American Royal Complex Breaks Ground Near Village West/Kansas Speedway
Published on December 01, 2023
NeW American Royal Complex Hopes To Create Large Economic Impact, Jobs for WYCO
On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, nearly 500 people, including officials from the American Royal Association, the Unified Government and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, attended a steel column raising for the American Royal's new $350 million headquarters complex in KCK.
When completed, the American Royal’s new 127-acre campus, located just east of 118th Street and State Avenue and northwest of the Kansas Speedway, will span more than 390,000 square feet - almost seven football fields worth of space, near Village West in Wyandotte County. The new facility will include three arenas, a state-of-the-art learning and engagement center and 100 acres of space for livestock shows, the World Series of Barbecue competition and agricultural education.
“The American Royal is constructing a purpose-built complex designed to attract visitors year-round to Kansas and Wyandotte County for food and agriculture events,” explained Walt George, chair of the new building committee and secretary of the American Royal Board of Directors, during the barn raising ceremony. “It all starts today with the barn, although it sounds so simple to just call it the barn.”
Unified Government officials believe the new facility will account for an estimated 4,900 new jobs, draw 2 million visitors a year and provide $526 million in economic growth over a 20-year period.
Governor Kelly expressed her belief that the new complex will help promote Kansas's agricultural industry, saying that 13% of the state's workforce has ties to farming and food production industries.
“Wyandotte County is the perfect place for the American Royal,” Kelly said. “This campus is going to serve as a national leader in events, education and engagement creating a food and agricultural district that will be unlike any other in the world.”
Construction will continue throughout the year. The American Royal expects construction on the new campus to be complete in two years with its first event scheduled by late 2025 or early 2026.
