Kansas City’s football future may hinge on a single meeting in Topeka, where lawmakers will decide whether to fund a new stadium that could bring the Chiefs across state lines.
Legislative Countdown
With a year-end deadline approaching, the Legislative Coordinating Council is scheduled to meet Monday in Topeka, Kansas, to consider approving STAR bonds that would fund up to 70% of a stadium project and help lure the NFL franchise to the state.
Stadium Futures for Chiefs and Royals
The Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals have played for more than 50 years in side-by-side stadiums in Jackson County, Missouri. Their leases are due to expire in January 2031, and both franchises have been working for years on future plans.
Voters in Jackson County soundly defeated a local sales-tax extension last year that would have helped finance an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead and a $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City. Since then, the Chiefs and Royals have pursued separate plans, though momentum appears to be growing behind both of them moving to Kansas.
The Chiefs’ Preferred Site
The likely destination for the Chiefs is The Legends, a regional shopping mall and commercial area in Kansas City, Kansas. The site offers ample land for a stadium and a mixed-use commercial district, and it already hosts anchors such as Kansas Speedway, the Hollywood Casino and Children’s Mercy Park, the home of Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City.
The location is also ideal because it sits at the crossroads of Interstates 70 and 435, allowing for relatively easy traffic flow.
Economic Implications
“The state of Kansas is in active discussions with the Kansas City Chiefs about the prospects of building a new stadium and other facilities in Kansas,” the Kansas Department of Commerce said in a statement. “No final agreement has been reached, but this would be a massive economic win for Kansas and benefit Kansans for generations to come. We are aggressively pursuing this opportunity.”
It would also be a massive loss for Missouri, which lost the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles a decade ago, and Gov. Mike Kehoe. He had backed a special legislative session in June to authorize bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.
Missouri’s move came after Kansas lawmakers had approved their own bond package in an attempt to land the two franchises.
Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt has long said that his preference would be to renovated Arrowhead Stadium, which was beloved by his father and team founder, the late Lamar Hunt. But by building an enclosed facility, the Chiefs would have access to revenue streams not available at Arrowhead Stadium, such as new luxury seating and the ability to host year-round sporting events.
That could mean fulfilling another dream of Lamar Hunt: hosting a Super Bowl.
The Royals’ Potential Move
While the Royals will not be discussed during the LCC meeting Monday, that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be moving across the state line as well. There is a groundswell of support for the team to move to the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and a tract of land known as the Aspiria Campus that once served as the headquarters for Sprint and now houses the offices of several companies.
Kansas vs Missouri Dynamics
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who has been working to keep both of the professional sports franchises on the Missouri side of the state line, issued a statement Thursday night saying that the city doesn’t negotiate in public.
“As the city and our Missouri partners continue discussions with our long-term partners at the Chiefs and the Royals,” the statement read, “we remain steadfast in working toward an arrangement in the best interest of our community and the greatest success of our teams on and off the field.”
Key Takeaways
- The Legislative Coordinating Council will decide on STAR bonds that could fund up to 70% of a new Chiefs stadium.
- The Chiefs’ preferred site is The Legends in Kansas City, Kansas, offering strategic location and existing commercial anchors.
- The Royals face a possible move to Overland Park, Kansas, with support from local stakeholders.
The outcome of Monday’s meeting will shape the future of two major sports franchises and the economic landscape of the Kansas City region.
