Chiefs make pitch to owners for stadium upgrades

[Brock]

Home improvements
Chiefs make pitch to owners for stadium upgrades
Posted: Tuesday November 15, 2005 10:54PM; Updated: Wednesday November 16, 2005 1:16AM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Could a Super Bowl be in the future for Kansas City? Not the team -- the town?

The Kansas City Chiefs made a presentation to NFL owners on Tuesday that included plans for a rolling roof on their 33-year-old facility that would meet the league's demands for weather-protected stadiums in non-Sun Belt cities.


Houston Texans owner Bob McNair was impressed with the presentation.

"I think it's an exciting proposal," he said. "I think it is very innovative and certainly would give the Chiefs a lot of facility with their venue."

The possibility of a Super Bowl might be a good carrot to dangle in front of voters who will be asked to approve hundreds of millions in improvements to both Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadium, home of baseball's Royals.

The Chiefs already have said they want about $300 million worth of renovation for Arrowhead. Clark Hunt, the chairman of the board, said the roof would add "between $100 million and $200 million" to the bill.

Hunt said there was no guarantee of a Super Bowl for Kansas City.

"We've tabled for quite some time our request for a Super Bowl, so we'll have to see where it goes," he said. "If you look at the way things have played out in other communities who have made commitments to new stadiums, particularly weather-protected stadiums, they've had an opportunity to come back to the membership and request a Super Bowl."

The rolling roof, which would service both adjoining stadiums, first was discussed when the Truman Sports Complex was built in the early 1970s.

"The rolling roof is part of the discussions with [Jackson County]. The rolling roof has the capability to slide over either stadium," Hunt said. "The Royals have been less committal about their interest in the roof to this point, but we think the rolling roof could be a tremendous asset to Kansas City, regardless of its use for baseball.

"It could tremendously augment what happens at Arrowhead Stadium and maybe create some other entertainment options at the sports complex when it's rolled off the stadium."

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Lamar Hunt, founder of the Chiefs, made "an excellent presentation" to his peers.

Tagliabue also said if the improvements are made and owners are asked to put a Super Bowl in Kansas City, Lamar Hunt's stature as an elder statesman could play a role.

"Certainly it would. I'm certain it would be a very positive thing," Tagliabue said. "He's not only got tremendous regard among the owners, obviously he's the founder of the American Football League. For 45 years, he has been giving great credit not only to this sport, but other sports. I'm sure that would be a very positive factor for many of the owners."

Shortly after Arrowhead opened, the Chiefs hosted a Pro Bowl in January 1974.

"And, they've had a terrific football team, produced great football over the years, and great rivalries and great fan support," Tagliabue said.

Making the sports complex climate-controlled also could help attract other events, Clark Hunt said.

"We've got a long ways to go on the design, but something that is in the back of our mind is whether we'll be able to add that feature," he said. "It would be part of what we want to put on the ballot. We need to do more work on what the costs would be before we get the leases ironed out, which is an ongoing process."

McNair said the plans appeared to be very creative.

"If we're going to the people and we're asking the people for something, they're entitled to know what they're going to get," he said. "If you just said, `Here's the same stadium, you're going to get the same stadium,' a person is going to ask, `Why should I do this?'

"We all look for value, and I think voters do, too."

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Mark M]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Could a Super Bowl be in the future for Kansas City? Not the team -- the town?

Ouch ...

MM
~~:cuss: ROFL

[Bob Dole]

Bob Dole likes the way that people always think the idea is innovative, since it was in the original plan more than 30 years ago.

[Mark M]

Bob Dole likes the way that people always think the idea is innovative, since it was in the original plan more than 30 years ago.

For a whopping $1 million.

See ... even back then Lamar was a cheap old bastard.

MM
~~;)

[C-Mac]

Bob Dole likes the way that people always think the idea is innovative, since it was in the original plan more than 30 years ago.

My first thought.......

[BigRedChief]

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/s...fs/13177731.htm (http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/13177731.htm)
NFL OWNERS GET NEW LOOK AT OLD IDEAChiefs roll out roof concept
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs have revived the rolling-roof concept for the Truman Sports Complex.Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, in hopes of securing at least one Super Bowl during 2012-2021, made a presentation Tuesday at the NFL owners’ fall meetings at the Westin Crown Center in which he showed a renovated Arrowhead Stadium that included a rolling roof that could cover the football stadium and Kauffman Stadium.

