UMKC Breaks Ground on $41 Million Conservatory Expansion

Posted September 24, 2026

The University of Missouri-Kansas City has officially broken ground on its $41 million conservatory expansion project.

The 35,000-square-foot addition will create new spaces for music, dance and theatre while increasing the Conservatory’s capacity to serve students and the Kansas City community, according to a Thursday release.

The expansion will have a phased development, with phase one expected to take approximately 18 months.

The expansion—which was first announced in May 2025—will feature a new glass- and light-filled addition from the east side of the Olson Performing Arts Center toward Volker Boulevard. It will include a large music ensemble rehearsal and performance space, two dance rehearsal halls, dance support spaces, a new accessible black-box theatre and student areas.

“Today has been decades in the making,”  Mauli Agrawal, UMKC Chancellor, said in the release. “We are not simply adding square footage to the Olson Performing Arts Center. We are expanding a home where talent is discovered, nurtured and shared with the world.”

Once complete, the Conservatory will have the capability to increase enrollment in dance and theatre by as much as 40% as well as new programs and after-school lessons. The school also plans to increase the number of K-12 students its servesto approximately 80 students to as many as 600 annually.

Phase Two of the project will focus on renovating existing facilities, including White Recital Hall. Morel classroom and theatre space, flexible areas for performances and special events and a central hub for student resources are planned for the second phase of construction, according to the release.