KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, and the state of Kansas announced Friday a lawsuit over the Chiefs stadium project has been resolved.
The UG filed a lawsuit earlier this month against Kansas over "equitable process" concerns with the project.
On Friday, a press release from the Kansas Office of the Governor said the UG and Kansas have resolved the concerns, "leading to a plan to move forward on the project together."
The press release also said the UG has agreed to dismiss the suit.
“The collaboration in recent days has literally been a game changer,” KCK Mayor Christal Watson said in a press release. “All of the parties remain fully supportive of the Chiefs, the stadium project and the significant economic opportunity it will create for the citizens of Wyandotte County and Kansas.”
The agreement reached between the UG and the state is outlined below.
"The agreement resolves several components related to the state’s partnership with the UG, including land use and utility services.
"The agreement confirms that the UG and Wyandotte County Board of Public Utilities (BPU) will retain jurisdiction on all ancillary development surrounding the Chiefs stadium, which includes local planning and zoning and paying of the BPU payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT). The stadium and its parking areas will be state facilities owned by the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority (KSFA), not subject to local zoning or building codes, and leased to the Kansas City Chiefs for $7 million per year.
"The UG’s local pledge area will continue to apply only within stadium, parking and ancillary development area included in the Chiefs project. No additional UG revenue is being requested outside that area which maintains the original local financial commitment."
Another component of the agreement is a path for BPU and Evergy to build a partnership over electric services for the stadium.
On Tuesday, just a few days prior to this announcement, KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson sat down with Mayor Watson to discuss the suit, where she said she was confident the UG could still have a seat at the table with the state.
"We still want a partnership. We are still happy to see the Chiefs come to Kansas City, Kansas. I really want the Chiefs to know we do care about them and care about their success just as much as we care about Wyandotte County," Watson said.
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