The University of Missouri-Kansas City will relocate its engineering programs from the Volker campus into a new building near the Crossroads, a move the university says is driven by internship placement rather than real estate.
The numbers behind the move
University data shows that 71 percent of engineering graduates accept a first job within four miles of the campus where they studied. The Volker campus sits four miles from the employment core; the new site sits inside it.
- Roughly 1,900 students across four engineering programs
- A 140,000 square foot building on a site to be acquired in 2027
- Target opening for the 2031 academic year
- Co-op placement rate currently 62 percent, target 80 percent
The funding question
The university has not published a cost estimate. A capital campaign is expected to launch next year, and the project will require state approval before any construction money is committed.
That is the part to watch. University building projects in Missouri have a long history of being announced, designed and then deferred through several budget cycles.
We are not moving to be near downtown. We are moving to be near the people who hire our students.
A university provost
What happens to Volker
The existing engineering buildings will be repurposed for health sciences and general classroom space, which the campus has been short of since enrolment began climbing in 2023.
Marisol Vega
Marisol has covered Kansas City government since 2016, with a focus on transit, land use and the city budget. She grew up in Argentine and lives in Northeast.
