KC business leaders call on officials to speed up Chiefs, Royals stadium deals
Leaders of local business groups and the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation issued a statement Monday “urging swift and decisive action to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in the region.”
Most if not all of those groups were already on record as to their support of a new downtown ballpark for the Royals and major renovations at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs. So the reason for the timing of the statement was unclear.
However, it comes as Missouri is nearing the end of this year’s annual legislative session. The Missouri Senate on Monday approved a bill that could try to lure the teams north of the river to Clay County.
A year ago, Jackson County voters rejected a ballot issue that would have continued the Jackson County stadiums sales tax for another 40 years. Since then, both teams have been in private discussions with state and local leaders about taxpayer support of potential new stadium projects.
Since the vote, the Royals haven’t said where in the region they want to build a replacement for Kauffman Stadium. And the Chiefs have not been discussing their plans in any detail publicly.
The business leaders’ statement implies that the region might be in danger of losing one or both teams, but neither has threatened to leave the Kansas City area.
In addition to the head of the sports commission, it was signed by leaders of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Area Development Council and Visit KC, the tourism agency financed by Kansas City’s sales tax on hotel room rentals and restaurant food service.
“As a unified collective of business and civic organizations across Greater Kansas City, we are united in a singular mission: To keep the Chiefs and Royals in our region,” the statement begins. “We strongly advocate for swift action to ensure these teams remain vital regional assets.”
The full statement and accompanying video can be found online.
This story was originally published April 14, 2025 at 5:13 PM.
