While the Kansas City Chiefs’ plan to move its headquarters and training facility to Olathe has been in the works behind closed doors for years, the news came as a surprise to many Johnson County residents when the NFL team announced it at the end of December.
Earlier this month, the Post published an informal survey asking readers how they felt about the Chiefs’ decision to move their operations across state lines. The survey asked a question for Olathe residents specifically, about how they feel about potentially hosting the team’s new headquarters and training facility.
While not scientific, the survey’s results give insight into how Johnson County residents are feeling about the deal in its early stages — the main question being: do the benefits of the project outweigh the cost?
Project funding
About 60% of the Chiefs’ $4 billion move, including the new domed stadium set to be built in Wyandotte County, relies on STAR bonds, a financing tool that uses state sales tax revenues generated by a project to pay for developments.
The state is responsible for 60% of the cost, or about $2.8 billion. Of that, $975 million will go towards the Olathe developments around the planned HQ.
The STAR bonds won’t raise taxes, at least not directly. Instead, a portion of future sales tax revenues collected from the project within the final STAR bond district will help pay back the bonds.
The funds are reliant on increased revenue in the area, and some economists have warned that the sheer size of the state’s commitment will make it hard to recoup that money. Eventually, this argument goes, the state will have to find a way — through budget cuts or raising other taxes — to make up for the sales tax revenue committed to this project that otherwise would have gone to the state’s general fund.
For this development, the state’s preliminary STAR bond district covers Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa and all of Wyandotte County.
Mixed reactions to the Post’s survey
Despite some of those concerns, the plurality of responses to our reader survey supported the move.
Of the more than 920 responses we received, about 40% of respondents said they are happy the Chiefs are moving to Kansas.
Another 30% said they are unhappy with the move, wishing the team had stayed at Arrowhead.
Beyond that, a little more than 20% suggested they liked the Chiefs coming to Kansas but also thought the state gave too much to the team. And a final 8% said they were unsure and wanted more details about the deal before making up their mind.
Specifics on the project, like the location and next steps, have been kept largely under wraps, which city officials attribute to non-disclosure agreements.
“We’re not at liberty to discuss a lot of the details at this point, but we’re going to be working through those the next couple of weeks and months,” Mayor John Bacon said at the Olathe City Council on Jan. 6.
Olathe residents who support it
Another question on the survey focused specifically on Olathe residents, asking whether they support the idea of a new Chiefs training facility and headquarters in their city.
The question was open-ended, so respondents could elaborate on their opinions, and we received 43 responses from Olathe residents.
We asked readers to tell us their first and last name and also give us some details about what part of Olathe they live in.
These Olathe-specific responses followed a similar pattern as the larger multiple-choice survey: the largest group of respondents said they support the move, followed by a sizable opposition group and a smaller proportion who said they are still unsure or need more information.
Many Olathe residents who support the project pointed to the potential for economic development and growth on the city’s west side.
While the Chiefs have not yet announced the exact location of the new headquarters and training facility in Olathe, it has been speculated that it will be at K-10 and Ridgeview Road in west Olathe, near the Garmin Soccer Complex and Olathe Northwest High School.
“We lack development like Lenexa and OP has, and we in West Olathe are hungry for more options of things to do,” Jordan W. said in response to the survey. “Downtown Olathe, especially with the train situation, isn’t much and everything else around here is lackluster. All of us that I know out in West Olathe want to spend money locally, but there is nothing here for us, so we are going into OP/KC/Lenexa to spend our money on dining, shopping etc.”
Joel S. said the new training facility, where the team’s annual summer training camp will be hosted, could become a tourist draw.
“The training facility/Chief offices will attract out-of-towners to attend practices, therefore generating revenues. The employees and team members will likely spend time in businesses in Olathe too,” Joel said.
As part of the deal, the Chiefs will be partnering with Olathe Public Schools. A release sent out by the Olathe Chamber of Commerce the day the deal was announced mentioned a possible new stadium the district will get out of the deal.
In the release, Olathe Superintendent Brent Yeager said there are “possibilities for meaningful partnerships that support student learning and community engagement.”
The potential for partnerships with the school district was a positive for several respondents.
“For the Chiefs to choose Olathe will be an honor and working with the Olathe School Board as well will be such a benefit for our school district to stand out and to be one of a kind for Kansas,” Jesse A. said.
“It will be a boon for the city and has great potential for multi-use by schools and other athletes,” Mary M. said.
“This is good for Kansas, good for Olathe, good for economic development, and good for taxpayers. I think it’s wonderful that the school district is partnering with the Chiefs training facility,” a respondent named Rye said.
Why people are against it
For those Olathans opposed to the Chiefs’ move, one concern came up frequently: taxes.
Many respondents said they are worried the public funding tied to the project could lead to higher taxes or long-term financial strain for the city, without any clear benefits for the residents.
Here’s what a few Olathe residents had to say along those lines:
“Olathe and Kansas are paying and sacrificing way too much for this. Our taxes will go up and/or services and maintenance will go down significantly. Kansas is crazy to do this. There is zero revenue or benefit for Olathe and Kansas.” — Julie O.
“Most employees of The Kansas City Chiefs make literally multi-millions in salaries and the average resident of the area pay for the stadium in one way or another, however, cannot afford the cost of a ticket. Quite simply, it’s not fair. Let those that enjoy the music pay the singer.” — Jack M.
“Why should my taxes go up to pay for a team of millionaires? It was underhanded how Olathe got sucked into this deal.” — Lenny H.
Several residents wondered why the Hunt family, who own the Chiefs and are worth billions, are requesting public funding at all.
“I do not think the residents should pay. The Hunts are multi rich.” — Al M.
“I will support nothing that will cost the average taxpayer money. The billionaire Hunt family and the rich developers need to go elsewhere. I believe that if the residents of Kansas had a chance to vote on this it would have been a big hell no!” — Mark H.
A few residents wrote that they are concerned that the development will increase traffic.
“I am very concerned about… the impact on traffic on K-10, which is already horrible at many times throughout the day/week — current improvement plans may not be sufficient to accommodate this new increase in traffic to the new mixed-use/retail area around the training facility, as well as other uses of the facility. Can Ridgeview handle this much traffic? Not sure.” — Jennifer B.
“Not looking forward to the increased traffic and all the infrastructure work that’ll be required.” — Jeremy T.
At the Jan. 6 Olathe City Council meeting, one resident addressed the city council during public comment. Charlotte O’Hara, a former county commissioner and Olathe business owner who is running as a Republican for Kansas governor this year, called the tax incentives “problematic” and said she’s concerned about increasing taxes.
“I don’t want you to be blinded by star power,” she said to the council. “I want you to please, please be judicial in your decision making.”
Questions remain
With few details worked out or announced to the public, many residents are left with unanswered questions. Some readers asked those questions as part of their survey responses:
- What is the benefit of having this in Olathe?
- Will this draw infrastructure funding and services away from other parts of the city?
- Will this actually encourage west side development in Olathe, or just the immediate area around the facility?
- How much will public opinion be taken into consideration by city leaders?
The city has until Feb. 22 to hold a public hearing and adopt ordinances authorizing the use of STAR bonds to fund the project. Olathe has not set a date for the public hearing, but City Manager Michael Wilkes said it will be announced on social media.
