McDowell: Why The Chiefs Pursuit to Renovate Arrowhead Has Hit A Snag

[tk13]

We've been talking about this for a few weeks over in the Royals thread. It's been interesting to see how quiet the Chiefs have been while the Royals negotiate for a new stadium, and in the last couple weeks there's more and more smoke that the Chiefs and Royals staying in Jackson County is not a sure thing. Sam McDowell finally wrote about it. It's a very long column so I just picked some highlights. It's a good breakdown of the situation. It sounds like Kansas hasn't made any serious offers but they're the obvious alternative if Jackson County decides to punt, and it sounds like the Royals and Chiefs want answers soon.

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/sp...282553078.html

The Chiefs are quietly evaluating the need to pursue alternatives outside Jackson County as their push to negotiate a renewal of a county-wide sales tax has failed to launch substantive conversations, multiple sources told The Star. Well, it was quietly. You’re probably aware of the recent rhetoric, including from some local politicians, implying that the Chiefs already have one foot out the door — and are strutting toward Kansas, no less. That gasoline-on-the-fire message follows a worst-case-scenario playbook, not to mention a Kansas City tactic of pitting two states against each other for its prized assets. But this doesn’t paint an entirely accurate picture. The Chiefs have not engaged in serious conversations with outside parties about a move across the state line, sources told me, a sentiment confirmed to The Star’s Katie Bernard by Brianna Johnson, a spokeswoman for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. That doesn’t mean they won’t.

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The Royals started and initially drove the stadium conversation, not only publicly, but behind the scenes too. The Chiefs weren’t completely silent observers, but they appeared content to allow the Royals to negotiate a new lease with Jackson County and county executive Frank White, and then follow with what would ideally be a smoother and quicker conversation.

The latter has just simply not been the case. The former, waiting on the conclusion of Royals’ negotiations, has since changed. What’s been lost along the way is that the Chiefs, too, are interested in an April 2024 ballot measure, for reasons I’ll cover here. And as a Jan. 23 deadline to secure that ballot measure has neared, they ignited their own talks, separate from the Royals, earlier this fall. “We have met with Frank and the county attorneys in an introductory meeting,” Chiefs team president Mark Donovan said in a statement. “We shared that we would like to focus on extending the current 3/8th-cent sales tax. This partnership has served us well for over 50 years, and we look forward to working with them to enhance the amazing community asset that GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium has become.” Where do those talks stand now? “We have not heard back from the county,” Donovan said.

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The Chiefs have sought a 25-year renewal of the 3/8th-cent sales tax passed in 2006, as Donovan’s statement said, with no significant additions to the long-standing lease. That’s the path they are attempting to navigate, with a conclusion that would keep them at Arrowhead, a fan-favorite, for the next quarter-century. But in my discussions with an array of politicos, it’s evident to many that White does not believe the current lease agreement benefits Jackson County, which funds and manages the facilities but does not receive direct revenue from the stadiums. The deal is more complicated than the tax — for example, no one has raised a hand to pay for demolition of Kauffman Stadium if the Royals move, an expense that would total tens of millions of dollars.

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White is positioned at the center of this saga as the county executive who just so happens to be a member of the Royals Hall of Fame. But his lack of eagerness to extend the status quo is not an isolated view within the county, sources said. He has at least some support from the legislature, though there are varying opinions about the reach and depth of that support. And therefore it’s notable that others within the county government want to create a path for the Chiefs to circumvent White by securing backing from a majority of the legislators to extend the sales tax. There is doubt, however, about whether they would have enough support to override a potential veto from White, if it were to come to that.

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The Royals, who have had more frequent meetings with the county, have stated their preference to play downtown baseball sooner rather than later. Their recent focus has primarily been analyzing the logistics of the former Kansas City Star press building along the south loop, and they have started the process of creating renderings for the site, sources said. They’ve also publicly stated their target of an April ballot measure, which comes with that rapidly approaching Jan. 23 deadline. It’s a deadline that the Chiefs are targeting, too — with a more concrete plan, at least to date. I’ll put this out there before I continue: In the course of speaking with several people for this column, there are overwhelmingly more who classify an April ballot measure as a long-shot than those who expect the county and teams to reach an agreement before the mid-January date.

Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/sp...#storylink=cpy

[Balto]

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 16 - In a move that surprised even the Chiefs, the National Football League awarded a Super Bowl to Kansas City on Wednesday. The decision was contingent on significant improvements being made to Arrowhead Stadium, including the addition of a rolling roof.

Kansas City is likely to be the host for Super Bowl XLIX or LI, in 2015 or 2017, as a way to honor the 50th anniversary of the Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt's leadership role in the N.F.L. It would be just the fourth cold-weather game in Super Bowl history, including the February 2006 game in Detroit. Super Bowl XXVI was in Minneapolis, and Super Bowl XVI was in Pontiac, Mich.

The proposed rolling roof would provide weather protection for the Super Bowl but allow open-air games in the regular season.

"Happy day for us and happy day for Kansas City," Hunt said, "and I think it will lead to some great things as far as the total renovation of the sports complex. We think it's an exceptional opportunity for mid-America, for Jackson County and this community."

The N.F.L. is again dipping its toe into a local debate over stadium development, as it did when it awarded a conditional Super Bowl to New York, contingent on the Jets' building a stadium on Manhattan's West Side. When the Jets failed to win approval for the stadium earlier this year, the game was awarded to Miami.

The Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals are negotiating with Jackson County for about $465 million in public money for improvements and expansion of Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, according to The Kansas City Star. The roof addition, which could also be used to cover neighboring Kauffman, could add as much as $200 million to the cost of the renovations.

A lease negotiated in 1990 stipulated that the two stadiums would be maintained in state-of-the-art condition, with no caps on expenditures. But the teams currently receive only $8.5 million annually in city, county and state money -- far below what is needed to maintain the complex. The Chiefs had proposed about $312 million in renovations for Arrowhead alone, The Star reported, with the team contributing at least $50 million -- but that was before the roof. The N.F.L. would help the Chiefs finance a portion of the renovation through a program that offers low-interest loans for stadium work.

Local voters are likely to face a referendum in April calling for a sales-tax increase of three-eighths of a cent for at least 25 years to finance most of the work. In awarding the Super Bowl, the league is clearly trying to sway that vote in the Chiefs' favor. Despite the team's popularity in the region and Hunt's standing as a beloved public figure, approval is not a given.

Last November, a bi-state vote in Missouri and Kansas to finance stadium improvements and the arts was defeated. And a group of Kansas City business and civic leaders is exploring whether money would be better spent building a baseball stadium downtown.



"It's obviously helpful for getting the renovation plan for Arrowhead," Jon Copaken, the executive director of the Downtown Council of Kansas City, said of the Super Bowl. The Council is leading the interest in a downtown baseball stadium. "And whether that is the type of thing that causes people on the baseball side to look the other way at a huge economic development opportunity for the city and go ahead with the renovation plan for the other half of the package, I don't know. Our efforts are not working counter to renovations and Super Bowls at Arrowhead. Our objective is to come up with something that is successful at the ballot so both goals can be accomplished."

The rolling roof was part of the original concept for the construction of the Truman Sports Complex, which includes Arrowhead and Kauffman. But when costs for the construction ran high in the early 1970's, the idea was shelved. Now, voters will have to decide if the roof and the renovations are again too expensive.

The chairman of the Jackson County Sports Authority, Mike Smith, says that the promise of a Super Bowl will be enough to make a difference. "This gives us the sizzle to put together a package for voters," he said.

[DJJasonp]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

This is a horrible idea. I am a long time season ticket holder and would give them up in a heartbeat if I had to fight traffic in a city area, and pay way more to park reasonably close to the stadium on gamedays. Then sit in traffice for an hour while I try to get on the road for my 3 hour drive back. All the season ticket holders around me live an hour or more from the stadium and would feel the same way.

San Diego does just fine.

In fact, parking is 20-40 depending on the lots. tons of restaurants and bars within WALKING distance of the entrance to Petco as well.

but yeah, you need good trolley/public transit to get 25% or more of the attendance there.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Balto

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 16 - In a move that surprised even the Chiefs, the National Football League awarded a Super Bowl to Kansas City on Wednesday. The decision was contingent on significant improvements being made to Arrowhead Stadium, including the addition of a rolling roof.

