The Kansas City Chiefs ownership released new renderings yesterday of their planned $800 million stadium renovation, and it includes improvement to all levels as well as the parking lot outside, with renderings showing wait what how much?
The team’s owner estimated that the total cost of the renovation project is $800 million and that the Hunt family would invest $300 million toward that total amount.
The 3/8th county tax would fund the repair and maintenance of the stadium. The remainder of the $800 million for the proposed renovations would be raised from other city, state or private contributions.
So the Hunt family is asking for $500 million in public money to finance upgrades (less whatever “private contributions” they can get, hahaha), on top of the proceeds from the 0.375% sales tax surcharge they’re hoping to pass on April 2, which would be dedicated to “repair and maintenance” of the renovated stadium? Or including that? Are you really that easily distracted by pretty pictures, KMBC-TV, that you didn’t ask for an explanation? Maybe the Kansas City Star has more details … nope, they didn’t even mention the price tag, clearly everyone is distracted by the pretty pictures.
With nothing else to share about the $500 million — or more! — in tax money the Hunts are expecting, let’s go look at the pretty pictures:
Well, that’s certainly an impressive … pedestrian bridge from Lot L across the entry road to the main parking, I’m guessing, from the orientation of the stadium? I’m not sure why Chiefs fans would need to still use Lot L what with all the new parking room provided by the demolition of the Royals‘ Kauffman Stadium (not pictured, because it would be demolished with the Royals moving to their proposed new stadium downtown), but at least they’ll have a nice bridge to walk across to get to the closer parking lots.
Ah, looks like this is what at least part of the former Royals stadium site would be used for: a (fake?) football field that would host outdoor concerts featuring lots of lasers, and also lens flare, or whatever that purplish-red glow is. Ectoplasm? Aurora borealis? Whatever, it’s clearly keeping a lot of the music fans really far back from the stage, though that’s probably a smart move given that the translucent (for some reason) stage roof is apparently being held up only by the aforementioned lasers, doesn’t anybody remember what happened to Curtis Mayfield?
Not a whole lot to see here, though the oval video screens are an interesting touch. (UPDATE: A reader who actually watches football points out that the Chiefs already have oval video screens, though these appear to be bigger ones.) Let’s zoom in…
Now we’re talking! Fans excitedly thrusting their fists in the air (everybody drink!) while a game is in progress and fireworks and confetti simultaneously go off! The Chiefs’ beloved (?) mascot K.C. Wolf dances in the end zone, despite the team being about to make a goal-line stand mere yards away, looking up at the goalposts that are positioned … atop the front rail of the seating area, can that be right? Did anyone involved in these renderings have any experience with football, or geometry? No wonder the guy at left has been driven to top off his beer glass! (Another thing the renderers are possibly unfamiliar with: how football fans drink beer.)
And all this can be yours, Missouri taxpayers, for the low, low price of $500 million, or maybe $500 million plus $250 million from the sales-tax hike, hard to say, really. But get out and vote on April 2 if you want to experience all this in real life; if you’d rather keep the $500 million or so, then get out and vote as well.
It seems likely that level of oversized confetti dropped on the field while the game is in progress would be a penalty.
Those are flags being thrown on to the field.
Oh, Mahomes pretending to be a ref again huh?
I don’t understand how politicians can justify the endless professional sports team stadium subsidies, and why the public lets them get away with it. Couldn’t Disney request and receive the same treatment for new and updated facilities? I would think Disney would have an even better argument for subsidies as they definitely bring in people from outside the area, and their parks are open 365 days a year.
Disney can, and has:
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2023/05/19/florida-disney-project-campus-tax-incentive-lake-nona/
Do you have any examples similar to owners getting subsidies to update or build a new stadium because the current one is 20 years old? For example, if Disney went to Florida claiming that Magic Kingdom is old and in need of updates or replacement. Any examples of that that type of scenario?
With Disney? No, if only because it’s hard to pick up and move either Disneyland or Disney World.
Although Disney DID run the reedy creek area as their local fiefdom. It was a bizarre arrangement of public/private overlap.
When they decided to get overtly involved in political activity, I think desantis decided to call their bluff. It’s currently going through some pretty damning discovery phase.
And more:
https://subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org/?company_op=starts&company=disney
Just because I’m familiar with Disneys rather incestuous relationship wi the Florida …
The state was VERY happy to have Walt bring his theme park to Florida, along with tourism and tax dollars. Especially after Walt’s death when sympathy was high.
So much so that they legislators admitted they never read the 1967 legislation presented to them. Legislation that was written by an active CIA operative (really!) who was working at a Miami law firm.
They just ran with it because they saw $$$.
And no one ever wanted to upset that apple cart because such a large percent of the state revenue came via Disney.
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2023/07/06/murphys-law-foxconn-deal-is-still-costing-taxpayers/#:~:text=That%20brought%20the%20total%20costs,as%20Corrinne%20Hess%20has%20reported.
Wisconsin paid a bunch of money to Foxconn
Based on how far away people are parking in that first rendering, I think the state of Kansas may be expected to kick in some tax money.
Why not just draw the TIF to include most of the western US? Then it would actually “create new money”, at least as far as the local stadium district is concerned…
Hey, eminent domain is eminent domain…
Oh, the Johnson County Kansas folks don’t want have ANYTHING to do with paying for it, although they have equal or more actual season ticket holders at Arrowhead. They want us Jackson County taxpayers to take the overriding brunt of the cost
That’s so sweet of them
I was in the Crossroads area yesterday very close to the proposed new Royals stadium location. It’s a very cool area with unique shops and restaurants. An absolutely stupid place to put a new stadium. I cannot justify spending tons of money to essentially ruin arguably the most interesting neighborhood in KC. Truly lose/lose.
And frankly the Arrowhead renovations look lousy too.
interestingly, at 0:57 in the top video on the KMBC webpage, when asked about developing an entertainment district around the stadium, Mark Donovan, the Chiefs President said, “…right now, in this market, this is not a location that is worthy of developing. As harsh as that sounds, it’s just a reality from a business standpoint.”
So it seems that the Chiefs do not want to build an entertainment district surrounded by nothing. From that, we might be able to conclude that entertainment districts only “work” (and I use the term loosely) when they are adjacent to existing development, and do not create their own development. Which is something that the economists have been saying about stadia for years, and which is now also becoming apparent about stadium driven entertainment districts.
This is obviously in direct opposition to the argument that the development pays for itself and will benefit the entire community…
Surely, there must be something better that could be done with that space than just acres of parking only used about 12 days a year?
Maybe they could build a baseball stadium next to it. Oh wait…
So, the Chiefs demand these resources while currently offering the worst amenities for their players despite being multiple time Super Bowl champs, according to the NFLPA. And yet they insist the government foot the bill.
With respect to superintendent chalmers and the Simpsons
The Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within the chiefs fake infield?
Wonder what the polls say