Downtown Baseball Stadium

[Highlander]

The Chiefs have not engaged in serious conversations with outside parties about a move across the state line, sources told me, a sentiment confirmed to The Star’s Katie Bernard by Brianna Johnson, a spokeswoman for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly.

"This partnership has served us well for over 50 years, and we look forward to working with them to enhance the amazing community asset that GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium has become.” Where do those talks stand now? “We have not heard back from the county,” Donovan said.

It is not yet clear with whom the Chiefs should negotiate their new lease: White and his staff, or the Hardwick Law Firm recently presumably hired to handle negotiations, or a newly formed stadium improvements committee within the Jackson County legislature. Separately, each of those entities has voiced a degree of authority over such talks, some even in conversations with The Star in the last two weeks.

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-c ... 53078.html

So I'm wondering if the Chiefs, with their desire to be the sole tenants at TSC, are not simply putting pressure on Jackson County (government and population) by suggesting the status quo is not acceptable. The Royals are the stepchild here and would benefit greatly from the Chiefs also making noise about the current situation. The Jackson County sales tax vote would take a very different tone if the Chief's status in Jackson County was also on the line.

[Rusty Irish]

https://twitter.com/MannyAbarcaIV/statu ... 2892953013

[lock+load]

Losing baseball in the city isn’t the end of the world, but it definitely wouldn’t help the tax case in this city I can assure you, and no services will improve just because they leave.

If the 3/8 cent tax was extended for other services rather than stadiums they could certainly improve.

[DaveKCMO]

If East Village and TSC were both densely developed without stadiums we'd probably never notice.

[dukuboy1]

curious. What if we scrapped the Jackson County sports commission and created a true Metro wide Sports Authority of sorts. Where we look at professional sports stadiums and such but a metro/regional approach. So we create a Kansas City Regional Sports Authority and look to get all counties in the Metro, Jackson, Clay, Platte, Wyandotte, and Johnson and have them all share in the 3/8 sales tax or slightly raise it but spread it out so everyone is invested and also sharing in the "burden" amongst all counties. We can look at a revenue share of all sports and such so there is some benefit to all. But basically looking at outside the box thinking about how to approach this and not leave it all in Jackson County's lap and potential to hold grudges, etc. that can impact the entire Metro's prosperity. Bi- state stuff has passed before for things that benefit and are used by the entire metro. Sports teams would be the biggest assets I could think of for the metro.

[DaveKCMO]

Bi-state stuff = 1 (Union Station)

This stuff is hard. I'd rather save bi-state for something that lifts the region, rather than just benefits rich team owners and players. Yeah, I get the whole eco spin off line but nothing says it will *improve* the region's economy to have them at TSC vs VW and how much public money they deserve for that privilege.

[shinatoo]

Bi-state stuff = 1 (Union Station)

This stuff is hard. I'd rather save bi-state for something that lifts the region, rather than just benefits rich team owners and players. Yeah, I get the whole eco spin off line but nothing says it will *improve* the region's economy to have them at TSC vs VW and how much public money they deserve for that privilege.

Wasn't the Liberty Memorial restoration and museum a bistate tax?

[GRID]

Bi-state stuff = 1 (Union Station)

This stuff is hard. I'd rather save bi-state for something that lifts the region, rather than just benefits rich team owners and players. Yeah, I get the whole eco spin off line but nothing says it will *improve* the region's economy to have them at TSC vs VW and how much public money they deserve for that privilege.

Wasn't the Liberty Memorial restoration and museum a bistate tax?

No. It was a KCMO tax.

There have only been two bistate tax attempts. The first was Union Station, which passed in all but WyCo. (Clay, Platte, Jackson and Johnson passed it).

The second was the first bistate attempt to renovate the truman sports complex. Which I believe failed in all counties besides Jackson. It may have passed in Clay as well, but I think it had to pass in at least Jackson and Johnson to take effect.

I think after the second attempt and all the years and negotiating that went into it and how much opposition there was, it was pretty clear that there would never be another bistate tax attempt. Not for a long time anyway.

DaveKCMO. It's almost 2024 now and a bistate tax to regionally fund transit is still nowhere on the horizon. I mean this has been "talked about" for decades and decades.

The KC area can't even get county wide funding which is how most metropolitan transit systems are funded. Jackson, Clay and Plate all should pass a county wide tax for transit and those that pass it get transit improvements. That is step one. Then you can start combining the counties.

[langosta]

Did anyone attend tonight?

[GRID]

DC dicked around. Just lost the NHL and NBA to VA.

