Chiefs seek extension for Kan. stadium financing

LENEXA, Kan. -- The Kansas City Chiefs person requested an hold to an end-of-June deadline for a stadium financing bundle from the authorities of Kansas, an denotation that the NFL franchise's imaginable determination crossed the authorities enactment from Missouri is simply a morganatic possibility.

Chiefs president Mark Donovan requested the hold Thursday successful a missive to Kansas Senate president Ty Masterson, a transcript of which was obtained by The Associated Press. Donovan explained that the Chiefs person made "significant progress" connected plans for a caller stadium improvement but that much clip is needed to "bring the effort to afloat fruition."

The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council is scheduled to conscionable July 7 to see extending the inducement deadline.

"The missive from Mark Donovan indicates that the thrust to bring this historical task to Kansas is moving down the field," Masterson said successful a statement. "Now that we are successful the reddish zone, this hold volition supply stakeholders capable clip to guarantee the shot crosses the extremity line."

The Chiefs and Royals person played for much than 5 decades astatine the Truman Sports Complex connected the eastbound broadside of Kansas City, Missouri, wherever Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium stock parking facilities. But leases with Jackson County are owed to expire successful January 2031, and the 2 franchises person been trying to crippled a people guardant for years.

Donovan indicated successful his missive to Masterson that Kansas remains an enticing option.

"Together," helium wrote, "we person the accidental to bring the National Football League to Kansas, anchored by a world-class domed stadium, caller squad headquarters, a state-of-the-art signifier facility, and a vibrant mixed-use and amusement district."

Last year, Jackson County voters defeated a income taxation hold that would person helped to concern an $800 cardinal renovation of Arrowhead Stadium -- the location of the Chiefs -- and a $2 cardinal ballpark territory for the Royals successful downtown Kansas City.

While section and authorities officials successful Missouri were considering different a stadium financing package, lawmakers successful Kansas rapidly and aggressively authorized bonds for up to 70% of the outgo of caller stadiums to beryllium built successful their state.

Many believed the Chiefs and Royals would usage the Kansas connection arsenic leverage for a amended woody from Missouri -- including Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas, who acknowledged that "the teams are successful an exceptional leverage position."

Finally, earlier this month, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe called lawmakers into a peculiar league to o.k. a stadium financing deal that included catastrophe alleviation for the St. Louis area, wherever a bid of devastating tornadoes caused wide damage. The authorities authorizes bonds covering up to 50% of the outgo of caller oregon renovated stadiums successful Missouri, positive up to $50 cardinal of taxation credits for each stadium and unspecified assistance from section governments.

The prevailing content was that the bundle would beryllium capable to support the Chiefs astatine Arrowhead Stadium, wherever they person floated plans for a $1.15 cardinal renovation, and possibly clasp onto the Royals, who are inactive funny successful gathering downtown.

Yet quality surfaced astir a period agone that an affiliate of the Royals purchased the owe connected a ample spot successful the confederate Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, raising the anticipation of gathering a caller stadium and ballpark territory there.

And the missive from Donovan requesting an hold successful Kansas indicates the Chiefs besides are superior astir switching states.

Chiefs proprietor Clark Hunt has agelong professed his affinity for Arrowhead Stadium, which was built by his begetter and squad laminitis Lamar Hunt. But helium besides is keenly alert of the gross streams disposable by gathering a caller domed stadium, including the accidental to big the Super Bowl, the Final Four and different marquee sporting events.

It is unclear wherever the Chiefs would physique successful Kansas, but 1 anticipation is the juncture of Interstates 435 and 70 successful Kansas City, Kansas. That's the tract of Kansas Speedway, a mixed residential and commercialized territory called The Legends, the location stadiums of MLS nine Sporting Kansas City and the Kansas City Monarchs insignificant league shot club, arsenic good arsenic a casino, hotels, a large shot grooming halfway and the infrastructure indispensable to enactment a domed shot stadium.

"We are excited astir the imaginable for this project, which would correspond the largest economical improvement inaugural successful the state's history," Donovan wrote successful his missive Thursday. "Just arsenic important, the beingness of an NFL franchise successful [Kansas] volition service arsenic a almighty motor for contiguous and agelong term-growth -- driving nationalist attention, sustained tourism, and billions much successful backstage improvement crossed the state."