Kansas City, Mo. ? Developers for a new downtown entertainment district said they are pushing back the grand opening to March to coincide with the Big 12 basketball tournament.

The move, announced by the Cordish Co. Tuesday, surprised city officials, who had been told the district would be ready for the Sprint Center’s Oct. 10 debut.

“We’re somewhat disappointed,” City Manager Wayne Cauthen said. “The expectation that was given to me and then-Mayor (Kay) Barnes (was) that part of it would open to coincide with the opening of the Sprint Center.”

Tenants, however, are hoping to make a splash with the large crowds expected to filter through the area during the tournament five months later. A spring opening curbs plans for an area-wide kickoff event with the arena.

“No one wants an early opening of the tenants as much as we do,” chairman David Cordish said Tuesday. “On the other hand, sometimes in business you have to do what is best for the tenants, the project and the community over the long haul.

“In this instance, we have listened to the tenants, who overwhelmingly chose the early spring of next year as the proper time to open the entire Kansas City Power & Light District.”

City officials, however, think that more tenants could be ready to open in October.

Rick Usher, downtown projects coordinator, said that the contractor hired to build the district’s retail buildings reported that parts of three of the main blocks are ready for tenants to begin finishing work.