Chiefs seek feedback on renovated Arrowhead, new stadium options. Here’s how (and why)

The Chiefs have spent the past several months analyzing the pros and cons of renovating GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium versus building a new venue.

That analysis, in part, will move directly to fan feedback.

The Chiefs have hired CSL International, a market research film, to study the feasibility of their various options for a future home.

Wherever it might be.

The Chiefs are engaged in detailed financial conversations regarding sites in Kansas and Missouri, which includes their current stadium at the Truman Sports Complex, sources told The Star. Constructing a new venue comes with a significantly higher price tag than the $800 million estimate for Arrowhead renovations. Building new would almost certainly cost north of $2 billion.

While the CSL blueprint will reach feasibility conclusions based on its study of demographics in the Kansas City metro, the firm will also ask some Chiefs season-ticket holders and other “key stakeholders” to take part in focus groups in an effort to gather feedback on preferred stadium amenities.

Seven months ago, the Chiefs put a renovation proposal in front of Jackson County voters, who didn’t respond with glowing marks. Their feedback came in the form of a rejected ballot measure.

The CSL plan, in that context, provides an avenue for the feedback to come first — and influence the features of a refurbished building or new construction.

Well, two separate avenues.

Some of those selected for the focus groups will be asked questions exclusively about a renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Others will be asked questions exclusively about a new stadium.

That targeted research doesn’t signal that the Chiefs have made a decision about where they will play football when their current stadium lease expires in 2031. In fact, it’s just the opposite — it is symbolic of the fact that the Chiefs’ evaluation process still includes both options.

And it does. The Chiefs are deep into talks with government officials in both Missouri and Kansas, at the state and local levels. That’s not only for their stadium but also for their practice facility. The two currently reside at the Truman Sports Complex, along with the Royals’ baseball home, Kauffman Stadium.

Both teams — the Chiefs and Royals — are considering options in Missouri and Kansas since voters rejected their shared April ballot measure.

But the Chiefs are looking for two homes — one for their stadium and another for their training complex. They will no longer necessarily neighbor each other, and in fact likely won’t. The options in Missouri do include renovating their current facilities, but that’s more likely for the stadium than their training complex.

Regarding the renovation possibility, the Chiefs met last week with Jackson County officials, and those conversations were described as “very positive” by Jackson County Administrator Troy Shulte.

When the Chiefs presented a sales-tax measure to the voters in April, along with the Royals, they notably did not have the support from Jackson County Executive Frank White.

“We’re going to keep pursuing the conversations with the Chiefs remaining at Arrowhead,” Schulte said. “We have a non-disclosure agreement, which prevents me from talking specifics other than to say that the tone was very cordial, very positive.”

The Chiefs are eyeing next spring as a target for reaching decisions on their future addresses, with the stadium and training facility operating on similar timelines.

“We’re hopeful that by the spring we’ll have some direction,” Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said last month. “I certainly don’t expect to have anything finalized by that point, but I’d like to know the direction that we’re heading in that time frame.”