State shares boundaries for Kansas City Chiefs STAR Bonds District

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The boundaries for the Kansas City Chiefs STAR Bonds District were published Tuesday by Lt. Gov. and Secretary of Commerce David Toland.

The district stretches across Wyandotte County and Johnson County, including KCK, Bonner Springs, Edwardsville, Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe.

The map excludes the University of Kansas Medical Center complex, a predominantly vacant portion of Shawnee and existing STAR bond districts.

In a Kansas Department of Commerce press release, the state said the map was designed with “clear goals shared by the administration and the legislature.” Those goals include maximizing economic benefit and paying off bonds as quickly as possible.

“Establishing the district boundaries moves us one step closer to building the Chiefs’ new state-of-the-art domed stadium in Kansas,” Toland said in a news release. “This is a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity for Kansas, and we will ensure that all Kansans enjoy the benefits of this new stadium for many, many years to come.”

The STAR bond district will collect new sales tax revenues to finance the $3 billion domed stadium in Wyandotte County, the team’s headquarters and training facility in Olathe, and the surrounding mixed-use district.

In addition to the STAR bond district, the public-private project will also receive funding from the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund.

Over the summer, a first boundary draft was released. At that time, KCK Mayor and CEO Christal Watson said she thought that would hurt Wyandotte County as a whole.

“We want to be able to have other STAR bond districts within our community,” she said. “I don't want to see us go down everywhere around the stadium. That's not the intent."

While the stadium will be owned by Kansans and leased to the team, the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority is set to oversee “construction, financing and management of the sports facilities and associated infrastructure,” per a press release from the state. That has recently become an issue with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK.

The UG sued the state on Friday over concerns regarding “equitable process.” Thursday night, the UG Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance that exempts KCK from portions of the Sports Authority House Bill.

“If the state intends to embark on an economic development project of this magnitude, it must include the local citizens who work and live here,” Watson said in a statement Friday. “The current legislation does not give us a proper say in how this gets done and who will benefit. Until the situation is fair for all Wyandotte County residents, we will turn to the courts for a fair hearing and resolution of the matter.”

Gov. Laura Kelly’s office declined to comment “due to pending litigation.”

KSHB 41’s Rachel Henderson reached out to the UG about its reaction to the map announcement and to the state to learn what changed from earlier versions of the map. This story will be updated if responses are received.

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