Deadline Extended to Define the Future of Chiefs and Royals
A Kansas legislative committee has granted an extension to the Chiefs and Royals to qualify for a state stadium funding plan. The decision, made on Monday, gives both teams more time to evaluate their options for the future. The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council unanimously approved the extension, allowing the use of bonds to cover 70% of the cost of a new stadium if teams decide to move to the state. The new deadline is June 30, 2026, although the committee is seeking a response from the teams before December 31 of this year. Mark Donovan, Chiefs president, requested the extension at the end of last month through a letter addressed to the Kansas Senate President, Ty Masterson. The Royals verbally requested an extension around the same time. The original deadline expired on June 30, but was retroactively extended on Monday.Both the Chiefs and the Royals have played for more than five decades at the Truman Sports Complex, on the east side of Kansas City, Missouri, where Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium share parking facilities. However, the lease agreements with Jackson County expire in January 2031, and both franchises have been trying to chart a course forward for years. Last year, Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax extension that would have helped fund an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium – the home of the Chiefs – and a $2 billion stadium district for the Royals in downtown Kansas City. Last month, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe convened lawmakers for a special session to approve a stadium funding deal that included disaster relief in the St. Louis area, where a series of devastating tornadoes caused widespread damage. The legislation authorizes bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums in Missouri, as well as up to $50 million in tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments. If they decide to stay in Missouri, the Chiefs have proposed plans for a $1.15 billion renovation of Arrowhead Stadium. The Royals have insisted from the beginning that they intend to build a replacement for Kauffman Stadium. Clark Hunt, owner of the Chiefs, has long professed his affinity for Arrowhead Stadium, which was built by his father and team founder, Lamar Hunt. But he is also very aware of the revenue streams available through the construction of a new indoor stadium, including the possibility of hosting the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and other renowned sporting events. Donovan commented on Monday about the Chiefs’ upcoming stadium decision. “Now, we are literally getting to the end points and making sure everyone agrees with what we need to do, and that we have all the pieces aligned,” he told reporters. “Because our job is to go to the Hunt family and suggest: ‘Here are your two options; both make sense.'”“Together, we have the opportunity to bring the National Football League to Kansas, with a first-class indoor stadium, a new team headquarters, state-of-the-art training facilities, and a vibrant mixed-use and entertainment district,” Donovan wrote in his letter to Masterson.
Mark Donovan