The rendering was reminiscent of the rolling roof that was part of the original design of the Truman Sports Complex but had to be scrapped because of cost overruns before Arrowhead opened in 1972.“We’ve had the rolling roof in the back of our mind for a little while,” Chiefs chairman of the board Clark Hunt said, “something like 35 years. We showed some slides with the rolling roof so the membership could get an understanding what that would look like.”The presentation to the NFL was made as the Chiefs and Royals negotiate improvements and expansion of Arrowhead with Jackson County.

The two teams had been seeking about $465 million in public money for their stadiums, and a referendum, probably for a three-eighths-of-a-cent sales-tax increase for at least 25 years, would fund most of the work.

In turn, the clubs would agree to new 25-year leases through 2031.Clark Hunt said the roof could raise the total of the project by $100 million to $200 million.The payoff would come in the forms of Super Bowls, Big 12 championship games and possibly Final Fours.“The rolling roof has the capability to slide over either stadium,” Hunt said. “The Royals have been less committal about their interest in the roof to this point, but we think the rolling roof could be a tremendous asset to Kansas City, regardless of its use for baseball.“It could tremendously augment what happens at Arrowhead Stadium and maybe create some other entertainment options at the sports complex.

Part of the discussion on the roof is designing it so (the stadium) could be climate-controlled. We need to do more work on what the costs would be before we get the leases ironed out, which is an ongoing process.”The Chiefs have considered applying for Super Bowls in past years contingent on a refurbished Arrowhead Stadium but have tabled their proposals, figuring they had little chance to get a Super Bowl without a roof on the facility.“If you look at the way things have played out in other communities who have made commitments to new stadiums, particularly weather-protected stadiums, they’ve had an opportunity to come back to the membership and request a Super Bowl,” Hunt said of Houston (2003), Detroit (2006) and Arizona (2008).“The roof creates a lot of opportunity to host events. We’ve been fortunate to have a number of Big 12 games. We have one coming up (in 2006).

As we look down the road, we think the roof will be very important in retaining that game in Kansas City. It gives us the opportunity to do things where you have a climate-controlled venue in the winter.”NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue couldn’t guarantee a Super Bowl in Kansas City if Arrowhead has a roof, other than to say the league’s policy assumes northern Super Bowls would be in domed stadiums.

The league has checked out Kansas City’s hotel situation and other elements that go into a city’s attractiveness for a Super Bowl, and Tagliabue made it clear that Lamar Hunt’s stature among the owners would work in Kansas City’s favor.“Certainly it would,” Tagliabue said. “He’s got tremendous regard among the owners. Obviously, he’s the founder of the American Football League. For 45 years, he has been giving great credit not only to this sport, but other sports. I’m sure that would be a very positive factor for many of the owners.“And, they’ve had a terrific football team, produced great football over the years, and great rivalries and great fan support. All of these things, including fan support, would be positives.”

The league also could help the Chiefs finance a portion of the cost of renovation through its G-3 program, which provides low-interest loans.A club in a market of Kansas City’s size can borrow 34 percent of its contributions, so if the Chiefs were to invest $100 million in the stadium, it could borrow $34 million at low interest.“I think it’s an exciting proposal,” said Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, whose club plays in a 4-year-old stadium with a retractable roof.“I think it is very innovative and certainly would give the Chiefs a lot of flexibility with their venue. It’s a nice design, it’s very utilitarian, and the Royals can use it also, and you can play it as an open-air stadium or you can close it up.”Asked whether he thought the timing of the Chiefs’ proposal was a ploy to get voters to approve the renovations, McNair, who received $289 million in public money for his $474 million stadium, said: “If we’re going to the people and we’re asking the people for something, they’re entitled to know what they’re going to get.“If you just said, ‘Here’s the same stadium, you’re going to get the same stadium,’ a person is going to ask, ‘Why should I do this?’ We all look for value, and I think voters do, too.”

[BigRedChief]

I told you guys that Lamar was going to kick in $100 million of his own money on the next long term proposal to fix Arrowhead but it had to have a rolling roof if he kicked in the money.

I was scoffed at. Just saying..........told ya

[KCFalcon59]

I think a rolling roof is clunky. Wouldn't it be more of a rolling canopy. How will they control the temperature? Will it only keep out rain and snow? It's not like it will seal the stadium off completely. Am I missing something in the design?

If KC wants to host a Super Bowl. They are going to have to build a new stadium with a retractable roof.

