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Black Meetings & Tourism December 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 7 icon, band leader, Count Basie musically put Kansas City on the map with stylized swinging, a light touch and dazzling band interaction. Twenty- Five years after his passing the nation's most cen- tralized and 28th largest metropolitan area has coolly taken on his persona. It's orchestrating major developments, with low-key, but nonethe- less noticeable refinements that are well timed and significantly revitalize its core downtown. For meeting and event planners KC's stimulat- ing changes have created a dynamic, yet balanced cityscape full of possibilities. The newly renovated convention center is a technological marvel and $150 million project completed in 2007. It offers 388,800 sq. ft. of space, 48 meeting rooms, and one of the 10 largest ballrooms in the country (46,484 sq. ft.). Incorporated within the meeting center is Kansas City's Art Deco Municipal Auditorium complex, originally opened in 1936. It has a 2,400- seat fine arts theatre, 10,700-capacity arena and 46,000-sq. ft. exhibition hall, with an octagon shaped theatre/ballroom seat- ing 400 and banquets up to 225 (800) 821-7060/www.kccon- vention.com. Hilton's The President Hotel, built in 1926 and a longtime favorite of dignitaries and celebrities was majestically trans- formed in 2006. Instead of becoming larger, the original 453 rooms were reduced to 213 spacious rooms, with five suites and 21 junior suites. Landmark period areas built in 1941, such as The Aztec, Walnut and Drum rooms have been restored to their original splendor. Additionally, the facility offers 12,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and the breath-taking 4,500-sq. ft. Congress Ballroom (816) 221-9190/www.hilton.com. Marriott Kansas City Downtown is a 946-room property, with 37 suites. 100,000 sq. ft. of space, and 42 meeting rooms (800) 228-9290/www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcidt-kansas- city-marriott-downtown. Nearby is Destination Crown Center, a multifaceted consor- tium encompassing the Hyatt Regency (816) 421-1234, Westin (816) 474-4400, 60 shops, three live theaters and outdoor ter- races. Specs for the Crown Center include 1,460 rooms, 90 suites, 140, 000 sq. ft. of space, 52 meeting rooms and The Link, a climate controlled walkway connecting everything, including Union Station (816) 274-8374/www.crowncenter.com. The most popular aspect of KC's transition is the Power & Light District, a nine-square block area adjacent to office buildings, hotels, theaters, stadiums and the convention center (877) 697-5347/www.powerandlightdis-trict.com. Inside the district is a vibrant mixture of restaurants, bars, shops and live entertainment stage. Appealing national establishments such as Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant, Lucky Strike Lanes, and Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge are inter- woven with local ones. Within close proximity of the P&L sector is the $276 million Sprint Center, an 18,500-seat arena for concerts and sporting events (816) 949-7100/www.sprintcen-ter.com. It opened in 2007 with an Elton John concert and inaugurated Tina Turner's spectacular tour a year later. Collegiate basketball lovers can go next door to the interactive College Basketball Experience, with an ESPN Sports Center mockup and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (816) 949-7500/www.col- legebasketballexperience.com. Regarding high art, the $326 million Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is scheduled to open for the 2010-2011 season. The Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera, and Ballet will perform at the 1,600-seat concert hall and 1,800-seat proscenium theatre www.kauffmancenter.org. The Nelson- Atkins Museum of Art, also home to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, recently experienced a $200 million expan- sion and reopened with 65% more exhibit space (816) 751- 1278/www.nelson-atkins.org. Another highlight is the newly created National World War I Museum; uniquely under Kansas City's beacon 22-story Liberty Memorial and a wide-ranging depiction of the Great War (816) 784-1918/www.-theworld- war.org. Not to be forgotten is the venerable 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District, with a complex that includes the American Jazz Museum (816) 474-8463/www.american-jazzmuseum.com and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (816) 221-1920/www.- nlbm.com, along with nightspots such as The Blue Room, Changing Gallery, and the Gem Theater, a 500-seat performing arts center. Tributes to jazz greats including Basie, are regular happenings. The Kansas City Airport (KCI) is 20 minutes from down- town and serviced by all the major airlines. For information: (800) 767-7700/www.visitkc.com. BY CHRIS J. WALKER KANSAS CITY ORCHESTRATES MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS FAM REPORT © Jo Ann Snover