KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Commissioners approved a lease Thursday with a new ownership group for the Kansas City T-Bones baseball club by a 9-1 vote.
The next step is for the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball to approve the new owners and the T-Bones will be staying put in KCK.
Max Fun Entertainment LLC, which is led by local businessman Mark Brandmeyer, reached an agreement to buy the team from the Ehlert family — which fell behind more than $300,000 on utility payments prompting the Unified Government, which owns the JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium, to evict the team earlier this week.
The new lease with Max Fun Entertainment is for five years. The deal also includes three five-year renewal options.
Max Fun Entertainment plans to spend at least $500,000 on capital improvements to the stadium before May 2022 with the hope of offering additional year-round amenities at the stadium.
As part of the agreement, the Unified Government would use $1 million in Kansas sales tax revenue, or STAR, bonds within the next two years to help fund additional capital improvements.
Brandmeyer will have to provide a $100,000 letter of credit to ensure the new owners can pay the bills if the new owners struggle to generate revenue.
Unified Government officials changed locks to the gates at the T-Bones' Stadium on Monday after the team's previous owner, the Ehlert family, failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in back rent and utility bills.
Initially, the UG planned to evict the team Aug. 20, but it provided the Ehlerts two extensions before proceeding with the eviction.
The Ehlerts still owe the UG approximately $300,000, which Wyandotte County Administrator Doug Bach told 41 Action News the new ownership group will not inherit.