[Katipan]

We have a rolling field and retractable roof. And a superbowl coming here in a couple years.

Hell we even pushed our drinking hours back for it.

Please, you damn people. Just get the thing done.

[Mark M]

I think a rolling roof is clunky. Wouldn't it be more of a rolling canopy. How will they control the temperature? Will it only keep out rain and snow? It's not like it will seal the stadium off completely. Am I missing something in the design?

If KC wants to host a Super Bowl. They are going to have to build a new stadium with a retractable roof.

Actually, I pictured it kinda like the dome in, say, Toronto.

Basically, you have the canopy part.
Then after it's rolled into place, the sides roll out (think of it like flaps extending) and partially cover the upper sides of the stadium.
The lower sides will already be sealed when the upgrade the concourses (all that area directly around the stadium will be sealed off).

They'd have to add the HVAC part of it somehow, both in the roof and the stadium.

While maybe not 100% sealed, it'll be at least 80 - 90% good.

Of course, I only play a structural engineer on the Internet, so I could be wrong.

MM
~~:shrug:

[Chief Henry]

A rolling Roof over Arrowhead would be an engineers delight. I hope the city and county and state go for it.

I also wish LaMar Hunt would fire Carl Peterson too.

[BigRedChief]

I think a rolling roof is clunky. Wouldn't it be more of a rolling canopy. How will they control the temperature? Will it only keep out rain and snow? It's not like it will seal the stadium off completely. Am I missing something in the design?

If KC wants to host a Super Bowl. They are going to have to build a new stadium with a retractable roof.

Dude, do you think they are stupid? Don't you think a rolling roof would include a way to seal off the stadium and provide heat to the interior?

[dirk digler]

I told you guys that Lamar was going to kick in $100 million of his own money on the next long term proposal to fix Arrowhead but it had to have a rolling roof if he kicked in the money.

I was scoffed at. Just saying..........told ya

I never scoffed at you because Lamar has always wanted a rolling roof so he could possibly get a Super Bowl.

[jspchief]

Kansas City will never have a Superbowl. It wouldn't matter if they built a brand new dome. Besides the city being too much of a dump, they don't have the hotel space. Superbowl talk is just snake oil to get people behind the funding of the renovations.

[Chieftain58]

build them a new stadium in Johnson County! We want them here in Kansas

[siberian khatru]

Kansas City will never have a Superbowl. It wouldn't matter if they built a brand new dome. Besides the city being too much of a dump, they don't have the hotel space. Superbowl talk is just snake oil to get people behind the funding of the renovations.

Damn, beat me to it.

No one in their right mind would want a SB in KC. It's a farcical idea.

[jiveturkey]

It's a goofy idea and I hope that they figure it out before it's too late.

[jiveturkey]

Dude, do you think they are stupid? Don't you think a rolling roof would include a way to seal off the stadium and provide heat to the interior?ANd how is this same roof going to seal off Kaufman?

When they say $100-$200 mill I hear $275 mill.

When you add this on top of the other renovations it makes sense to just build a new stadium.

[Extra Point]

http://www.cjonline.com/chiefszone/arrowhead/arrowhead.jpg
An earlier comment mentioned that they might as well build a new stadium for the money. The "logical" progression is the build the downtown stadium that noone wants, put the Royals in it, then build an Arrowhead lookin' thing next to the present Arrowhead, then tear it down. The design pictured would leak like a sieve. The geometry of present Arrowhead doesn't seem readily convertible to a roof without leaks, without MAJOR structure/apprearance changes.

Nice of Mr. Hunt to kick in that $100 Million. Guess he'll raising the rent in the caves....

[Mark M]

Kansas City will never have a Superbowl. It wouldn't matter if they built a brand new dome. Besides the city being too much of a dump, they don't have the hotel space. Superbowl talk is just snake oil to get people behind the funding of the renovations.

DING! We have a winner!

Truth is, I'm growing more fond of a downtown stadium. It allows the Royals to help get downtown going (although they should fix the KC Schools first, IMHO), and gives the entire Truman Complex to the Chiefs. Either renovate the crap out of it, or start over.

Of course, I wouldn't be opposed to them moving the KS side, either. Whatever the hell it takes to keep the teams in KC is the most important thing at this point.

