“Very early in the process we realized that this was not just about transforming an important building. It was also about a new energy, a transformational energy that will propel this building and in many ways the arts and culture of Kansas City into the next 100 years. The old energy was coal that moved through the building to power Union Station and the precinct. The new energy is a creative power that is the product of the students and professional dancers—beauty, creativity and art.   This was a true marriage of old and new.”
Steve McDowell, Principal, BNIM Architects

“The Bolender Center is one of the best designed and thought-out dance facilities in the country, which means that it is one of the best in the world.   This new facility surpasses our expectations. Large, open studios, natural light as well as a 180-seat studio theater will now make it possible to create, rehearse and perform in an expansive environment.”
William Whitener, Former Artistic Director, Kansas City Ballet  

“One of the things that compelled me to accept this position with Kansas City Ballet was the power of this building.”
Devon Carney, New Artistic Director, Kansas City Ballet  

“At a time when most cities are reducing investment in the arts, how refreshing it is to be in Kansas City where the arts are flourishing.   It is truly an excellent dance building. I'm lucky enough to travel all over the world and see dance facilities everywhere and I can't think of one in the world that is more beautiful than this building.”
Michael M. Kaiser, President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts  

“The project team had the daunting task of turning generator rooms into dance studios, coal bunkers into dressing rooms, and fire pits into useable space while maintaining enough historical building aspects for the Ballet to earn federal tax credits. Our entire design, construction and client team performed preconstruction planning for over two years in order to complete the design required to convert the Power House building to the home of KCB.”
Chris Szeliga, Sr. Project Manager with General Contractor, JE Dunn Construction  

“Everything about this restoration—from the building's use, to its design, to the power of ballet, the power of dance, the power of art—all of this restores that energy for which the Power House was initially designed.   Kansas City Ballet was not the first organization to approach me about an adaptive reuse of the Power House, but theirs was the best approach. It was a beautiful and respectful fit.”
Cydney Millstein, Architectural & Historical Research, LLC