Keep Royals & Chiefs Committee Project 26,000 Jobs & $3.8 Billion In Economic Output

Big numbers and a powerful statement from the teams today . . . The money line halfway through the text is the most important part of this missive . . .

Open Letter to Jackson County Legislators from the Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County

Kansas City, MO – On Monday, March 25, 2024, the Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County sent an open letter to Jackson County Legislators to update them on the status of ongoing negotiations with County Executive Frank White:

To the Jackson County Legislature:

For two and a half years, the Kansas Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals attempted to directly engage in constructive conversation with County Executive Frank White about the future of our teams in Jackson County, and for two and a half years, we have been met repeatedly with barriers to progress. Today is no different.

The Chiefs and the Royals have been in proud partnership with Jackson County for 50 years, and we are working tirelessly to make sure that partnership continues for decades to come. Meanwhile, County Executive White is playing political games with our county’s future and both teams’ ability to make a lasting impact on the community.

The Kansas City Royals first engaged the County Executive in May of 2021 and shared our initial stadium plans just one month later. In the spirit of transparency, Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman held a press conference in September of 2021 to announce that the Royals’ ownership group had begun to explore the viability of moving the Royals downtown.

For more than two years, our teams have met with, negotiated with, responded to and waited patiently on the County Executive. It is worth noting: the Royals sent the first detailed term sheet to the County Executive in June of 2023, and he did not respond to it for several weeks.

In January of this year, when County Legislators voted to put Question 1 on the April 2 ballot, the County Executive delayed progress yet again by vetoing the legislators’ wishes. The Legislators overturned his veto because they know Jackson County residents deserve to vote on whether to keep the teams at home in Jackson County.

We have been open, responsive and transparent with the County Executive and the County Legislators with every phase of this muti-year process.

The Jackson County Sports Complex Authority currently has final forms of both teams’ leases, and County Legislators have long form versions of our teams’ historic $260 million Community Benefits Agreements. We have publicly outlined in detail how we will preserve and advance the spirit of the Crossroads neighborhood, and we are committed to ensuring Kansas City Public Schools stand to benefit from downtown baseball and lose no tax revenue as part of the deal. These promises come alongside $1.3 billion in pledged private investment and more than $200 million in economic relief to Jackson County by eliminating the obligation to pay stadium insurance premiums and park levy to the teams.

Today, the Chiefs and Arrowhead drive more than $993 million in total annual economic output for the Kansas City region – including more than $572 million in economic output for Jackson County specifically – and support 5,860 full- and part-time jobs annually. The Royals project the construction benefits of a Crossroads ballpark and district will include 26,000 jobs, spurring $1.8 billion in labor income, and $3.8 billion in total economic output. Upon completion over time, the new ballpark and surrounding district will annually support 8,400 jobs, net $440 million in labor income, and spur $1.2 billion in annual economic output.

Without a YES vote on April 2, there will be no new jobs to fill, no labor income generated, and no economic output for the county, city, or state created by these projects.

The County Executive will tell you that we have more time, and we can delay, but our teams have been clear. If April 2 results in a “no” for the Chiefs and Royals, we will explore all options for where we will play come 2031. It is our hope that we continue to play here.

Our coalition is expansive, and we’re proud to have the support of so many in our Jackson County community – from a broad array of perspectives and backgrounds – who believe in our teams and know the impact the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals make both on and off the field. Our support includes:
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Kansas City Area Development Council
Independence Chamber of Commerce
Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City
Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO
Mid-American Carpenters Regional Council
Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council
Kansas City Fraternal Order of Policy
Freedom, Inc.
We are saddened the County Executive is putting at risk the promising future of our teams in Jackson County – one with more championships, more economic prosperity for every segment of our population and expansive development in our downtown core. If there’s concern the proposed leases are “late,” then the County Executive has only himself to blame.

We hope the voters see through the County Executive’s false motives and realize what is at stake on April 2. When Frank White is done playing his political games, we’d like to get back to playing football and baseball, preferably in Jackson County.

Sincerely,
The Campaign to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County”
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