Chiefs owner targets stadium solution in KC metro area – Newstalk KZRG

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs hope to make “some significant progress” in determining their future home after the lease on Arrowhead Stadium expires in January 2031, and club President and CEO Clark Hunt made it clear Monday that staying in metropolitan Kansas City is the primary goal.

“We have a special relationship with the community and with the Chiefs kingdom, and our focus is very much on finding a solution here in the metropolitan area,” Hunt said during his annual training camp news conference on the campus of Missouri Western State University.

Jackson County voters in April rejected an extension of the 3/8-cent sales tax, which would have helped pay for the renovation of Arrowhead Stadium and a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals.

The Chiefs have now expanded their options and have not stayed in their home stadium for the past 52 seasons, including a possible move to the Kansas side of the state line, where the Legislature has approved a bond proposal that would allow the state to finance up to 70 percent of the cost of a new stadium for the Chiefs. But Hunt hasn’t closed the door on staying in Missouri or at Arrowhead Stadium.

“We’re glad we have some options. We really appreciate what the Kansas Legislature has done by passing the Star Bond Bill upgrade, which would potentially give us the opportunity to build a stadium there,” Hunt said.

“And we’re going to work very hard over the next few months and years to come up with a solution that makes sense for the organization, makes sense for the team, but also makes sense for the community. So we’re approaching it with an open mind and we’re looking forward to talking to leaders on both sides of the state line.”

The plan rejected by voters in April would have tied the Chiefs to Arrowhead Stadium for 25 years, which Hunt said is the expected remaining life of the facility. Voters in 2006 rejected adding a retractable roof that would have been shared with neighbor Kauffman Stadium, but Hunt said that remains an option.

“I think we’ll look at it again,” Hunt said. “I’ve mentioned the possibility of a new stadium, also on the Missouri side. And I think if we go that route, we should definitely look at a dome. A dome gives you the ability to host a lot of other events that can be important to the community.”

Arrowhead Stadium isn’t the only team facility in need of modernization. Hunt admits the team has outgrown its headquarters and training complex. The Chiefs received a poor rating on the NFL Players Association’s report card issued in March for their willingness to invest in facilities.

Hunt notes that every NFL team has grown in terms of the number of people, players and coaches, a trend he expects to continue. In the nearly 15 years since the team moved into its headquarters and training complex, the organization has more than doubled its staff to more than 300, excluding players.

“It would either be a major renovation of our existing training facility or the construction of the new training facility that would not only help us with the current size of the organization, but also with the growth that we are likely to experience over the next few decades,” Hunt explained.

Hunt addresses his team at the opening of training camp each season. There are certain messages he emphasizes year after year.

“I want them to understand the culture of the club. The mission statement, obviously our goal, our goal is to end up in New Orleans, to play for another Lombardi Trophy. But the challenge this year will be the distraction. There’s going to be a lot of talk about going back to back to back.”

Hunt told his team to focus on the task at hand and the next team on the schedule, and not to be distracted by a “threepeat” (a repetition of three) that would throw them off course.

“Every team we play against is going to give it their best shot. When you’re the reigning champions, that game is very important to the teams you’ve played against. They put it on their calendar as an opportunity to knock out the reigning champions.”

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo gave a similar message Monday when asked what concerns him about the upcoming campaign.

“The Baltimore Ravens,” Spagnuolo said, referring to the team’s Week 1 opponent on opening night of the NFL season. “That’s the only thing on my mind right now, to be honest with you. Listen, we know they’re going to be pumped, and that’s a good football team. That’s one thing.”