Interesting. I thought with the new Highmark, the seats all had to be enclosed but maybe this just means covered, not climate controlled.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

I think you have to have a pretty big number of hotel rooms, not sure what that number is, but new it was part of the qualification.How are Super Bowl cities selected?

Edit: Just found this online:

Yes, that was also mentioned in whatever I read, Buffalo just doesn't have enough or the quality of hotel rooms, transportation facilities, etc., to host an event like that.

[Balto]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

Interesting. I thought with the new Highmark, the seats all had to be enclosed but maybe this just means covered, not climate controlled.

Looks like an option for TWO rolling roofs was thought of at some point but I really like the single roof that covers the middle area for activities and such. Looking at that 3rd picture you can easily see how this would work and how they actually designed the stadiums to at some point include the rolling roof.

[tk13]

This could get ugly. Let the mudslinging begin. This is one of the other county legislators. We'll have to see if this is true though.

The county executive (who’s parking spot is empty at the county) has now unilaterally told the attorneys, hired by the County to negotiate, to cease all action’s to get terms finalized by Monday. Thus, preventing needed information requested by the legislators from being…

— Manny Abarca (@MannyAbarcaIV) January 19, 2024

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by DJJasonp

San Diego does just fine.

In fact, parking is 20-40 depending on the lots. tons of restaurants and bars within WALKING distance of the entrance to Petco as well.

but yeah, you need good trolley/public transit to get 25% or more of the attendance there.

I've stayed in the Gaslamp and went to Petco many times. That's baseball, with 30,000 folks some nights, and 15,000 or less on many. Also have the tram running about 8 blocks from there as you said. KC would be a disaster, especially with measureable snow.

[DRM08]

Originally Posted by tk13

This could get ugly. Let the mudslinging begin. This is one of the other county legislators. We'll have to see if this is true though.

The county executive (who’s parking spot is empty at the county) has now unilaterally told the attorneys, hired by the County to negotiate, to cease all action’s to get terms finalized by Monday. Thus, preventing needed information requested by the legislators from being…

— Manny Abarca (@MannyAbarcaIV) January 19, 2024

So basically Frank vetoed it so he can squeeze a better payout for his own pockets, not to do anything for the taxpayers. Reminds me of some of the stuff I see in my own town. Roads need major attention, but the city board approves a silly hotel & convention complex that won't make the city a better place to live.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

I think you have to have a pretty big number of hotel rooms, not sure what that number is, but new it was part of the qualification.How are Super Bowl cities selected?

Edit: Just found this online:

KC's proposal several years ago included hotel rooms in Topeka and St. Joe.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

KC's proposal several years ago included hotel rooms in Topeka and St. Joe.

Yep, KC I assumed was fine, but Buffalo wouldn't be.

[Valiant]

Franks a POS. But I am okay with Kansas getting the royals and their bloated as demands. Let them pay for it.
Chiefs stay and Kaufman is turned to a entertainment district with a moving roof.
Imagine a top golf, bars restaurants, mini golf pickle ball and stage under the moving roof. Then can move to the stadium when needed.

[KCUnited]

The ask is still just the extension of the 18 year old existing sales tax right?

I mean everything else is on the teams or has that changed?

[kcfan75]

Originally Posted by Balto

Looks like an option for TWO rolling roofs was thought of at some point but I really like the single roof that covers the middle area for activities and such. Looking at that 3rd picture you can easily see how this would work and how they actually designed the stadiums to at some point include the rolling roof.

I wonder if that would clear the new monster press box that used to not be there.

[DrunkBassGuitar]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

This is a horrible idea. I am a long time season ticket holder and would give them up in a heartbeat if I had to fight traffic in a city area, and pay way more to park reasonably close to the stadium on gamedays. Then sit in traffice for an hour while I try to get on the road for my 3 hour drive back. All the season ticket holders around me live an hour or more from the stadium and would feel the same way.

Well yeah that's kinda my point, a downtown stadium wouldn't work and there's no way that the infrastructure to make it work would happen

Keep the stadium where it is and develop around it would be a better solution

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by DRM08

So basically Frank vetoed it so he can squeeze a better payout for his own pockets, not to do anything for the taxpayers. Reminds me of some of the stuff I see in my own town. Roads need major attention, but the city board approves a silly hotel & convention complex that won't make the city a better place to live.

Why should there be a vote on it when we don't even know where the stadium will be?