KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Leaders from the Kansas City Royals met Thursday with Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe.
The meeting came the day after the governor met with local elected leaders about whether and how to use public funds to help the Royals and Chiefs with stadium projects.
The teams have been exploring their options - which include the possibility of moving to Kansas - since Jackson County voters rejected a proposal in April 2024 to help fund a new downtown stadium for the Royals and renovations to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Here’s a look at important dates in the process.
- February 13, 2024: The Royals announced their preference to build a new stadium in the Crossroads.
- February 24, 2024: The Chiefs announced plans to renovate GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
- April 2, 2024: By a vote of 58-42, voters rejected a sales tax extension to help finance the stadium projects.
- June 21, 2024: Kansas lawmakers beef up an incentive tool called STAR Bonds to cover up to 70 percent of a new stadium’s construction costs in efforts to attract one or both teams to the state.
- January 9, 2025: The Chiefs send a survey to fans to gather input on renovating Arrowhead and building a new stadium.
- February 1, 2025: Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman announced at the team’s annual preseason rally he hopes to have more certainty about the stadium’s future by “mid-year.”
- February 26, 2025: Kansas City Councilman Nathan Willett, Jackson County legislators Sean Smith and Manny Abarca meet with Governor Mike Kehoe and other state leaders. This is the first time elected leaders from all three levels of government met to discuss the topic.
- May 16, 2025: The Missouri legislative session ends. Leaders indicated a desire to reform the property assessment process this session. This would be an attempt to gain ground with Jackson County voters who leaders think were so turned off by the 2023 assessment process they voted no on the April 2024 proposal.
- June 30, 2025: Kansas’ STAR Bond incentive expires, but legislators have the option to extend the program another year.
- November 4, 2025: potential election date for a new ballot measure in Jackson County to use sales tax dollars to fund one or more stadium projects..
- January 31, 2031: the current leases for both teams at their current locations within the Truman Sports Complex end.
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KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
