The Kansas City Chiefs are set to leave Missouri’s Arrowhead Stadium for a brand-new domed arena in Kansas, and the Kansas City Royals are now staring at a similar crossroads. With the Chiefs’ lease ending in 2031, the Royals will also have to decide where to play after January 2031.
Chiefs’ Big Leap Across the Border
Kansas lawmakers approved a bond package that will fund 60 % of the Chiefs’ projected stadium cost, expected to exceed $4 billion. The new domed stadium will cost $3 billion and will include a $300 million training city in Olathe, Kansas. The Chiefs’ ownership, led by Clark Hunt, signed a term sheet with Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland that requires a 65,000-seat stadium by August 1 2031 and guarantees the team a 30-year stay, with an option to extend another 30 years.
In addition to the stadium, the Chiefs have committed at least $1 billion to “ancillary development.” That includes a headquarters and training facility in Olathe and at least $700 million of retail, entertainment and other commercial space. The agreement allows $100 million of that space to be built outside the two counties that contain most of Kansas’ side of the metro.
The state will issue a little more than $2.4 billion in bonds, covering roughly 60 % of the total cost. If the development exceeds $1 billion, the bonds would cover 70 %. This makes the project the largest public subsidy ever for a U.S. stadium.
Missouri’s Counter-Offer
In June, Missouri lawmakers authorized bonds that could cover up to 50 % of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million in tax credits. That same package could still be used by the Royals to build a new ballpark. Missouri’s proposal, however, would rely on tax credits rather than a bond backed by state sales and liquor taxes.
Gov. Mike Kehoe praised Missouri’s package as “very competitive,” but noted that Kansas is leveraging taxpayer revenue to make the Chiefs’ deal happen. “I can’t see where the numbers would pencil on that, as a business person, where it would be a good deal for Missourians,” Kehoe said.
Royals’ Downtown Dilemma
Royals owner John Sherman has long expressed a preference for a downtown ballpark, but political and community obstacles have stalled those plans. Last year, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, defeated the extension of an existing sales tax that funds Kauffman Stadium and would have helped finance a new downtown ballpark.
The Royals have considered several sites around downtown Kansas City, but each has faced traffic, community support, or other issues. Renderings have shown a ballpark district across the Missouri River in Clay County, technically North Kansas City, Missouri.
Momentum, however, seems to be leaning toward a suburb of Overland Park, Kansas. The Royals already hold a mortgage on the Aspiria Campus, a former Sprint site that is still the headquarters of T-Mobile and other companies. The campus sits just off Interstate 435 in the southern part of the metro. Residents of the affluent neighboring suburb of Leawood, Kansas, have opposed the plan.
Public Reaction and Voices
John Mosley, a 65-year-old fan from Kansas City, Missouri, said Monday that he has heard people talk about Kansas using a bond package to lure the Chiefs – and possibly the Royals – across the state line for years. “To me personally, it doesn’t matter. But I’m noticing that most things are going over into Kansas,” Mosley said. “I’m not sure what’s going on in Missouri. I think it’s a money issue. Maybe over in Kansas things are much better. It just seems like everything is moving.”
Gov. Kehoe added, “The Royals are also a great legacy team that we would love to keep in Missouri. We will do everything we can to continue those conversations.”
Key Takeaways
- The Chiefs will move to a $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas, with a $300 million training city in Olathe and a 65,000-seat requirement by August 2031.
- Kansas will fund 60 % of the stadium cost through bonds, potentially rising to 70 % if ancillary development exceeds $1 billion.
- Missouri offers a bond package that could cover up to 50 % of a new ballpark’s cost, but the Royals face political hurdles to a downtown Kansas City site.
The Royals’ future remains uncertain as they weigh a downtown Kansas City ballpark, a site across the Missouri River, or a move to Kansas. With the Chiefs’ departure looming, the Royals’ decision will likely shape the region’s sports landscape for years to come.
