KC faces possibility of losing pro teams

The Chiefs' chairman said the Royals and Chiefs could move elsewhere within a decade if their stadiums aren't improved.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If Jackson County can't come up with the money to make improvements to the sports stadiums at Truman Sports Complex, either the Chiefs or the Royals -- or both -- could be in some other city within a decade, the son of Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt has told state and local officials.

Those statements by Clark Hunt, the Chiefs' new chairman, were the first by a top official of either professional team to raise the possibility of leaving town if the two stadiums aren't given major facelifts.

"It's got me real nervous," said Mike Smith, who leads the county's sports complex authority. "I would not take it as a threat but as a message. He's just stating the facts, and the city needs to hear that."

Jackson County is responsible for maintenance of the stadiums under its lease with the teams. But the county, citing a lack of funds, has put off so many projects that it could default on those leases by the end of next year.

At a minimum, $36 million in stadium improvements is needed in the short term, with another $44 million in repairs needed by 2014, when the leases expire. And that's just a minimum.

The Chiefs are seeking not just the required patchwork repairs, but also an expansion of Arrowhead that would bump out the exterior walls and possibly add a hall of fame.

On Friday, the Chiefs pulled a Kansas City Super Bowl proposal that would have come to a vote next week at the NFL meetings in Washington. The proposal would have given Kansas City a Super Bowl sometime between 2012 and 2022, under the condition that the Chiefs have a high-quality, roofed stadium and that the city meets other requirements of a host city.

The Chiefs could resubmit the proposal later, but probably won't until renovation plans for Arrowhead Stadium are more clear.

Meanwhile, Royals owner Dan Glass reiterated this week that his team is not planning to leave, even if Jackson County breaks the lease.

"We're not going anywhere," he said.

A decision by the legislature this year to not provide any more money for stadium improvements has prompted county and sports officials to meet with the teams to plan a tax election for sometime this year in Jackson County.

The size, scope and timetable of an election have not been determined.

State lawmakers were reluctant to commit more money for stadium improvements at a time when the state is cutting services for low-income residents. Many legislators considered a bill to funnel tax money from out-of-state athletes back into the stadiums a bailout of Jackson County.

Adding to the concerns local officials is the feeling that Clark Hunt isn't as committed as his father to Kansas City.

"What it tells us is the teams have other options," said Dan Tarwater, chairman of the Jackson County Legislature. "I truly believe they don't want to move, but with all the options out there, they could go to any city in many states across the country."