Kansas City mayor says Royals stadium plan could be done soon
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tuesday, Missouri Republican Governor Mike Kehoe said he'll call lawmakers back to the state capitol Monday, June 2, for a special session.
Kehoe said the unfinished business of keeping the Chiefs and Royals in the Show-Me State will be near the top of that agenda. A state package to help the teams finance stadium needs died in the Missouri Senate, in part over politics.
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Tuesday, Kehoe said his Show Me Sports Investment Act will allow each of the teams to bond up to the annual amount they generate in state tax revenue, but state senators angry the Missouri House had ignored a $500 million infrastructure investment law in part, lead to filibusters that caused the Senate to set the issue aside and adjourn the session early. In Kehoe's mind, getting a package across the finish line is critical to keeping the teams.
'Well, I've talked to not only the owners of both the teams multiple times, but their management, and they have some significant options on the table,' Kehoe said during Tuesday's news conference. 'I believe if Missouri does not put some sort of offer forward, I'm not speaking for either of those teams, I think the risk is real that they don't stay here.'
One of those options is Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds . Those bonds, sold to private investors, are backed by revenues generated by the stadiums and surrounding districts developed or designated by the state. That package expires June 30 but can be renewed for another year.
Besides bonding in Missouri, the Show Me Sports Investment Act requires a local contribution for the teams to be able to take advantage of it. That's where people like Mayor Quinton Lucas come into play. Lucas says tax redirections that they have would largely allow for a new baseball stadium, for instance, to fund itself.
'The rental car sales tax at a certain point that's paying for the T-Mobile Center does run out,' Lucas said. 'We look at a renewal that helps supports that long term. That's more resources for it, particularly in terms of annual maintenance, which is something that our Missouri side stadiums have always done well at the Truman Sports Complex, and we want to make sure we keep.'
FOX4 asked Lucas whether the rental car tax would require a vote of the people. His answer was yes, but it hasn't been in all of their offers.
'I do believe that this is the sort of thing that if the legislature gets the job done, Kansas City can by ordinance vote, Parks Board vote, be able to have a project ready. I don't think we need a public vote to execute on building and delivering a new baseball stadium.'
Lucas added that the city isn't trying to avoid a public vote.
'If this passes that legislative session, the next day you can come to Kansas City. We can get an ordinance passed. We can make sure that we're getting dirt moving on a new stadium.'
Tuesday, Kehoe talked about what the teams would invest in the state when it comes to their projects.
'Both the Royals have said this publicly, and the Chiefs have said publicly what remodeling Arrowhead to we think an iconic stadium similar to what Lambeau Field would be just an iconic place to go watch football,' Kehoe said. 'But both of those two projects combined, a new baseball stadium and a new football stadium, and this has been very public is somewhere in 2.5 billion with a B range, up to $3 billion.'
The governor's proposal does not come without criticism though. Show-Me Institute Senior Fellow Patrick Tuohey believes the governor's proposal is a bad deal for taxpayers.
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'These are very wealthy teams, very wealthy owners in an amazingly profitable industry,' Tuohey said. 'They have plenty of funds to build their own parks, to fund their own renovations. They make obscene amounts of money from television contracts, from ticket sales, from merchandise. They have all the resources they need to spend their own money.'
The Chiefs and the Royals did not respond to our email requests for comment in time for our Tuesday deadline. Tuohey added his entity will be sharing more information on the governor's plan soon as they try to get state lawmakers to not support the plan. The special session starts at noon Monday in Jefferson City.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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