The Kansas City Chiefs shared new economic projections around the stadium plan, estimating billions of dollars of impact during the construction phase and beyond. But some don’t think the study results illustrate the whole story. The Chiefs announced plans for a brand-new $3 billion stadium in Wyandotte County, Kansas, in December 2025. This new stadium is expected to open in 2031, when the Chiefs will leave Arrowhead Stadium and jump across the state line. Along with the new stadium, a $300 million practice facility and headquarters are going up in Olathe, Kansas. And while it’s yet to be seen how much the new stadium will really bring in, the Chiefs — and some state leaders — say it’ll be a huge economic boost. “Since Lamar Hunt relocated the team from Dallas to Kansas City in 1963, the franchise has continued to drive significant economic, cultural, and community impact throughout Chiefs Kingdom,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in a news release. “This once-in-a-generation project – which is really four projects in one – offers a truly transformational impact for the State of Kansas and the entire Kansas City region. This project has real short-term and long-term benefits, and we are excited about what we will be building together over the next five years and beyond.” According to a report from Econsult Solutions, Inc. shared on Tuesday, the one-time capital investment of $4.5 billion could generate $1.9 billion in “indirect impact,” or business-to-business spending, and $1.8 billion in “induced impact,” or spending of wages. The report describes this as a “total impact” of $8.4 billion during the construction period. The construction phase is expected to support 36,500 jobs, leading to $2.7 billion in employee compensation and $106.4 million in tax revenue for Kansas. Annually, the Chiefs say stadium operational spending and visitor spending will create $1.5 billion in total impact for the greater Kansas City region once the stadium is open. It would support 8,500 jobs, with $833.9 million in employee compensation and $76 million in annual tax revenue for Kansas. “We enter into strategic economic partnerships for three fundamental reasons … to grow our economy, create jobs and lessen the burden on Kansas taxpayers,” Kansas Speaker of the House Daniel Hawkins said in a news release. “The partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs clearly answers the call on each and this study answers a lot of questions that have been raised about the project. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this historic opportunity will have for Kansas today and for generations to come.” “Funding schools in Elkhart, roads in Atchison and everything in between should be done through economic growth and job creation … not raising taxes,” Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said in a news release. “That is essential to our state’s future, and that is exactly why the Kansas City Chiefs project is so important to Kansas. By generating tens of millions of dollars of revenue for the state and creating thousands of Kansas jobs, this project helps place Kansas on solid financial footing for generations to come while lessening the burden on our taxpayers.”Questions about true impactWhile Chiefs and state leaders tout what they expect to be major economic growth, some say this isn’t the full picture. Economist Michael Austin said there’s a missing piece to the numbers the Chiefs released. “It just gives us gross output numbers without proving that taxpayers are getting a return on that investment,” Austin said. KCK Mayor Christal Watson was on the side of the other state leaders, quoted in the Chiefs news release as saying: “It creates new and incredible investment in our community that will positively impact every corner of Wyandotte County.” Her former chief of staff has a different take. Frank Ramirez told KMBC 9 the main reason he left that job was because he could not support the Chiefs’ plans. “For some reason, state officials thought it was necessary to give billions of dollars of tax money away to one of the richest families in the country,” Ramirez wrote on social media. “And then state officials had the nerve to take advantage of Wyandotte County, who is in the top ten of the most poverty-stricken counties in Kansas.” Edwardsville Planning Commission Chair John Altevogt said he believes the massive plan is a bad deal for Wyandotte County. “This is a perfect example of predatory development, of developers coming in and trashing your community,” Altevogt said. KMBC 9 asked, but neither the Chiefs nor their consulting firm provided a copy of the full study.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY, Kan. —

The Kansas City Chiefs shared new economic projections around the stadium plan, estimating billions of dollars of impact during the construction phase and beyond.

But some don’t think the study results illustrate the whole story.

The Chiefs announced plans for a brand-new $3 billion stadium in Wyandotte County, Kansas, in December 2025. This new stadium is expected to open in 2031, when the Chiefs will leave Arrowhead Stadium and jump across the state line.

Along with the new stadium, a $300 million practice facility and headquarters are going up in Olathe, Kansas.

And while it’s yet to be seen how much the new stadium will really bring in, the Chiefs — and some state leaders — say it’ll be a huge economic boost.

“Since Lamar Hunt relocated the team from Dallas to Kansas City in 1963, the franchise has continued to drive significant economic, cultural, and community impact throughout Chiefs Kingdom,” Chiefs President Mark Donovan said in a news release. “This once-in-a-generation project – which is really four projects in one – offers a truly transformational impact for the State of Kansas and the entire Kansas City region. This project has real short-term and long-term benefits, and we are excited about what we will be building together over the next five years and beyond.”

According to a report from Econsult Solutions, Inc. shared on Tuesday, the one-time capital investment of $4.5 billion could generate $1.9 billion in “indirect impact,” or business-to-business spending, and $1.8 billion in “induced impact,” or spending of wages. The report describes this as a “total impact” of $8.4 billion during the construction period.

The construction phase is expected to support 36,500 jobs, leading to $2.7 billion in employee compensation and $106.4 million in tax revenue for Kansas.

Annually, the Chiefs say stadium operational spending and visitor spending will create $1.5 billion in total impact for the greater Kansas City region once the stadium is open. It would support 8,500 jobs, with $833.9 million in employee compensation and $76 million in annual tax revenue for Kansas.

“We enter into strategic economic partnerships for three fundamental reasons … to grow our economy, create jobs and lessen the burden on Kansas taxpayers,” Kansas Speaker of the House Daniel Hawkins said in a news release. “The partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs clearly answers the call on each and this study answers a lot of questions that have been raised about the project. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this historic opportunity will have for Kansas today and for generations to come.”

“Funding schools in Elkhart, roads in Atchison and everything in between should be done through economic growth and job creation … not raising taxes,” Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said in a news release. “That is essential to our state’s future, and that is exactly why the Kansas City Chiefs project is so important to Kansas. By generating tens of millions of dollars of revenue for the state and creating thousands of Kansas jobs, this project helps place Kansas on solid financial footing for generations to come while lessening the burden on our taxpayers.”

Questions about true impact

While Chiefs and state leaders tout what they expect to be major economic growth, some say this isn’t the full picture.

Economist Michael Austin said there’s a missing piece to the numbers the Chiefs released.

“It just gives us gross output numbers without proving that taxpayers are getting a return on that investment,” Austin said.

KCK Mayor Christal Watson was on the side of the other state leaders, quoted in the Chiefs news release as saying: “It creates new and incredible investment in our community that will positively impact every corner of Wyandotte County.”

Her former chief of staff has a different take.

Frank Ramirez told KMBC 9 the main reason he left that job was because he could not support the Chiefs’ plans.

“For some reason, state officials thought it was necessary to give billions of dollars of tax money away to one of the richest families in the country,” Ramirez wrote on social media. “And then state officials had the nerve to take advantage of Wyandotte County, who is in the top ten of the most poverty-stricken counties in Kansas.”

Edwardsville Planning Commission Chair John Altevogt said he believes the massive plan is a bad deal for Wyandotte County.

“This is a perfect example of predatory development, of developers coming in and trashing your community,” Altevogt said.

KMBC 9 asked, but neither the Chiefs nor their consulting firm provided a copy of the full study.