The public-private partnership will fund a US$3bil stadium in Wyandotte County. — Bloomberg
NEW YORK: The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Monday that they are moving across the Missouri border to Kansas after lawmakers there approved a public financing package to build a new stadium.
The public-private partnership will fund a US$3bil stadium in Wyandotte County, which will open at the start of the 2031 National Football League ( L) season, and a new Chiefs headquarters and a training facility in neighbouring Johnson County.
Both sites will be surrounded by mixed-use entertainment districts, according to a statement from Kansas Governor Laura Kelly.
“This project represents another step in our legacy of innovation and our fan-first mentality, which started with my father, Lamar Hunt,” Chiefs’ chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement.
The Kansas’ Legislative Coordinating Council unanimously voted to greenlight a sales tax and revenue bond district for the developments on Monday, paving the way for the team’s potential relocation.
The franchise still needs approval from other L team owners to relocate so the departure from Missouri is not yet final.
The development is the latest salvo in a fight between the neighbouring states to land the team led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes that has won three Super Bowl championships since 2020.
Kansas lawmakers previously passed a law that would allow for the offering of bonds backed by the state’s sales tax to cover as much as 70% of the cost of a new stadium for an L team.
Under the state’s STAR bond programme, Kansas can fund the project with tax revenues generated by the stadium in neighbouring communities, the governor’s office said in a statement.
“Today, Kansas won the Super Bowl,” Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said in a statement.
The Chiefs have had a rough season this year and are now out of playoff contention.
Across state lines in Missouri, where the team’s current stadium is located, Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota is working to keep the franchise. — Bloomberg
