The Chiefs and Royals announced Friday that both Kansas City franchises will remain in Jackson County, where Arrowhead and Kaufman Stadium are located, if voters there approve an extension of the existing sales tax that has long paid for their maintenance.
The fields, which opened in the early 1970s, are located in the Truman Sports Complex and have been linked together through lease agreements with the county for the past five decades. But with the current lease expiring in 2030-31, both teams are planning for the future of their facilities, and the Royals have indicated they want a new stadium downtown.
They will use the extended sales tax to help fund it while the Chiefs will use it for renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.
The Royals were considering offers from Jackson County, where the new stadium would be close to the existing T-Mobile Center and Power & Light Entertainment District, and a competing offer from Clay County, which is located across the Missouri River.
“The Chiefs and the Royals have partnered with Jackson County for 50 years in a partnership that has worked well for all voters,” the teams said. “As part of the proposed agreement between the teams and Jackson County, the teams have agreed to provide more than $200 million in new economic benefits to Jackson County over 40 years in a new lease agreement.”
The agreement will reduce the county's obligation to pay stadium insurance premiums and redirect the park tax to the county. Meanwhile, the Royals will finance a new $1 billion ballpark area around their new facility.
The Jackson County Legislature is scheduled to meet Monday, and county leaders and royals will try to get the tax on the April ballot. If approved, this would pave the way for both teams to begin planning construction and renovations.
“The partnership between Jackson County, the Chiefs and the Royals has achieved tremendous success over the past 50 years and has been directly responsible for much of the great momentum our city has built,” the teams said. “The framework described here represents a significant financial benefit to Jackson County, was built collaboratively around the concerns expressed by the County Executive and other local leaders, and provides an additional boost to Kansas City and the region for decades to come.”
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