TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bipartisan bill Thursday passed by the Kansas Legislature to establish a state sports authority to offer oversight of construction and management of a $3 billion stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL franchise’s new headquarters.
The governor, state legislative leaders and owners of the NFL franchise announced in December the framework of a deal for developing a domed stadium surrounded by an entertainment district in Wyandotte County, in addition to the team’s headquarters, training facility and related developments in Johnson County. The goal has been to complete construction of the football stadium in time for start of the 2031 season.
“The Kansas City Chiefs’ historic agreement with the state of Kansas is monumental for our economy, creating thousands of new jobs, attracting tourists from around the world and elevating Kansas as an elite place to put down roots,” Kelly said.
Creation of the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority was significant because the facilities had to be owned by the state to avoid federal taxation of bonds sold to finance the projects. There was debate in the Legislature about the original plan for an authority board comprised of nine voting members that excluded mayors of Olathe and Wyandotte County. In the final version of the bill, mayors of local governments hosting the developments could become voting members of the authority if those governments took part in the STAR bond program funding the projects.
The sports authority board must be appointed by Aug. 31. Members would be selected by the Chiefs, governor, Senate president, House speaker, majority leaders of the House and Senate, and minority leaders of the House and Senate. The secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce also would be a member. All of these individuals would have to undergo background checks by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
The House approved House Bill 2466 on votes of 78-44 in the House and 30-10 in the Senate.
“This bipartisan legislation establishes a responsible path forward that brings the Chiefs to Kansas while ensuring the state’s investment is carefully structured and protected,” said Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican.
Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau, D-Wichita, said investments required to draw tied the Chiefs to eastern Kansas from Kansas City, Missouri, would put Kansas “on the map as a global tourism destination.”
Advocates of the developments said the construction phase would create 20,000 jobs and leave a $4.4 billion imprint on the state’s economy. The NFL stadium was expected to generate approximately $1 billion in annual economic impact in Kansas.
The Olathe and Kansas City, Kansas, locations for the Chiefs would be surrounded by mixed-use developments that featured locations for entertaining, dining, shopping, hotels and residential housing.
Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
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