MM
~~:shrug:

[Brock]

http://www.cjonline.com/chiefszone/arrowhead/arrowhead.jpg
An earlier comment mentioned that they might as well build a new stadium for the money. The "logical" progression is the build the downtown stadium that noone wants, put the Royals in it, then build an Arrowhead lookin' thing next to the present Arrowhead, then tear it down. The design pictured would leak like a sieve. The geometry of present Arrowhead doesn't seem readily convertible to a roof without leaks, without MAJOR structure/apprearance changes.

Nice of Mr. Hunt to kick in that $100 Million. Guess he'll raising the rent in the caves....

That's a design from 30 years ago. I doubt the revised design would look anything like that.

[Eleazar]

Damn, beat me to it.

No one in their right mind would want a SB in KC. It's a farcical idea.

I don't understand this either. Why would they have a Super Bowl here? Do all the celebrity types want to come hang out in Kansas City? Is our building modern enough? Why wouldn't we have the same disaster as Jacksonville had?

KC is a great place, don't get me wrong. But a Super Bowl? In a 30 year old stadium? How the hell would they heat the inside of a rolling carport?

[Extra Point]

I hear that, it's a 38-year-old design! The extension to Arrowhead would be look like the skeleton of an animated alien to incorporate it. The lighting system would have to be reconfigured, as the retractable frame would have clear the lights. It's doable, but it'll be a high-dollar inflatable play pen.

Just go to the contractor, and order a standard retractable roof for mirroring sections of a hyperbolic paraboloid.

"Not a problem, bub. We did one in Blue Springs last week."

[BigRedChief]

build them a new stadium in Johnson County! We want them here in Kansas

neg rep for you. Not because of moving to Kansas but because there is no way they could build an "Arrowhead" like this one that they have now.

I love Arrowhead. Renovate not build new.

[Extra Point]

This is more like it, but it's missing the inflatable base.

[jiveturkey]

This is more like it, but it's missing the inflatable base.I have the fever for the flavor of a Pringle.

Wait no I don't, that looks dumb.

[Bob Dole]

For a whopping $1 million.

See ... even back then Lamar was a cheap old bastard.

MM
~~;)

Was Lamar in charge of the labor unions?

[Eleazar]

This is more like it, but it's missing the inflatable base.

Can we get the one with wings, to prevent leakage?

[Mark M]

Was Lamar in charge of the labor unions?

I don't think he's Italian ... so, no.

MM
~~;)

[Extra Point]

Modifying what is now Arrowhead, with a roof to accent it, would be uninsureable IMO. The one previously posted had no Jumbotron and opposing big screen. Strengthening the current structure for a retractable roof is uneconomical.

[Extra Point]

Sidney, Australia:

[Extra Point]

Anything but the look of Texas Stadium!

[Psyko Tek]

We have a rolling field and retractable roof. And a superbowl coming here in a couple years.

Hell we even pushed our drinking hours back for it.

Please, you damn people. Just get the thing done.


yeah and because of that we got the cardinals for another 10 years at least

:cuss:

[Mr. Laz]

we could always have the stadium shaped like a vagina.

http://img35.exs.cx/img35/7100/b01147ck.jpg
http://img35.exs.cx/img35/1513/concept200011vo.jpg

[Extra Point]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[htismaqe]

we could always have the stadium shaped like a vagina.

http://img35.exs.cx/img35/7100/b01147ck.jpg
http://img35.exs.cx/img35/1513/concept200011vo.jpg

Is that for real?

[Mr. Laz]

Is that for real?
a real concept idea for a stadium anyway.

http://www.bjghw.gov.cn/forNationalStadium/indexeng.asp

[htismaqe]

a real concept idea for a stadium anyway.

http://www.bjghw.gov.cn/forNationalStadium/indexeng.asp

I don't think it's a vagina. I think it's an eye. ;)

[Mr. Laz]

I don't think it's a vagina. I think it's an eye. ;)
pa-tate-toe, pa-tot-toe




:p

[BowerR64]

Kansas City will never have a Superbowl. It wouldn't matter if they built a brand new dome. Besides the city being too much of a dump, they don't have the hotel space. Superbowl talk is just snake oil to get people behind the funding of the renovations.


Thats what i think too. They said if we dont back the chiefs they move to a new city. How many years have we been selling out that stadium? if we dont back the team? wtf? you mean if we dont pay for it. They want us to pay for it, then pay for tickets every season so they can all stuff their pockets even more and just get enough wins to make the players look good so they can sell them and make even MORE money.