Some new developments in the Kansas City stadium game.
There is an old show tune by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein called Kansas City that features the lines. Ev’rythin’s up to date in Kansas City. They’ve gone about as fur as they c’n go! Well maybe not. The stadium game featuring the owners of Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals and the National Football League Kansas City Chiefs franchises are not up to date with stadium plans. The mayor of North Kansas City, Jesse Smith, said that the city is working on a deal framework that would then involve the state and the county. The city is now entering a “brief period” where talks will remain confidential.
Smith has “four major priorities” in the negotiations with the Royals owner John Sherman. Protecting the city’s long-term financial health, making sure any deal is a win-win-win for the city, its residents and the team. Safeguarding neighborhoods, ensuring game day operations like traffic and parking do not spill into residential areas. Leveraging investment for the city’s infrastructure as the city had needs for items like water and roads. Engaging the community and region with open communication if a deal framework is reached.
North Kansas City is about three and a half miles north of Kansas City. The town has 5,630 people within its borders and there is no way a town that size can throw a massive amount of money, hundreds of millions of dollars, into building a park. Missouri and Clay County taxpayers would have to chip in big bucks. Meanwhile, a St. Louis law firm, the Ketcher Law Firm, wants to see a November 2026 voter referendum on a proposal that was cooked up by Missouri lawmakers to help fund the renovation of the Kansas City Chiefs facility. The law firm would rather see that money go to protecting Medicaid coverage. The stadium game continues in Kansas City.
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