Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday announced the details of an incentive package designed to bring the Kansas City Chiefs across the state line to build a new stadium.
The stadium will be built in Wyandotte County and will be surrounded by an entertainment district, Kelly said. A new team headquarters and a practice facility will be built in Olathe, she said.
The announcement came after a group of top lawmakers in Topeka voted unanimously to approve a deal negotiated with Chiefs ownership by Lt. Gov. David Toland on behalf of the Kansas Department of Commerce.
“Kansas is not a fly-over state. We’re a touchdown state,” Kelly said, calling today’s announcement “a little bit surreal.”
The Chiefs have played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., since 1972, and it’s been home to the birth of a recent football dynasty. Their current lease expires after the 2030 season.
The seismic decision comes after a year and a half of the Chiefs playing Kansas and Missouri officials off of each other to secure the most favorable stadium deal.
The move is likely to send shockwaves across the Chiefs’ home state of Missouri, where officials have routinely touted ongoing negotiations to keep the team inside state lines.
