For years now, the futures of both Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium have been debated. And just when it seemed like the Royals were planning on moving downtown, a new development has emerged.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals say they will remain in Jackson County if voters approve an extension of the 3/8-cent sales tax on a ballot initiative this April.

Both organizations state that, under the agreement, the Chiefs would renovate Arrowhead Stadium while the Royals would build a new stadium in downtown Kansas City, part of the original framework.

Also, according to both teams, if the county votes to approve an extension of the sales tax then they will agree to pay for the stadiums’ insurance, which the county currently pays. They also will agree to a language change that would allow the county to spend overages on things other than the stadiums, which currently isn’t allowed.

In turn, the opportunity for North Kansas City to be the new site for the Royals new stadium is quite possibly gone.

“The partnership between Jackson County, the Chiefs and Royals has been a tremendous success over the past 50 years, and directly responsible for much of the great momentum our hometown has built. The framework described here is a significant financial benefit for Jackson County, collaboratively built around concerns expressed by the County Executive and other local leaders, and provides a further boost to Kansas City and the region for decades to come,” the teams continued in their joint statement.

Current Mayor of Kansas City, Mayor Quinton Lucas issued a statement in support of the teams’ intentions.

“Retaining the Chiefs and the Royals and the events hosted at the teams’ facilities like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift and global sporting events like the MLB All-Star Game and the World Cup is a priority for Kansas City—at a fair value for our taxpayers,” Lucas said. “The Chiefs, the Royals, County Executive White, and the County Legislature have made great strides in their efforts to ensure voters have a fair deal to evaluate on the April 2024 ballot. I thank all parties for their efforts to secure a good deal for Jackson County and Kansas City taxpayers, and it is worthy of presentment to the voters, so that they may make their voices heard this April.”

It is an interesting development regarding the futures of both stadiums, especially since there are seven years remaining on the leases.

One issue, however is that regular citizens in Jackson County who do not attend games will be forced to pay taxes and, unlike the public schools in the county, will have no economic benefit to having those teams nearby if they aren’t going to the games in the first place.

(Photo credit: Steve Sanders)