Scoop: Employees detail sudden move out of worsening UMKC building
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The UMKC building at 4825 Troost. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Employees who worked at a recently vacated University of Missouri–Kansas City building say they were given less than six weeks to find a new location — even though the university had planned to decommission it for years.
Why it matters: A KCUR employee tells Axios the deadline "blindsided" the station and caused interruptions to its broadcast.
Driving the news: The university tells Axios it had planned for years to decommission the building without setting a date, but worsening conditions forced an abrupt decision days before Christmas.
What we're hearing: Parts of the UMKC building, including the former site of its Technology Support Center, have been locked down for years due to safety concerns, per the KCUR employee, who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity.
- They say bathrooms and a dining area were also quartered off, and a recent peek inside revealed a splitting wall and a sinking floor.
- Staff have been working mostly remotely since moving out, and the KCUR employee said it took more than 100 volunteer hours to move expensive equipment and vacate their home of 41 years.
- The KCUR employee tells Axios the shortened timeline caused broadcast disruptions, including dead air, as well as stressful and disorganized working conditions.
The other side: "For years, it has been UMKC's plan to decommission 4825 Troost, but no date had been set," Downs tells Axios, adding that the university helped tenants relocate once the deadline was given.
Between the lines: The university vacated its Technology Support Center at 4825 Troost in the second half of 2022, per a UMKC report.
- Downs did not answer Axios' questions about how many years ago that plan had been made, why no timeline was previously set or why the school's tech center was moved.
Behind the scenes: KCRep chief executive Jeremy Dewey confirmed sections of the building were closed off and parts of the building's floor were sinking.
- KCRep had to find a new place for the costumes for "A Christmas Carol" and is still working on relocating its admin team, all while rehearsing "One of the Good Ones," which opens Feb. 17.
Yes, but: Dewey says UMKC has been helpful in finding solutions, calling this a "creative problem-solving exercise" that will result in a net positive for KCRep.
- "It was rather stressful to walk through, but everyone really linked arms," he says.
State of play: UMKC announced earlier this month it was finalizing a lease for KCUR in the Plaza, though a location was not released.