Arrowhead Stadium has been home to the Kansas City Chiefs since 1972 and the team currently has a lease in place to remain there through 2031. That said, the future home of the Chiefs has been up in the air.
Ownership has made it clear that their preference is to remain at Arrowhead Stadium with upgrades and renovations to the stadium. However, there are a variety of options that are on the table, including new stadium options both on-site and off-site.
Speaking to media members at the Chiefs’ training camp opening press conference in St. Joseph, Missouri, team president Mark Donovan provided the latest update on the team’s future as it relates to where they’ll play.
Right now, that future is somewhat tied to their neighbors in the Truman Sports Complex, the Kansas City Royals.
“To answer your question, the partnership with the Royals has been great,” Donovan began. “It’s really, really critical to both of us that we have a good partnership as we go through the decision-making process. We’ve been consistent every time that we’ve spoken that it is a process, it’s an important process and that we’re still in the process, but we’re making progress.”
Not only is the Chiefs’ future at Arrowhead tied to the Royals’ decision on a new downtown stadium, but it’s also tied to the vote to extend the 3/8th cent sales tax in Jackson County, which goes toward improvements to Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium. That vote is still set for April 2024.
Donovan reiterated some of what we already have come to know regarding their research and options the options that are on the table.
“I want to be consistent and reiterate something that Clark (Hunt) said, the last time he spoke on this,” Donovan explained. “If everything plays out the way we think it’s going to play out, our preference for us, is to upgrade and renovate (Arrowhead Stadium) and make GEHA Field even better.
“We’ve gone through the process and we’ve made some progress there. There are still three viable options on the table that we’ve got to do the due diligence on. Renovate and upgrade, build new on-site, or build new somewhere else. All three of those options are still part of our dialogue.
“We’ve learned a lot in this process. The good news is, we think the building itself is actually, structurally, pretty sound — which gives us the opportunity (to renovate). Having said that, it’s going to take a significant annual investment to keep that building structurally sound.
“The other thing we’ve learned, good and bad, is just like any project, right? There are some days when you get that phone call that’s like, ‘Hey, we just found this. It might be an issue.’ We’re talking about a core sample of cement that was poured in 1970, those issues could be significant and they could factor into the decision.”
The types of issues that the team runs into during the course of their renovations for the 2026 World Cup could also prove to be a determining factor. The team will have to remove seating to properly fit the pitch and make improvements, with an estimated cost of around $50 million. That work will take place in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Asked whether any of those renovations would be tied into what they have planned for Arrowhead Stadium’s future, Donovan posed the following question.
“What are we going to do to be compliant for the World Cup, to host that amazing event, that we could potentially keep? (Things) that we could benefit from or not have to re-do.”
Ultimately, the Chiefs’ leadership team feels like they’re prepared for any possibility and have the ability to pivot when necessary. They know they need to get things absolutely perfect for the 2026 World Cup and do right by Chiefs fans as well. They also feel they’re heading down the path of doing what they’d like to do, which is to renovate and upgrade Arrowhead Stadium and call it home for many, many years to come.
“We’re heading towards what we want to do and we’re making good progress towards that,” Donovan said. “There is still a lot of work to do and still a lot of due diligence to do. As it relates to the Royals and their decision, obviously, that factors in as well. If and when they go, then that creates opportunity for us and what does that mean? It gets really complicated. We have a sports complex now that has one tenant. How do you deal with that? You know, sports authority. I will say this, in addition to our communication with the Royals, which has been pretty consistent. We’re also talking to the Mayor (Quinton Lucas), the Governor (Mike Parson), the county, the sports authority. They’re all in the loop on what we’re doing and how we’re doing it and (they’re) very supportive.”
