GUEST COLUMN
by
Mark Donovan, President, Kansas City Chiefs
Brooks Sherman, President of Business Operations, Kansas City Royals
For the last 50 years, the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals have built and sustained a proven partnership with Jackson County – and key support has been a direct result of our close relationships with the labor community. From the construction of the Truman Sports Complex in the 1970s to modernizations over the decades, we have been side by side throughout.
The partnership with Jackson County has led to four Super Bowl wins and two World Series championships and a lot of excitement along the way. With the Kansas City Current stadium open now, a new airport terminal attracting fans from around the world, and World Cup matches two short years away, we are truly in a Golden Era of sports in Kansas City. And there will be much more excitement – and work – in our future.
Our accomplishments are the result of endless hours of practice, teamwork, and dedication, but they wouldn’t be possible without the critical role union workers play every day at our stadiums and in our community. You lay the literal foundations of our stadiums, take care of us when we’re in the hospital sick, and serve us when we’re spending the night on the town.
As representatives of both the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals, we are wholly invested in the welfare and sustainability of our teams here in Jackson County, and we are equally invested in how our teams impact the welfare and sustainability of our entire Jackson County community. It’s why the April 2 vote on Question 1 is so important. Voting YES on Question 1 not only ensures that we are able to keep our beloved teams in Jackson County but also brings substantial benefits to our community and you.
As the Kansas City Chiefs plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium and the Royals plan to build a new downtown ballpark district, tens of thousands of short-term construction-related jobs and thousands more full-time, long-term positions are in the offing. With these plans, there will be great new opportunities for the downtown ballpark and surroundings beyond the 81 games a year the Royals play, plus greater flexibility for Arrowhead to host a lot more special events such as concerts and global sporting events.
As we have done in the past, both teams are committed to hiring and working with minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses and support programs; solidifying our union labor agreements; ensuring a prevailing wage agreement for workers; creating workforce development programs and wrap-around services; and continuing community engagement and outreach throughout this process.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Arrowhead Stadium generate more than $993 million in economic impact and support a total of 5,860 full- and part-time jobs annually for the Kansas City region. The Chiefs $800 million renovation plans for the loudest stadium in the world will provide numerous jobs over a two-to-three-year period and capitalize on extensive training programs that will create avenues for long-term wealth for union workers.
For the Royals downtown ballpark, our partner Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) estimates construction alone will spur almost 26,000 project-specific jobs, generating an estimated $1.8 billion in labor income over the construction period. Additionally, they estimate an increase of nearly $300 million in annual labor income from over 5,000 annually recurring jobs attracted by the ballpark district development once complete.
Your support on Question 1 is instrumental in our ability to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals in Jackson County and to spur economic development in every corner of our region. We are incredibly grateful for the work our laborers do in our community and with our teams, and we’re eager to keep the momentum going.
We would be honored to receive your support for Question 1 in Jackson County on April 2 and look forward to building our futures together.
