The Kansas Legislature finished its session on Tuesday without bringing the recently discussed STAR Bond proposal meant to lure the Kansas City Chiefs from Missouri to the floor.
They’re expected to try again in the future, but the wheels are already in motion with Kansas making it clear they’re serious about bringing either the Chiefs, Royals, or both teams across the border.
Part of that includes recently released conceptual renderings, showing what a Chiefs stadium near The Legends and Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County could look like.
These conceptual renderings, designed by David Manica of Manica Architecture, aren’t commissioned by the team, but rather from an unnamed developer seeking to sway the team to move across state lines.
While no design instruction came from the organization, Manica seems to take some design cues from what the Chiefs are looking for in a new or renovated stadium.
When the team announced their “Arrowhead Reimagined” designs ahead of the failed 3/8-cent tax vote in Jackson County, Chiefs team president Mark Donovan spoke about some new NFL stadiums that influenced those design renderings. One of those was Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, home of their rival Raiders, where Kansas City just won Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers.
Manica’s firm designed Allegiant Stadium, and it’s easy to see some of the similarities in features and construction.
They also do a good job of paying homage to team history, which will be a major part of any new stadium construction.
There is also the allure of a domed stadium and how the Chiefs could eventually be chosen to host a Super Bowl. Cold-weather teams that play outdoors aren’t often chosen to host the big game, with Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in February 2014 being the only one of note.