Stadium update: Return of the rolling roof

 

By DEANN SMITH

The Kansas City Star

 

A roof at the Truman Sports Complex has been revived thanks to an 11th-hour curveball from some Jackson County legislators.

 

They now hope to ask voters on April 4 to impose a use tax on out-of-state companies doing business in Jackson County, which then would pay for either a rolling roof over Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums or a retractable roof over Arrowhead. The NFL has said Arrowhead would host a Super Bowl if Arrowhead gets a roof, and the Chiefs had pushed to get a roof added to the April ballot.

 

The roof ballot item would be in addition to a three-eighth cent sales tax to raise at least $425 million to pay for most of the overhaul of the stadiums. If voters approve the tax, the current leases due to expire Jan. 31, 2015, would be extended to Jan. 31, 2031.

 

As of earlier this week, legislators planned to vote next Monday only on the sales tax with no mention of a rolling roof.

 

But the rolling roof option has been added to the proposed leases in the last 24 hours.

 

The leases are available on the county?s web site at www.jacksongov.org.

 

Under the leases, the Chiefs are to contribute $75 million and the Royals $25 million, and the state must approve $50 million in tax credits. In addition, a 10 percent across-the-board fee at both stadiums would help pay for stadium improvements.

 

The teams will likely raise parking to a set dollar amount rather than just raising them 10 percent so that traffic into the stadium doesn?t get bogged down by attendants handing out quarters, nickels and dimes.

 

Jackson County residents also would get more incentives in the county?s effort to gain their support for the taxes.

 

In addition, the teams would have to pay for cost overruns, which have been millions of dollars in other cities.

 

What happens if voters reject the sales tax but approve the use tax? The county legislature could consider diverting the use tax funds to pay for an estimated $80 million in improvements due next year so that the county does not default on the current leases. The teams could leave the sports complex as soon as 2007 if the county were to default.

 

Attorneys for the Jackson County and Truman Sports Complex Authority were scheduled to present the county?s final proposal to the Chiefs and Royals at noon today. As of 12:30 p.m., the meeting had not begun and the leases were not signed.

 

However, county officials were confident the leases would be signed by Monday when the county legislature is scheduled to vote on approving the new leases and calling the April election. But just in case, the county has called a special meeting for 11 a.m. Tuesday ? the deadline to place items on the April ballot.

 

Both the meeting Monday and Tuesday will be held at the legislative chambers at the downtown courthouse. Initially, the Monday meeting was scheduled for Independence. The legislators will discuss the proposed leases at 11 a.m. today at the second-floor legislative chambers, 415 E. 12th St.

 

On Wednesday and this morning, county officials and the teams burned up the telephone lines and held private meetings to deal with the ever-changing leases. At one point, some legislators were talking about calling off a tax election to overhaul the stadiums and instead focus on getting just the use tax passed to pay for the minimal improvements or asking the teams to up their contribution if they wanted a massive overhaul.

 

And county officials concede the leases could change again before Friday?s meeting.

 

As proposed now, the Chiefs would continue to allow county property taxpayers to buy single-game tickets ahead of the general public. In addition, Jackson County residents could get to buy tickets to all other events at Arrowhead for two days ahead of sale to the general public. County residents purchasing those tickets early would not have to pay the new parking fee.

 

Also, county residents who are Chiefs season-ticket holders would not have to pay the parking fee.

 

The preferences for Royals tickets still must be worked out.

 

Roof rendering

 

 

 

Improvements

Here's an update:

 

Kansas City Star

 

Posted on Tue, Jan. 24, 2006

 

Chiefs, Royals sign new stadium leases

 

By DEANN SMITH

The Kansas City Star

 

Jackson County voters now have their say on a rolling roof and overhauling the Truman Sports Complex.

 

The Jackson County Legislature unanimously voted today to place two items on the April 4 ballot. The first would be a 3/8-cent sales tax to raise $425 million toward $575 million in improvements at Kauffman and Arrowhead stadiums. The Royals would put in $25 million, the Chiefs would chip in $75 million and the state $50 million in tax credits.

 

Wider concourses, more restrooms, better concession stands, a new Royals restaurant, a new Chiefs store and more and better suites store are among the improvements that would occur.

 

The second ballot measure would impose a use tax on certain purchases made out of state to help raise funds for a $200 million roof that could roll between the two stadiums in 35 minutes or less. The NFL has said Kansas City could host a Super Bowl with a rolling roof.

 

The legislature?s action came after Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt and Royals president Dan Glass signed new leases that would keep the two teams at the county-owned sports complex until January 2031.

 

Hunt recounted the prior leases he signed with the county and said he expects this will be the last one he signs.

 

?I am happy as heck,? he said.

 

Glass said he would ask supporters of a downtown ballpark to review the leases and understand they are the best alternative.

 

Representatives for the teams and county stayed up until almost 5 a.m. today. They reconvened at 7:30 a.m. to put in a couple more hours polishing the leases before they were presented to legislators at high noon ? two hours after the meeting was to begin.

 

Legislator Fred Arbanas said the leases are a good deal, but more importantly the best one that the county could get. He said getting the Chiefs to agree to a $1-per-ticket surcharge and the Royals a 30-cent-per-ticket tax was very important because without them he said he believed any ballot measures would be ?dead on arrival.?

 

?I think now there is a good chance of it passing,? Arbanas said.

 

But some voters have told legislators they will not support the taxes, saying they cannot afford additional taxes and the teams should pay for stadium work themselves.

 

? DeAnn Smith