Voters reject stadium tax for Royals, Chiefs, leaving future in question
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The way forward for the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City was thrown into query Tuesday evening when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, resoundingly voted down a gross sales tax measure that might have helped to fund a brand new downtown ballpark together with main renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.
Royals proprietor John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan acknowledged lengthy earlier than the ultimate tally that the initiative would fail. More than 58% of voters in the end rejected the plan, which might have changed an current three-eighths of a cent gross sales tax that has been paying for the maintenance of Truman Sports Complex — the house for greater than 50 years to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums — with an analogous tax that might have been in place for the following 40 years.
The Royals, who had pledged no less than $1 billion from possession for his or her undertaking, needed to make use of their share of the tax income to assist fund a $2 billion-plus ballpark district. The Super Bowl champion Chiefs, who had dedicated $300 million in non-public cash, would have used their share as a part of an $800 million overhaul of Arrowhead Stadium.
“We’re deeply disappointed as we are steadfast in our belief that Jackson County is better with the Chiefs and the Royals,” mentioned Sherman, who left with out taking questions. “As someone whose roots run deep in this town, who has been a dedicated fan and season-ticket holder for both of these teams, and now leading a remarkable ownership group.”
Donovan mentioned the Chiefs would do “what is in the best interest of our fans and our organization as we move forward.”
That might imply many issues: The Chiefs might attempt once more with a reworked plan extra agreeable to voters, change their total funding method to incorporate extra non-public funding, or they might even take heed to affords from competing cities and states — equivalent to Kansas, simply throughout the state line to the west — that would supply the general public funding they need.
“We’ve been talking a lot about the democratic process. We respect the process,” Donovan mentioned. “We feel we put forth the best offer for Jackson County. We’re ready to extend the longstanding partnership the teams have enjoyed with this county.”
The present lease lease at Truman Sports Complex lasts by Jan. 31, 2031. And whereas Sherman has mentioned the Royals wouldn’t play at Kauffman Stadium past the 2030 season, the Chiefs are hopeful of remaining at Arrowhead Stadium.
The tax — or, extra precisely, the stadium plans — obtained vital public pushback nearly from the beginning, when the groups struggled to place concrete plans earlier than voters and had been accused of missing transparency all through the method.
Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential areas for his or her ballpark district, one on the jap fringe of downtown and the opposite throughout the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. But a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location lapsed with no plan, and in February, they lastly introduced that they had scrapped each ideas and chosen a unique downtown spot.
The new space, referred to as the Crossroads, has a vibrant arts and restaurant scene, and it’s simply blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and the bustling Power & Light leisure district. It is also near the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the 18th & Vine district, which is house to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
But even then, plans remained obscure. The newest ballpark renderings had been made out of date simply final week when the Royals acquiesced to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ request {that a} main road that might have been a part of the stadium footprint stay open; Lucas didn’t endorse the tax initiative till the Royals agreed to the change.
“I think everyone has the same mixed feelings,” mentioned Deidre Chasteen, a voter from Independence, Missouri, who remembers attending video games downtown at outdated Municipal Stadium when the Royals performed there from 1969-72.
“It’s not that we mind paying the three-eighths-cent sales tax. I think the problem is putting the stadium where it is,” Chasteen mentioned. “We’re saying don’t ruin businesses that have been established down there for years.”
The membership additionally had not reached gross sales agreements with many landowners within the Crossroads, and different companies had expressed issues about site visitors, congestion and parking in an already thriving residential neighborhood.
Sarah Tourville, the Royals’ govt vice chairman, mentioned the aim was to maneuver into the stadium for opening day in 2028.
The Royals moved from Municipal Stadium to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the ballpark from 2009-12. Arrowhead Stadium was constructed alongside Kauffman Stadium and likewise was renovated across the identical time.
While the Royals insist on taking part in in a brand new ballpark, the Chiefs needed to remain put with a renovation that might have touched each facet of their 52-year-old constructing, from the seating bowl to luxurious facilities to the tailgating scene.
“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose father, Lamar Hunt, helped get the present stadiums constructed, mentioned earlier than Tuesday’s vote. “The financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we’ve outlined.”
The Chiefs had hoped their success, together with three Super Bowl titles within the final 5 years, would sway voters of their favor.
“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt mentioned. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”
