Kansas City, Mo. ? Kansas City officials say they’ve secured historic preservation status for Kemper Arena.

The Kansas City Star reports that the National Park Service made the decision last week to list the arena on the National Register of Historic Places.

City manager Troy Schulte says the decision allows officials to move forward to redevelop the arena as an amateur sports complex. The city hopes to transfer ownership of the arena to Foutch Brothers by the end of this year for the $25 million to $30 million project.

The historic designation makes the arena eligible for tax credits.

Historic preservation consultant Elizabeth Rosin says the arena represents “a specific point in time,” in the late 1960s and early 1970s when many cities built multipurpose arenas that became community gathering spots for concerts, sports and other entertainment.