The clock is officially ticking for Missouri and Kansas to pitch the Kansas City Chiefs on potential stadium proposals.
Speaking to reporters at the Chiefs' opening press conference for training camp in St. Joseph, Missouri, Chiefs team president Mark Donovan fielded questions on negotiations surrounding the future home of the franchise. Will they stay in Missouri and renovate Arrowhead Stadium? Will the team move to Kansas and construct a new stadium using the state's STAR bonds package? Is a new stadium built in Missouri an option? Will another option for the team arise?
No matter the decision, time is running short to make it. While the lease at the Truman Sports Complex runs through 2030, the Chiefs need to have their ducks in a row much, much sooner.
"Yeah, I think when you talk about deadlines, really the deadline is how can you be up and running in a new facility or renovated facility in January for the 2031 season? And those are two different timelines," Donovan explained. "Right? If you're renovating GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, you're looking at an existing structure. It's something we've done a lot of work on. So, it's a little bit smaller lead time you need there. If you're building something new either in Missouri, or in Kansas, it extends that lead time by about a year and a half. So, we feel like we're in that window right now. We feel like it would be we need to get something done in the next six months to figure out and be in a good position. And so that's the timeline we're working on."
Kansas lawmakers recently approved a STAR bonds package to attract the Chiefs from Missouri with a brand new stadium. After the failed tax vote in Jackson County, this has become an increasingly appealing option to the franchise and one that Donovan admits the team must seriously consider.
"I've said this publicly, we appreciate the efforts that the Kansas legislature made to really supercharge STAR bonds to make it make sense for a professional sports team to come over there and take advantage of that," Donovan said. "It is consistent with what we've talked about that we want to look at options. It seems, at least my general understanding of it, that this is a really good option for us to consider. So we appreciate that. We are in discussions with the folks in Kansas. We are in discussions, continue our discussions with folks in Missouri, talking to various leaders. There seem to be other options that are coming up now on the Missouri side. So we appreciate that. And it's consistent with our strategy, which was if (the tax vote) doesn't work, then we got to look at options. And now we'll have a couple of options to look at."
Staying in Missouri is an option that Donovan says is, "very much so" still on the table. The team has a rich history in the state of Missouri, but Donovan maintains they've got a much more measured response to the prospect.
"We went all in and failed pretty, pretty badly," Donovan admitted. "And obviously, a lot of different situations, a lot of different variables in that. But we were looking at it as a measured response of what makes the most sense. What makes the most sense for our fans, what makes most makes the most sense for our franchise, and this organization, and what makes the most sense to have the biggest impact on this region?"
However, there are some obstacles to getting a complete picture right now with the 2024 Missouri gubernatorial election.
"I think they're working very diligently to try to figure out what makes sense," Donovan said of Missouri. "There are some realities that come into play. You mentioned the Primary. Until they have an idea on August 4, where they stand with who is going to be the presumptive governor, they really can't go too far. But I will say that we are In some pretty significant conversations with leadership on the Missouri side, taking that into consideration, like if this happens, if this happens and this happens, how do we go? So, some conversations are going on, on both sides."
While the clock is ticking, Donovan says the Chiefs won't make this decision hastily. They intend to weigh all of the options available to them because this is a decision that the team has to get right.
"I think the positive of this is that we do have options," Donovan said. "And we'll consider those. I said this to you guys multiple times. This is a generational decision. This is going to impact the future of this franchise for generations. We have to get it right. And we are going to do the due diligence, we are going to take our time to do it right."
