What’s next if the KC Royals and Chiefs stadium tax passes — or if it fails? What we know

With Election Day looming and the fate of a Royals and Chiefs stadiums tax in the balance, Star readers have been asking about what would happen next, whether Question 1 on the Jackson County ballot passes or fails.

With its name, The Committee to Keep the Chiefs and Royals in Jackson County, the “vote yes” campaign has been floating the possibility that one or both teams could leave if the vote doesn’t go their way. It is unclear whether that would actually happen, and if so whether they would go to another part of the Kansas City area or another city entirely.

The two “vote no” campaigns focus on keeping taxpayer money out of “billionaire owners” hands, “saving” Kauffman Stadium, preserving the artsy vibe of Crossroads and a lack of clear details on the teams’ plans.

Here is what we know about what could actually happen after April 2 and what questions would still linger, with either outcome.

What happens if the vote passes?

The Royals said they want to have the East Crossroads ballpark ready for Opening Day 2028, while the Chiefs want to finish Arrowhead renovations by the start of the 2031 season, according to the recently announced leases.

What still needs to happen before the stadium projects move forward?

While the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority reached an agreement with the teams on lease documents, the Jackson County Legislature still must approve those documents and the community benefits agreements for them to be legal contracts.

Neither the leases nor the community benefits agreements are on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the county legislature, which means it’s unlikely they’ll be approved before Election Day.

Those documents would be subject to amendment by the legislature. So in short: Even after the vote, many details will still be left to iron out.

What else still needs to be figured out?

City and state funding for both projects are yet to be determined. The exact amount of county funding has not been determined. Nor have the Royals committed to how much they will put into the ballpark in the Crossroads. The Chiefs have said they will give $300 million toward their $800 million project.

What about Oak Street?

The Royals announced Wednesday that they plan to change their designs to keep Oak Street open, but it’s still unclear what that will involve or look like.

Mayor Quinton Lucas and the 12-member City Council would have to approve any road closures for the Crossroads ballpark.

The Royals did not explain what would happen to the developments they had planned east of Oak.

What if Crossroads businesses don’t sell?

The team says it plans to reach agreements with all property owners and businesses that would need to sell their buildings in order to build a Crossroads stadium.

The Royals said those businesses will be made whole and that the team will be good neighbors, but have not said more than that. They’ve said their plan is to purchase the land needed for the stadium and transfer it to the county.

So far, the Royals have refused to answer reporters’ questions about whether they would invoke eminent domain of Crossroads businesses if need be to build the stadium.

Mayor Lucas has also not said whether the city would play a role in condemning or acquiring property.

In the ballpark footprint, Church of the Resurrection has started a $2.8 million expansion of its location at 1601 Grand Blvd.

Governments in other cities have condemned property for stadium projects, including in Los Angeles for Dodgers Stadium, Washington, D.C. for Nationals Park) and New York State for Barclays Center, according to reporting from the Kansas City Business Journal.

What happens if it fails?

The teams’ current leases continue until Jan. 31 2031. That means they will need to stay at the Truman Sports Complex until then.

Documents from 2006 spell out what happens at the end. Both teams can extend their time at their current stadiums for two consecutive five-year terms after 2031. The Chiefs must state their intentions two years before the end of the lease, while the Royals have a year.

At the end of the respective team’s lease, the money from the team’s pot of taxpayer money collected to maintain stadium operations would be released to the county.

Could voters have another chance to approve a stadiums tax? Could a future vote split the teams up?

It’s unclear how likely that would be, but it would in theory be possible for the teams to bring a tax to the ballot again in the future if it doesn’t pass this time.

It would also be possible for the teams to split up and do separate ballot initiatives, but similarly, it’s unclear how likely that would be. Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca proposed an ordinance for a Chiefs-only task last year, for example, after the county legislature approved the joint tax.

The teams have not explicitly said whether they would try again at the ballot in an election later this year or in another year before their leases expire in 2031.

Would the teams leave if they don’t get their way?

When The Star asked the “vote yes” campaign committee that question directly, this was the response: “Both teams have been consistent and clear: We are focused on a successful campaign and want to stay in Jackson County. If the vote doesn’t pass, both teams will consider all options.”

The Royals have been coy in public statements about their plans after April 2.

In a March 19 debate, Sly James, former Kansas City mayor who has been consulting for the yes campaign, said “If the taxpayers say no, then they’ll look at all their options, and all of those options are available to them.” Sarah Tourville, executive vice president of the Royals, echoed his statement.

In a March 22 press conference, Brooks Sherman, vice president and chief operating officer, said that after the 2030 season, “there will be a new location in which to play baseball.”

And Royals majority owner John Sherman said on Kansas City sports-talk radio station 610, “This is about sustaining ourselves as a major league city. There are lots of cities that would love to have these franchises.”

As for the Chiefs, team president Mark Donovan told KSHB that the Chiefs “would just have to look at all our options” if the tax failed.

“I think they would have to include leaving Kansas City,” Donovan said. “But our goal here is, we want to stay here. And we’re willing to accept a deal from the county to actually stay here.”

The Star’s Mike Hendricks, Sam McDowell and Allison Dikanovic contributed to this report.