KANSAS CITY, Mo.: The Kansas City Chiefs are planning an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium, the third-oldest stadium within the NFL, that might start after the group performs host to video games for the 2026 World Cup and take about 4 years to finish.
The undertaking is contingent on the extension of a tax of three-eighth of a cent by voters in Jackson County, Missouri, on April 2. That cash has been used for maintenance at Truman Sports Complex of Arrowhead and neighboring Kauffman Stadium, which the Royals intend to depart for a brand new downtown ballpark earlier than the present lease expires after the 2030 season.
“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” acknowledged Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose household would contribute $300 million towards the general undertaking. “So the financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we’ve outlined.”
The scope of the renovation undertaking, which was revealed Wednesday throughout a information convention at Arrowhead, would contact each side of the 52-12 months-outdated constructing, from the seating bowl to luxurious facilities to the tailgating scene.
There could be a brand new parking deck constructed to assist present gamers, VIPs and different particular visitors with a greater entry level. New pedestrian bridges would assist followers get from parking heaps to the stadium. There could be new ribbon boards, the video boards at every finish would triple and quadruple in measurement and the present suites across the stadium could be renovated.
The two greatest modifications to the stadium itself would come above it and beneath it.
For the primary time because the stadium was inbuilt 1972, the Chiefs are planning to construct a 360-diploma higher concourse, which might enable followers to extra simply circulation across the stadium. It would additionally create extra meals stations, restrooms and merchandise areas, and that might alleviate congestion elsewhere within the stadium.
In the top zones, the Chiefs are planning to excavate underneath the present construction to create membership areas much like these discovered at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the place the Raiders play and the Chiefs not too long ago gained their third Super Bowl up to now 5 years.
“You sit on the field level of Allegiant Stadium and see that amazing end zone suite they have, and you say: ‘Wow. Too bad we can’t do that,’” Chiefs president Mark Donovan mentioned. “We found a way to do that, and not only bring you the best of the newest buildings in the NFL, but put it inside the iconic Arrowhead Stadium.”
Another massive change would come outdoors the stadium, the place the Chiefs envision a tailgating plaza constructed on the positioning of Kauffman Stadium. The lined space would supply a gathering area on recreation day but additionally might be used 12 months-spherical for occasions.
The unique plan for the Truman Sports Complex known as for a rolling roof that would cowl Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, however the construction was by no means constructed. The Chiefs revisited the thought of a roof over Arrowhead roughly twenty years in the past, when it underwent its final main renovation, however the public was skeptical of the undertaking and the thought in the end was scrapped.
Even although a roof conceivably might assist Kansas City play host to the Super Bowl, Hunt mentioned Wednesday it was by no means severely thought-about for this spherical of renovations — and actually, the group prefers to play open air within the components.
“We certainly feel like it’s a competitive advantage for us,” he mentioned.
The Chiefs additionally thought-about a blended-use improvement round Arrowhead, the place there are few eating places, motels and leisure choices. But research discovered that such an funding wouldn’t present a constructive monetary return.
“This is not a location that is not worthy of developing,” Donovan mentioned, “as harsh as that sounds.”
So, the scope of the undertaking was narrowed to Arrowhead itself. Hunt mentioned the objective is to take care of its historical past and mystique whereas offering followers with the facilities discovered in additional trendy stadiums throughout the NFL.
“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt mentioned of his father, Lamar Hunt, who based the group in 1959 in Dallas. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”
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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
