The Grinch may be bypassing Whoville this Christmas, with his sights set instead on Kansas City, Missouri.
Via the Kansas City Star, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly plans to make a “special announcement” following Monday’s meeting of the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council. At the meeting, key Kansas legislators as “poised to discuss a not-yet-disclosed proposal between the Chiefs and the state of Kansas.”
The move follows last week’s report that seemed to imply the Chiefs and Kansas had reached some sort of an understanding about the construction of a new, domed stadium on the Dorothy Gale side of the Missouri border. Among other telling remarks by various entities quoted at the time, the Kansas Department of Commerce said Kansas is “aggressively pursuing” a new stadium for the Chiefs, but that no “final agreement” had been reached.
The implication was clear: There’s possibly a non-final agreement that will move toward becoming finalized.
Via the Associated Press, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and other team officials are expected to attend Monday’s meeting of the Kansas LCC. Things “could move swiftly” thereafter, with an announcement potentially coming on a $2 billion stadium that would potentially host a Super Bowl.
The current Kansas proposal would pay for 70 percent of the building with STAR bonds, to be financed by state sales and liquor taxes generated in and around the new complex that the stadium would create.
The team’s current host city seems to be bracing for what may be coming soon.
“Kansas City, the State of Missouri, and the new executive team at Jackson County have continued negotiations with our teams through this week,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a statement issued to the Star. “Kansas City and its partners have made compelling but responsible offers north of $1.5 billion with identifiable and backed sources of funds to maintain the legacy of Arrowhead Stadium while updating its facilities to remain among the finest in the National Football League and in the world. . . .Any decision to depart from such a legacy home would have no reflection on the outstanding people of Kansas City and Jackson County who for fifty years have given their passion, energy, and public investment into building the Chiefs into one of America’s finest sports brands,” the mayor said. “We’ll reserve further comment until we hear from the Kansas City Chiefs.”
The reality is, however, that Jackson County voters overwhelmingly rejected an April 2024 ballot measure that would have paid for renovations to Arrowhead Stadium — and a new ballpark for the Kansas City Royals. And so, while a move out of town won’t be a reflection of the citizens of Jackson County, it will be a tangible byproduct of the exercise of their collective voices at the polls.
Until the deal in Kansas is done, Missouri has a chance, in theory, to keep the Chiefs from leaving. But, like the growth of the Grinch’s heart by three sizes, Missouri may need to find a way to significantly expand its prior financial package for a full renovation of the team’s longtime home.
