The recent rejection of funding for stadium renovations in Jackson County, Missouri has sparked renewed interest from Kansas in attracting the Kansas City Chiefs to their state. Legislators in Kansas are planning to use an upcoming special session to set the stage for a potential bid to bring the Chiefs to Kansas.
Kansas’s proposed plan involves utilizing sales tax and revenue bonds with 30-year terms to cover the costs of constructing a new stadium. However, there may be major points of contention over the idea of using bonds to fully finance the project, leaving the Chiefs with no financial responsibility. Given the high price tag of nearly $3 billion for a new stadium, it may be necessary for the team to make some level of private investment.
In order to persuade the Chiefs to leave Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas will likely need to make a bold and significant offer. It is also possible that Kansas’s efforts to attract the Chiefs could prompt Missouri to make a competitive bid to keep the team in their state. The battle to secure the Chiefs could prove to be a high-stakes competition between the two states.
