As the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals both aim for a likely exit of the Truman Sports Complex, Jackson County is taking its first steps toward determining an alternative future for the site.
Interim County Executive Phil LeVota said the stadium’s evolving status is one of the top areas of concerns he’s heard from county residents, alongside issues with the county tax assessment process.
LeVota announced Wednesday that Jackson County will establish a task force to begin the process of deciding what to do with the current sports complex, which could involve tearing one or both stadiums down to build something entirely new.
“It is my responsibility to make sure that the 400 acres of prime county-owned land is not going to sit idle, but is positioned best for the people of Jackson County,” LeVota said at a Thursday news conference. “This is not just about what’s leaving, it’s about what we’re going to build.”
The task force will have 10-15 members, LeVota said, including business leaders, developers and community stakeholders. The group will launch on April 15 and will have 90 days to draft a proposal for use of the site, or, as LeVota put it, to, “dig in, ask the right questions, investigate and help shape the vision for what the site can become.”
A marker of history standing at a crossroads. This 2016 sign at the Truman Sports Complex seen on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, explains the legacy of the grounds between Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums. Following the December announcement, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to leave their longtime home for a new domed stadium in Wyandotte County, Kansas. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com Reimagining Truman Sports Complex
The task force will have an actionable plan by late August or early September, LeVota said. They will be assisted by a master redevelopment commission — a second task force with a five-year lifespan “to ensure long-term oversight and continuity” — along with a third team dedicated to actually enacting whatever remodeling plan is chosen.
LeVota described the sports complex, including Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, as a “generational asset” that the county intends to prevent from falling into blight if the Chiefs and Royals no longer call it home.
Both teams have said they will leave Truman Sports Complex by 2031, LeVota confirmed Thursday. The Kansas City Royals have not yet selected a new site, while the Chiefs announced last year that they plan to move across state lines to Kansas.
“I want that area to be a vibrant, economically driven space that contributes to the financial engine of the region for the benefit of Jackson County residents for years to come,” LeVota said.
After being sworn in as interim Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota addresses the crowd on hand at the Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence on Thursday, October 16, 2025. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
The task force will determine whether the previous stadium sites will be demolished or partially demolished, LeVota said. However, LeVota said, the county is open to leaving Kauffman intact for a year or more as the Royals finalize their decision.
“The ideas are, do we repurpose Arrowhead Stadium?” LeVota said. “Do we tear down Kauffman Stadium? Repurpose all of it? Tear everything down? That’s what we don’t know.”
Ongoing questions and concerns
The potential cost of demolition is still unknown, as is the potential tax burden to residents, LeVota said. The selection process for Arrowhead’s future will involve a series of public meetings and town halls, he said, along with work from an outside consultant, which the county plans to hire.
However, Levota pledged that the redevelopment process “will not be driven by political pressure or outside development interest.”
“This is going to be as transparent as you can be,” LeVota said. “There’s going to be agreements, there’s going to be collaboration, and we’re going to get it right.”
LeVota opened Thursday’s press conference by saying he would prefer not to move a data center into the space. Later, however, he declined to directly commit to excluding data centers from site use consideration.
Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, at the Truman Sports Complex on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Kansas City. Tammy Ljungblad tljungblad@kcstar.com
The county has also discussed leaving at least one stadium mostly intact in order to submit itself for consideration to host parts of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said that Thursday’s announcement was the “first of many conversations” about the future of both stadium sights, along with economic development proposals in the surrounding area.
“As we look at the future – not just for the Truman Sports Complex, which is vital, but sports facilities throughout our region – we’re making sure that we work together at all levels of government, city, county, state,” Lucas said Thursday.
This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 1:09 PM.
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Ilana Arougheti (they/she) is The Kansas City Star’s Jackson County watchdog reporter, covering local government and accountability issues with a focus on eastern Jackson County .They are a graduate of Northwestern University, where she studied journalism, sociology and gender studies. Ilana most recently covered breaking news for The Star and previously wrote for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Raleigh News & Observer. Feel free to reach out with questions or tips!
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