Owners of Chiefs, Royals won’t commit to staying in Jackson County if sales tax vote fails

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Jackson County voters are a few days away from deciding if they want a new downtown ballpark for the Royals, as well as a renovated Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs. A ‘yes’ vote on the 40-year stadium sales tax extension is expected to cost the county more than $2 billion to help fund the stadium projects.

On Friday, the owners of the Chiefs and Royals said if Jackson County doesn’t the 40-year stadium sales tax extension, they will be forced to look elsewhere.

“If it doesn’t , we’ll be in a very difficult position,” said Clark Hunt.

“If it’s another result, we’ll deal with that. As businesspeople, we have a responsibility to make sure that we evaluate some options,” said John Sherman.

Both teams signed lease extensions with Jackson County this week, provided that the county votes to help fund the Chiefs and Royals’ stadium dreams.

“This is where we want to stay,” Hunt said. “My dad once called Arrowhead Stadium his favorite place on earth.”

“We are going to do all that we can to get that across the finish line on Tuesday,” said Sherman.

While the teams are asking Jackson County for $2 billion, it does not sound like the project’s funding is completely figured out. Hunt says the team is talking to Missouri Governor Mike Parson about state money, but no guarantees have been made.

“The first part of the funding equation is the extension of the sales tax,” Hunt said. “We’ve had conversations with Governor Parson about the state being involved, but we really wanted to focus on Tuesday first. It’s important to get this ‘yes’ vote. Once we have that, we’ll the governor and continue the discussions from there.”

One of the biggest complaints about a downtown Royals ballpark is the impact it will have on the Crossroads and its businesses. The Royals say they are offering a solution.

“We are talking to them, and we basically want to have their back and make them whole,” Sherman said. “The idea is we’ll keep them whole, whether it’s tenant improvements, relocation, temporary quarters.”

The Chiefs and Royals are under lease at the Truman Sports Complex through 2031. They say they need to start acting now if the teams are to remain in Jackson County in 2032 and beyond.

“We have a building that will be 60 years old at the end of the lease. We only have seven years left on our lease. Stadium projects take many years to develop,” said Hunt. “I think it goes without saying, we’ll have to evaluate our options, but at this point, we are very focused on Tuesday.”

ALSO READ: Lisa Lopez-Galvan’s daughter to DJ her mom’s gigs to continue her legacy

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.