Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Kansas City.
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Friday touted a bill that could open a path for a Kansas City Royals stadium in North Kansas City, saying Clay County now has a favorable legislative framework if the team decides to move.
鈥淲e have the puzzle pieces in place to let them know, along with the help of Clay County, should the Royals choose to come to this side of the river, that we have the pieces in place,鈥 Kehoe said at a bill signing ceremony Friday afternoon. 鈥淲e have the assets in place and we certainly have the elected leaders.鈥
Kehoe made the comments during a visit to North Kansas City to promote legislation, which he signed Thursday, that some view as a tool that could attract a Royals stadium to North Kansas City. The trip was noteworthy and comes as speculation about the possibility of the Royals moving to Clay County ratchets up.
As Kehoe stood with local and statewide elected officials at Chappell鈥檚 Restaurant & Sports Museum, speculation has intensified over the future of the Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Republican governor even poked a light joke at the energy surrounding the teams during his opening remarks.
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鈥淚f the press is ready, I鈥檝e got a huge announcement,鈥 Kehoe said. 鈥淭he Royals need to beat the Mets tonight.鈥
The law that Kehoe came to promote goes into effect in August and would allow Clay County to create a governmental agency called a sports complex authority. The authority would be similar to the one in Jackson County that controls the leases for the Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Supporters of the bill, called House Bill 199, which state lawmakers passed in May, view the authority as a key factor that could open a path for a new Royals stadium or a Chiefs training facility in Clay County.
鈥淐ertainly, we are here to celebrate the signing of 199 because that is going to make a lot of difference in our ability to move forward in the possibility of bringing the Royals to Clay County,鈥 Clay County Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte said during the ceremony.
In addition to local officials, the main supporters of the legislation, Rep. Bill Falkner, a St. Joseph Republican, state Sens. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas City Democrat, and Kurtis Gregory, a Marshall Republican, were also in attendance.
The Republican governor鈥檚 signature came amid a broader fight between Kansas and Missouri over the future of the Chiefs and Royals. Officials in both states have passed sweeping incentives plans in the hopes of securing one or both of the teams for years to come.
Despite the dueling incentives plans, neither team has committed to either state. The Chiefs have said, if they stay in Missouri, they would like to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, but the Royals have offered no specifics about their plans.
Kansas City officials have promoted a downtown Kansas City site at Washington Square Park as the best location for the Royals. At the same time, some state and Clay County leaders have touted a spot in North Kansas City in Clay County.
If the Royals decide to stay in Missouri, it could fuel a fight over the team between Kansas City and Clay County. However, supporters of the Clay County authority argue the bill is not intended to spark competition between the city and the Northland.
Kehoe offered a nod at the potential competition between Clay County and Kansas City, acknowledging that Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas would like to keep the team 鈥渙n his side of the river.鈥 But he framed keeping the Royals in Missouri as an economic development priority.
鈥淲e need to look at this as a regional economic development prospect,鈥 Kehoe said, 鈥渁nd I know that no matter where these teams are located, whether they鈥檙e on this side of the state, they will be good for any community.鈥
The decision to stay in Missouri would likely be based on the team鈥檚 confidence in local support. The incentives plan in Missouri requires commitments from local governments, which in Clay County would likely come in the form of a tax increase to fund a new stadium in the Northland.
Negotiations between the Royals and Clay County could ramp up in the coming weeks. A Clay County commissioner revealed this week that the Royals sent a term sheet to Clay County officials outlining a potential deal, but cautioned that the team and county were still 鈥渕iles apart.鈥
Additionally, news of a recent real estate deal tied to an Overland Park site in Kansas has only intensified speculation about the Royals鈥 intentions 鈥 and their preferred stadium location.