VA basically did what KS did to MO a while back with KC's MLS team and did a deal behind the scenes and it was signed and done before DC even knew what happened. Yesterday when the news leaked, DC tried to save the teams with a hail mary of 500 million in public money, but it was too late.

I feel the same might happen with the Chiefs with how Jackson County is dealing with this. And after my last visit to KC and and TSC area, I'm fine with them leaving MO now. There is no hope for that area anymore. I don't get why the cities, county and state don't clean that area up. I still hope they stay, but if it gets the Royals downtown it would be worth the trade off.

The Royals won't survive in a suburban KS location IMO. If the Chiefs announced plans to leave for KS, Jackson County and or KCMO residents would probably finally wake up and support a downtown park for the Royals.

[TheSmokinPun]

I really think this has more to do with DC trying to go all in on getting the Commanders and straight up ignoring the arena and those teams. It almost sounds like they really weren't going to pursue this project til they basically got ghosted by DC admins.

[GRID]

I really think this has more to do with DC trying to go all in on getting the Commanders and straight up ignoring the arena and those teams. It almost sounds like they really weren't going to pursue this project til they basically got ghosted by DC admins.

DC dicking around with Commanders too. They are going to lose them to VA as well. It's really stupid because the RFK stadium site would be such a perfect location for a new stadium in the district. The Commanders are going to end up way out in NOVA though probably in the Dulles area. Still near a Metro but way out.

At least the new arena will be sort of in town and connected to Metro. Still leaving Capital One and Chinatown is so stupid. That arena is right on top of a major Metro transfer station where you can go in any direction. A lot more people are going to drive to the new arena.

On a side note, Maryland yesterday decided to fund a major renovation to Ravens stadium. Interesting how the stadiums in Baltimore are pretty much taken care of entirely by the state. Probably a good thing because if Baltimore City was in responsible, both those stadiums would probably be a mess by now.

Is Missouri even trying to help deal with KC's stadium issues? I mean I'm sure at some point Kansas is going to put some plans together to lure the teams and I would bet Jackson County and KCMO has barely even talked to MO about getting help from the state. KC really needs a lot of help from the state since they have a pretty small local population to pull from if they can't do anything more regional.

[KCPowercat]

I really think this has more to do with DC trying to go all in on getting the Commanders and straight up ignoring the arena and those teams. It almost sounds like they really weren't going to pursue this project til they basically got ghosted by DC admins.

Is Missouri even trying to help deal with KC's stadium issues? I mean I'm sure at some point Kansas is going to put some plans together to lure the teams and I would bet Jackson County and KCMO has barely even talked to MO about getting help from the state. KC really needs a lot of help from the state since they have a pretty small local population to pull from if they can't do anything more regional.

State assistance has been discussed quite a bit when this discussion has come up in the media.

[bspecht]

They are going to lose them to VA as well.

As another user who lives in DC, I'm rather confident RFK will happen & I'm quite skeptical Potomac Yard arena will... fwiw.

[dnweava]

I really think this has more to do with DC trying to go all in on getting the Commanders and straight up ignoring the arena and those teams. It almost sounds like they really weren't going to pursue this project til they basically got ghosted by DC admins.

Is Missouri even trying to help deal with KC's stadium issues? I mean I'm sure at some point Kansas is going to put some plans together to lure the teams and I would bet Jackson County and KCMO has barely even talked to MO about getting help from the state. KC really needs a lot of help from the state since they have a pretty small local population to pull from if they can't do anything more regional.

State assistance has been discussed quite a bit when this discussion has come up in the media.

The governor is a big Chiefs fan who is (or at least was) a season ticket holder. No way the STH governor of Missouri is gonna watch the team leave his state.

[bspecht]

JaCo making moves without Frank.

The chairman of the Jackson County Legislature has introduced legislation that would have voters deciding in April whether to pass a countywide 3/8-cent stadiums sales tax that run out in the year 2071, 40 years after the current tax expires in 2031.
...
“We are encouraged that the Jackson County Legislature has taken this step, which is in line with our stated goal of being on the April ballot,” the Royals said in a prepared statement.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/a ... 63228.html

[AllThingsKC]

How sure are we that a ballot measure would pass?

[dnweava]

71% of OKC just voted to build a new arena to keep their NBA team. Surprisingly high. No way KC gets those kind of numbers.

[AllThingsKC]

I could see 71% voting against it right now.

[langosta]

71% of OKC just voted to build a new arena to keep their NBA team. Surprisingly high. No way KC gets those kind of numbers.

In OKC, the city will pay 95% of the costs.