A specific site for the Chiefs new headquarters and practice facility in Olathe hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but Olathe Mayor John Bacon said the Chiefs liked that the team had options. “I think the main thing was just having a space available,” Bacon said. “I mean, they were looking for room, and Olathe obviously has some sites that are available that are large enough to accommodate the practice facility and headquarters.”He said that gave the city a great opportunity, but the process of getting the team was still yearslong. “I mean, we have been working on this for some time, but as you know, with a lot of deals like this, they want to keep things as quiet as they can when they’re measuring all the opportunities that might be out there,” he said.Along with the new team HQ and practice facility, the development will also come with an entertainment district that could include a stadium for Olathe Public Schools, office space, restaurants, retail, hotels and additional entertainment amenities.”I think the exciting part for me is the economic development that will occur around it, like the restaurants,” Bacon said. “Obviously, the employees will be here on a daily basis. They’ll get to experience firsthand living in Olathe, the quality of life that we have here. So that’s really the key for me.” Bacon sees this as a transformative project for the KC suburb.”It brings in sales tax revenue, so that’s important,” he said. “Well, you’ve heard the numbers. We’re talking 20,000 jobs during construction for both of these projects, the stadium and the headquarters, $4.4 billion in investment. And then once it’s going, we’re talking a little over $1 billion a year and 4,000 new jobs.”As far as next steps, Bacon said Olathe city leaders have a deadline approaching. “We are on a short timeline as far as defining the area for the STAR bond district, which gives us 60 days from Dec. 22,” he said. Within the STAR bonds district, a portion of new sales tax revenue generated by the project in and around the development will go back to paying for the STAR bonds. “That’s what we have to define right away,” Bacon said. “And then once that’s done, then we work with the developer agreements and will identify a site for the headquarters and the practice facility.”Olathe also has the option to approve an ordinance to commit local incremental general sales tax within the STAR bond district to the project. “That’s an option that we’ll be considering,” Bacon said. “And as staff brings information, we’ll consider it. And, that information will become public.” According to the term sheet between the Chiefs and Kansas, the Chiefs are expected to open the practice facility and team headquarters by the 2031-32 season. An added bonus in the deal could be Chiefs training camp. At the announcement in Topeka, Chiefs President Mark Donovan told reporters the practice facility will be built to host training camp. “We will design a training facility that could host training camp,” Donovan said. “Scheduling and things like that come in play, and depending on your head coach, we have one that loves going away, so there will still be options.”Bacon called this the biggest economic deal in the history of Olathe, and a transformational opportunity for the city. “All of these things we hope will get the attention of people that have an interest in developing areas,” Bacon said. “And they’ll say, ‘Hey, Olathe is a place to be.'”

OLATHE, Kan. —

A specific site for the Chiefs new headquarters and practice facility in Olathe hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but Olathe Mayor John Bacon said the Chiefs liked that the team had options.

“I think the main thing was just having a space available,” Bacon said. “I mean, they were looking for room, and Olathe obviously has some sites that are available that are large enough to accommodate the practice facility and headquarters.”

He said that gave the city a great opportunity, but the process of getting the team was still yearslong.

“I mean, we have been working on this for some time, but as you know, with a lot of deals like this, they want to keep things as quiet as they can when they’re measuring all the opportunities that might be out there,” he said.

Along with the new team HQ and practice facility, the development will also come with an entertainment district that could include a stadium for Olathe Public Schools, office space, restaurants, retail, hotels and additional entertainment amenities.

“I think the exciting part for me is the economic development that will occur around it, like the restaurants,” Bacon said. “Obviously, the employees will be here on a daily basis. They’ll get to experience firsthand living in Olathe, the quality of life that we have here. So that’s really the key for me.”

Bacon sees this as a transformative project for the KC suburb.

“It brings in sales tax revenue, so that’s important,” he said. “Well, you’ve heard the numbers. We’re talking 20,000 jobs during construction for both of these projects, the stadium and the headquarters, $4.4 billion in investment. And then once it’s going, we’re talking a little over $1 billion a year and 4,000 new jobs.”

As far as next steps, Bacon said Olathe city leaders have a deadline approaching.

“We are on a short timeline as far as defining the area for the STAR bond district, which gives us 60 days from Dec. 22,” he said.

Within the STAR bonds district, a portion of new sales tax revenue generated by the project in and around the development will go back to paying for the STAR bonds.

“That’s what we have to define right away,” Bacon said. “And then once that’s done, then we work with the developer agreements and will identify a site for the headquarters and the practice facility.”

Olathe also has the option to approve an ordinance to commit local incremental general sales tax within the STAR bond district to the project.

“That’s an option that we’ll be considering,” Bacon said. “And as staff brings information, we’ll consider it. And, that information will become public.”

According to the term sheet between the Chiefs and Kansas, the Chiefs are expected to open the practice facility and team headquarters by the 2031-32 season.

An added bonus in the deal could be Chiefs training camp. At the announcement in Topeka, Chiefs President Mark Donovan told reporters the practice facility will be built to host training camp.

“We will design a training facility that could host training camp,” Donovan said. “Scheduling and things like that come in play, and depending on your head coach, we have one that loves going away, so there will still be options.”

Bacon called this the biggest economic deal in the history of Olathe, and a transformational opportunity for the city.

“All of these things we hope will get the attention of people that have an interest in developing areas,” Bacon said. “And they’ll say, ‘Hey, Olathe is a place to be.'”