HHH). Triple H is currently working for the RAW brand of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). ... WWE RAW is the Monday night professional wrestling show for World Wrestling Entertainment. ... WWE Friday Night SmackDown! is a professional wrestling TV show that airs in the United States on UPN, in Canada on The Score Network, in India on Ten Sports, in the UK, Republic of Ireland and mainland Europe on Sky Sports, in Portugal on SIC Radical, in Australia on FOX8...

1990s Additions and Renovations

Additional American Royal livestock buildings were built adjoining Kemper in 1991-92 at a cost of $33.4 million (the City of Kansas City built the original American Royal Arena in 1922 nearby for about $650,000) 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1997 a $23 million expansion made significantly changed to the original Jahn design -- most notably a glass enclosed east lobby. Other changes include: 2,000 more seats, upgraded the lower level seating, four restrooms, and a handicapped entrance to the arena. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

American Royal

The American Royal Association has hosted livestock events at Kemper since it was first constructed. The Royal also helped pay for the original building. Its office is located in the building along with the American Royal Museum. The American Royal Association is home to the American Royal Horse Show, Livestock Show, and Rodeo and which hosts a six-week festival each October to November. The American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri is a livestock show, horse show and rodeo held each year in October and November in the West Bottoms next to to Kemper Arena. ... The American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri is a livestock show, horse show and rodeo held each year in October and November in the West Bottoms next to to Kemper Arena. ...

Facilities

The facilities are managed by Global Spectrum which is a Comcast subsidiary. Facilities in the complex include: Comcast Corporation, (NASDAQ: CMCSA) based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest cable company and the largest broadband (second overall) Internet service provider in the United States. ...

External links

Coordinates: 39.091849° N -94.605632° E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically); large version (pdf) The geographic (earth-mapping) coordinate system expresses every horizontal position on Earth by two of the three coordinates of a spherical coordinate system which is aligned with the spin axis of the Earth. ...

Categories: Arena football venues | Basketball venues in the United States | Indoor arenas in the United States | Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States | Sports in Kansas City | Sports venues in Missouri | College basketball venues | Kansas City metropolitan area | Engineering failures | Professional wrestling venues | Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament venues | NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four Venues The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. ... The Allstate Arena is a sports stadium in Rosemont, Illinois, which is home to the Chicago Wolves hockey club, DePaul University mens basketball, and the Chicago Rush arena football team. ... Northwest side of the Delta Center The Delta Center is an indoor arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The Gaylord Entertainment Center (originally named Nashville Arena) is an all-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee which was completed in 1996. ... This article is about the sports arena. ... The Pepsi Center is an arena located in Denver, Colorado. ... Staples Center is a multipurpose sports arena in downtown Los Angeles, California at the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District. ... Thomas & Mack Center is an arena on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) is a sports and entertainment facility located in Phoenix, Arizona. ... The Van Andel Arena is a 10,834-seat multi-purpose arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ... Note: For the arena in Miami, Florida, see American Airlines Arena. ... The Frank C. Erwin Jr. ... Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, commonly known as Nassau Coliseum (or simply The Coliseum), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, 19 miles (30 km) from New York City. ... Nationwide Arena from Front Street, looking west down Nationwide Blvd. ... The Philips Arena is a indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ... The St. ... The TD Waterhouse Centre (formerly Orlando Arena and unofficially known as the O-Rena) is a indoor arena in Orlando, Florida. ... The Wachovia Center (formerly known as the CoreStates Center and the First Union Center) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Wachovia Spectrum The Wachovia Spectrum (formerly known as the Spectrum, CoreStates Spectrum and First Union Spectrum) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Philadelphia (or Philly) soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia Sound, is a style of soul music characterized by lush instrumental arrangements often featuring sweeping strings and horns. ...

Contents

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