KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs announced Tuesday that two companies - Manica and Populous - are the finalists to design the team’s new $3 billion domed stadium in Wyandotte County.
Tuesday’s news comes roughly a month after the team reached a deal with Kansas officials to move the club across state lines, with the goal of opening the stadium by the start of the 2031 NFL season.
“We’re thrilled to take this next step in our new stadium journey and announce the two finalists in our search for lead designer,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in a news release Tuesday.
Manica got its start when David Manica left Kansas City-based HOK Sport (now named Populous) to open his own firm in 2007. The firm has since grown to design Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the new Nissan Stadium in Nashville and Chase Center in San Francisco, among other designs globally.
Kansas City-based Populous has been a global leader in sports facility design for decades. Its most recent projects include the new Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong.
“The Kansas City region is the central hub of global sports and entertainment venue architecture and design, so we didn’t need to go far to identify the top options to explore final concepts for the future home of Chiefs Kingdom,” Donovan said.
The club said Tuesday’s announcement marked the first of “numerous updates expected” in 2026 surrounding the Wyandotte County stadium project. Tuesday's announcement did not specifically indicate when the club planned to make a final selection between Manica and Populous.
While the exact footprint of the new stadium has yet to be announced, officials are looking at the Village West district northwest of the Interstate 70 and Interstate 435 interchange in Kansas City, Kansas. The area already includes Kansas Speedway and Sporting KC Park, among other sports venues.
Funding for the stadium includes a mix of revenue generated by Sales Tax and Revenue Bonds (STAR bonds), which will contribute roughly $1.8 billion to the project. The team says the remaining $1.2 billion will be privately funded.
The move to Kansas also includes building a new team headquarters and training facility in Olathe. Details about that part of the project, including a specific location, have yet to be announced.
The Hunt family says it is committed to $1 billion of additional development as part of the team's move to Kansas.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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