|
This
summer, as sports pundits squabbled about the possibility
of a downtown stadium, the National Association of Basketball
Coaches furthered its work to build a $25 million basketball
mecca at Municipal Auditorium.
"This isn't talk on (sports-talk radio) that we would,
could, should do something," said Jeff Doherty, vice
president of Hartsook and Associates, the NABC's fund-raising
firm. "We are."
Slated to open at the end of 2002, the National Basketball
Center will house the NABC's headquarters and a 60,000-square-foot
museum.
So far, the NABC has secured $8 million, including $5 million
from the city to repair and revamp the building's shell. The
NABC wants to raise an additional $10 million to $15 million
nationwide and $5 million to $8 million in Kansas City. To
that end, it has secured tax credits for Missouri corporations
that donate.
According to a survey by Horwath Hospitality Inc., the center
will generate about $8 million annually in Kansas City. That
includes ticket prices, retail sales, event revenue, taxes,
parking revenue and concession sales.
Admission probably will cost around $8. The city will get
$1 from each ticket.
Visitors
will enter from Wyandotte Street into the auditorium's east
lobby. The center's foyer will be constructed to complement
the art deco look at Municipal Auditorium, said NABC associate
executive director Tom Ford, noting the russet-colored tile
that lines the walls.
"We
like this. It looks like a basketball," he said.
The center also will sound like basketball. Speakers will
pipe in the game's signature sounds -- bouncing balls, squeaking
shoes, referees' whistles. In the interactive area, amateur
hoopsters will provide such noises live.
The interior layout was designed by Edwin Schlossberg Inc.,
a New York-based firm that specializes in educational and
interactive facilities. Some of its recent works include the
Pope
John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, DC, and children's
museums in Charlotte, NC, and Los Angeles.
For
the National Basketball Center, ESI designed an interactive
area with six activities, including a three-point shooting
gallery, an adjustable slam-dunk rim and a booth that will
chart each visitor's vertical leap and point out the muscles
involved.
"When you take a shot, it's not magic. It's science,
athleticism and history," said Alexandra Alfaro, the
project executive. "We're exploring basketball through
different lenses. We want someone who knows a lot down there
with someone who knows a little, and let them have fun together."
The interactive "Fan Experience" will occupy the
center's lower level. On the mezzanine floor will be the "Hall
of Honor," a walk-through history of the game. The Hall
of Honor will comprise a team and community area, which will
showcase NCAA and select high school teams; "Gallery
of the Guardians," which will pay tribute to coaches,
starting with James Naismith, the game's inventor and first
coach; and "Legends Hall," which will celebrate
inductees into the NABC's Hall of Honor.
A 1,500-square-foot retail shop, where the NABC will sell
items such as jerseys, golf shirts and its line of coaching
resources, also is planned.
Municipal Auditorium is a perfect fit for a basketball mecca,
said Kevin Gray, president of the Greater Kansas City Sports
Commission & Foundation. The auditorium has played host
to more Final Fours (nine) and more NCAA Division I tournament
games (83) than any other arena.
"This venue just reeks of basketball," Gray said.
"It's a perfect and natural fit for us. College basketball
in Kansas City is a strength we should build upon."
Reach Katie Hollar at 816-421-5900 or by e-mail at khollar@bizjournals.com
###