Kansas City, KS — When the Kansas City Chiefs announced plans in December to build a new stadium on the Kansas side of the metro area, few were surprised. But one public official was especially prescient. Former Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Tyrone Garner had discussed the possibility months earlier in a conversation with The Good Government Show podcast, hosted by David Martin.
“There shouldn’t be any conflicting interests other than doing what’s best,” Mayor Garner said on the show. “We’d be honored and delighted to have the Chiefs and the Royals add to that sports success we’ve seen in Wyandotte County.”
At the time of the May 2025 interview—recorded just across the river in Kansas City, Missouri—local headlines were filled with uncertainty about the teams’ future. Missouri voters had recently rejected a sales tax proposal to fund stadium upgrades. That left an opening, and Kansas, with newly passed STAR bond legislation, made its pitch. Garner’s interview offered a glimpse into a plan already quietly taking shape.
Now, that vision is coming to life. The Chiefs have announced their intent to build a dome stadium in the Legends area of KCK—a vibrant shopping and entertainment district. The State of Kansas is expected to cover about 60% of the project costs through bond issuance.
Mayor Garner, who recently concluded his term after 40 years of public service including time with the Kansas City Police Department, saw the potential from the start. “We’ve done what we can to roll out the red carpet,” he said in the podcast. “We’re open for business.”