Kansas state and county leaders respond to lawmakers push to get Chiefs to Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - State and county leaders are responding to lawmakers’ push to get the Chiefs into the Sunflower State.
Kansas Rep. Sean Tarwater believes the proposed STAR Bond would not only be a game-changer for the state but also for the Chiefs.
“We know that they made a public comment that they’re open to all options, and so we’re going to give them the best option that we have, and we think it’ll be better than anything Missouri can offer and certainly better than them having to pull roots and them going to a different state,” Tarwater said.
Tarwater brought up that there’s a lower crime rate in Kansas. Plus, he said there are neighborhoods already thriving around a potential stadium.
“Out-of-town fans stay in the district and would spend their dollars rather than game-only revenue,” Tarwater said. “It would be built in a thriving area of the state that will be a destination that will provide year-long revenue for the organization versus a stadium in a dying area of town where the business activity will be limited to the nine home games a year and a few concerts.”
He said the bill would also include a separate practice facility.
“Similar to how the Dallas Cowboys did it, several miles away from the stadium, and they built a city around it,” Tarwater said. “So, there’s a lot of commerce to be had off of that, too.”
Tarwater said he wants to make it clear that there would be no sales tax increases.
“Everything we are doing is to protect taxpayers and make sure that we’re only using revenues that would be generated by the structure itself and the surrounding area,” Tarwater said. “With no tax increases, no sales tax increases, and it would be basically paid for by the people who use the facility or people who visit the restaurants or the retail that it develops.”
As for where the stadium could go if the Chiefs decide to move over, Tarwater said it could be anywhere with a lot of land.
“Anything is a possibility; it’s up to the local governments to kind of get together, team up with a developer, contact the Chiefs, and start negotiations,” Tarwater said.
David Johnston, Wyandotte County Administrator, said he applauds the state for taking the lead.
“It’s good to see that the state is stepping up,” Johnston said. “No one has contacted us. It’s intriguing, and it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. What I think is important is Kansas wants to be at the table.”
As of now, he said it’s a waiting game but is hopeful.
“It would mean a great deal if we were the chosen site,” Johnston said of a potential move to Wyandotte. “It would add a whole new dimension to tourism, and we would like it.”
However, he said that they would do everything they could to keep the Chiefs and the Royals in the Kansas City area.
“We will do whatever we can to have that presence still here, but it would be nice to have the world champion Chiefs located right here,” Johnston said.
Regardless of where, some Kansas Chiefs fans would be more than happy to welcome the team to Sunflower State.
“I think they would be crazy to not accept a good deal,” said Chiefs fan Ken Golish. “We would love to have them over here. There is plenty of room over here for parking, for the people. This is such a growing area out here; it would be a perfect addition.”
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