What started out in 2019 as a vision for a state-of-the art facility dubbed the “Epicenter for Agriculture” is nearing fruition with the barn raising held Nov. 28.
In 2019, the American Royal purchased 47 acres near the Kansas Motor Speedway, and at the time, the Patterson Family Foundation acquired 80 neighboring acres and signed a 99- year lease agreement with the American Royal Association for 68 of those acres, providing the American Royal a total of 115 acres for the new complex.
Four years later, construction is underway and a barn raising event celebrated the vertical construction beginning. Nearly 500 competitors, volunteers, board members, and supporters witnessed the first piece of steel to be placed at the new facility.
Walt George, chair of the new building committee and secretary of the American Royal board of directors, said the purpose-built complex is designed to attract visitors year-round to the Kansas and Wyandotte County for food and agricultural events.
“It all starts today with the barn,” he said. “Although it sounds so simple to just call it the barn.”
The facility will be much more than that—spanning 390,000 square feet. More than 1,500 horses or nearly 4,000 head of cattle will be able to be housed, along with three arenas and a state-of-the-art learning and engagement center. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly in her remarks noted the importance of such a facility.
“The agriculture industry is the lifeblood of our great state, and this new American Royal campus is going to serve as a national leader in education, events, and engagement—creating a food and agriculture innovation district that will be unlike any other in the world,” Kelly said. “It will also play a critical role in building up our workforce by instilling in young visitors a sense of pride about Kansas’ deep agriculture heritage, perhaps inspiring them to pursue a career here.”
American Royal board member Cliff Illig told attendees the new complex will be a place for relevant conferences, collaborations and events to happen, placing special emphasis on those events featuring innovations in food, fiber and fuel.
“Visitors of all ages and backgrounds will come together to learn, celebrate and advance an industry that impacts each and every one of us, every single day,” Illig said.
Lindsey Patterson Smith, co-chair of the American Royal campaign cabinet, said her father, the late Neal Patterson, saw the opportunity the American Royal held in creating a connection between agrarian and urban lifestyles, as well as the need for the organization to continue to evolve.
“I am beyond thrilled to celebrate this milestone for the American Royal,” Patterson Smith said. “The vision for the American Royal is aligned with that opportunity, and this facility is a critical tool to get there.”
Move an emotional one
American Royal President Jackie McClaskey told the Kansas City Business Journal earlier in 2023 the move to Kansas was an emotional transition. The current American Royal Complex is located in the West Bottoms area of Kansas City, Missouri.
“If there was 127 acres available for us in the West Bottoms to build on here, of course we’d do it, but we just don’t have the space,” McClaskey said in the article. “But we plan to bring the West Bottoms and honor it wherever we go.”
The organization wants to pay homage to the original facility—keeping things like the exterior red brick and the emphasis on agriculture and the cattle business.
“It made Kansas City what it is today. If it’s not for the stockyards, Kansas City is not the place that we know and love,” she said in the Journal article.
McClaskey hopes the new facility will not only bring new opportunities but allow the group to tell the stories better in the new home.
“Maybe over time, everybody in the West Bottoms has sort of taken our history for granted,” she said in the interview. “And now we’re just going to make a really conscious effort to tell the story over and over again to remind and encourage people to celebrate another 125 years of Kansas City tradition.”
The facility is expected to host its first event in late 2025 or early 2026. For more information about the American Royal and the new facility, visit www.americanroyalontherise.com.
Kylene Scott can be reached at 620-227-1804 or [email protected].
