Missouri’s American Royal horse exhibition moving to Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — One of Kansas City’s most venerable cultural institutions, the annual American Royal horse and livestock exhibition, is moving to Kansas from Missouri, officials announced Tuesday.
Their announcement culminates months of work by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and the Kansas Department of Commerce to lure the 117-year-old exhibition across the state line.
The state and American Royal officials are planning on a $160 million development near the Kansas Speedway, with an exposition centre and two arenas — one with 5,000 to 8,000 seats, the other with a couple thousand for smaller events. Kansas is committing to authorizing $80 million in bonds to be paid off with sales tax revenues collected in the area, Brownback said, and officials hope the development will attract a new hotel.
“This is an important growth opportunity for both the Royal and the region,” Brownback said during a news conference at the speedway in west Wyandotte County. “It’s up to us to claim this mantle and move it forward.”