Kansas City Politicians Are Considering Renovating A Two Year Old Soccer Stadium.
Kansas City, Missouri politicians have not yet figured out a funding mechanism for a proposed Major League Baseball park for the local Royals franchise but that doesn’t matter in the stadium game world. That will be put aside while another stadium project is on the drawing board. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is on board with adding capacity to the city’s existing women’s professional soccer league venue. The stadium, which hosts the National Women’s Soccer League’s KC Current franchise, is already outdated. The 11,500-seat facility opened on March 16th, 2024. The stadium is part of a development that includes retail, office and residential space. Kansas City, Missouri politicians are considering throwing another $235 million in public funding to expand the stadium by 6,500-seats and adding more mixed-use development and a parking garage. The mayor, Quinton Lucas, sounds like every other politician willing to spend money on building a sports palace. “We look to build on the momentum, expanding a stadium district that will draw more visitors, create jobs, help Kansas City compete for more global and national events, and strengthen our riverfront for generations to come.”
There are not many special sports events around and tourists don’t flock to see local teams except in pro and college football. The tourists are the regular customers who live within 25 miles of a venue. Where would the $235 million come from? One gadget could be a tax increment financing plan. Tax increment financing is simple. Collect taxes within a special district and instead of sending those taxes to a general fund, the taxes are kicked back to the property developer with the thought the project creates jobs. There could be tax credits from the Missouri Development Finance Board and other state programs, including the Missouri Downtown Economic Stimulus Act. Kansas City, Missouri politicians are ready to spend more money on sports.
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