The future of the Royals and Chiefs in Kansas City is in doubt after Tuesday night when residents of Jackson County, Missouri, voted against a sales tax measure that would help finance a new downtown stadium for the Royals and major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium.
Royals owner John Sherman and Chiefs president Mark Donovan were not surprised by the failed effort. They had acknowledged the possibility long before the final count. The plan, which aimed to replace an existing sales tax measure funding the upkeep of the Truman Sports Complex, was ultimately rejected by over 58% of voters.
What’s next for both franchises?
The Chiefs could try again with a reworked plan that's more palatable to voters, change their entire funding approach to include more private investment, or even listen to offers from competing cities and states, like Kansas, on the other side of the border. The state line to the west would provide the public funding they want.
The lease at Truman Sports Complex is set to expire on January 31st, 2031. In light of this, Royals owner John Sherman has made it clear that the team will not continue playing at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season. On the other hand, the Chiefs are hopeful to continue their tenure at Arrowhead Stadium.
Last fall, the Royals unveiled two potential locations for their stadium district, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. However, a self-imposed deadline to finalize their location expired without a plan. In February, they finally announced that they had scrapped both concepts and chosen a different location downtown.
If they want to stay in Kansas, the owners would have to fund part of the project and get private investment
Owners should be able to fund their own projects