OUR FUTURE
Building a dedicated curling facility will not only bring more available ice but better ice by which we can become better curlers.
Building for the Future
POLLiNg
In April we polled our existing database and nearly 200 current and past curlers responded to our poll about a new facility and we post some graphs related to the results.
Choices Ahead
In order to maintain the growth of our current membership and to enhance the experience of the sport in the Kansas City metro area, your Board of Directors, has requested the building committee to focus on the feasibility of having a dedicated ice surface in the Kansas City area. At present, there are two main options the committee is looking at.
1. Purchase land and have a building built to our specifications. Clubs such as Denver, Charlotte and Triangle have recently accomplished.
Denver (built in 2013)
Charlotte (built in 2013)
Triangle (built in 2013)
2. Lease a pre-made facility, we then make the necessary alternations to have dedicated ice for our members. Clubs Ft. Wayne , Columbus, Evergreen and Coyotte have all gone this route recently.
Columbus (built in 2008)
Evergreen (built in 2009)
Whichever option is chosen, The Board and Building Committee is working towards a solution that will be in the best long term interest of the club.
In speaking with these clubs we have learned much including that membership within the club increases dramatically as soon as dedicated ice is available. The growth in memberships from these clubs has varied from 100 – 300 %. For our dedicated ice surface to be a success, we too will need to have this type of growth.
To date, We have a commercial realtor identifying locations for build or lease and have identified a number of potentail sites to evaluate. Talked with a number of city chambers and community group that could offer us assistance. Met with targeted cities to gauge issues. Prepared a preliminary design for cost estimating, preparing a proforma, all to go into a business plan we are developing.
As with most curling club and how we currently operate, we have no paid staff and we will need your assistance at some level whether it is experience, time or money over the construction process or the day to day operations when we complete that process. Therefore it is important to us for you to identify yourself so that we know what you are willing to do. Any one of us will gladly sit down with you and discuss our developing plan and identify how and where you can fit into this plan.
So far we have raised some tax deductable money as seen in our donation bar on the right, but what is not shown is that we have created an LLC and we have individuals who are willing to contribute a significant amount of money in terms of a loan to make it possible for the Kansas City Curling Club to have a dedicated curling facility. To make it better for the long term viability for the club, if there are any individuals interested in participating in this investment opportunity, please contact Grant Sarris and call him directly at
To better help you visualise this dream We have attached an early preliminary design.
Next Step... Business Plan
Club Overview
The Kansas City Curling Club was initially formed in 1987. When the club started initially, they curled out of the Ice Chateau facility in Overland Park, but after a few years moved to the Crown Center Ice Terrace. Due to various challenges, the club went on hiatus in 1995.
With the growth of the sport due to the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, there was a renewed desire for the sport in the Kansas City area. The club was reformed in 2003. From 2003 until 2011, the club played at the Pepsi Ice Midwest arena in Overland Park. After that facility no longer had the capabilities to produce ice, the club moved to the Line Creek arena in Kansas City.
Now in our 13th season since being reformatted, we offer our members a 20 week season. This is comprised of an open house and 3, six week leagues. Our club in comprised of players of various amounts of experience; from beginners to seasoned players. In the current year we have 26 teams participating at three different times. The highlight of the year is the annual Bar – B – Q bonspiel. Participation in the bonspiel has grown over time. From 14 teams in the beginning to being maxed out at 32 teams the past two years. This bonspiel has been an outstanding success. There have been team participating from various locations across the country, these include; Dallas, Memphis, Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis and Des Moines.
With the continued hard work of current and past members, the club has continued to grow. At present there are approximately 85 members. This is close to the maximum number of members we can work with. It is due to this limited room for growth that the club is seeking our own dedicated ice surface.
As a 501 c (3) non-profit organization, donations to the Kansas City Curling Club are deductible for income tax purposes.
Market Overview
When looking at the market for potential curlers we need to start with the number of inhabitants within the Kansas City metro area. As of 2009, there were 2.084 million people in this area. While curling participants can encompass most age categories, we do need to remove those individuals under the age of 10. In addition, while the club does have curlers that are over 65, the growth of the club is with those individuals under 65. Once these two age brackets are removed, the market potential decreases to 1.539 million people.
Curling has an advantage over several other recreational sports, but of the big advantages is the low cost of entry. With the median household income being $ 54,516, the income in the community is sufficient enough to attract sufficient number of members to make the club a success.