Kansas City Chiefs fans now have a first look at what the team’s new stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, will look like when it opens in 2031.
The Chiefs released initial concept renderings on Wednesday for the $3 billion stadium, which will include a fully enclosed domed roof consisting of more than 400,000 square feet of translucent panels so fans can still catch military flyovers.
Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement that their goal is to build something that improves the gameday experience for fans.
"While we're still finalizing many of the details, there are a few things we know for sure: it will hold 70,000 fans, it will still be the best place in the world to tailgate, and the whole building will be built for noise,” Hunt said.
The stadium will expand on fan traditions; the team said its size, shape and roof geometry were studied by audio engineers “to maximize crowd noise.” (Arrowhead Stadium holds the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium.)
The team also said the parking lot will be built to improve the tailgating experience, including more than 20,000 parking spots.
The new stadium's seating bowl will resemble Arrowhead Stadium’s and include a Drum Deck for pregame and in-game ceremonies. The plans also include placing the Chiefs Ring of Honor above the bowl.
The Chiefs Hall of Honor will be twice its current size and the Chiefs Team Store will be four times larger. A statue of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt is also planned for the plaza outside of the stadium. The surrounding area will also include mixed-use development, according to the team.
The team said the renderings follow a six-month lead design competition that selected MANICA, a Kansas City, Kansas-based firm, as the project’s lead design architect.
David Manica, the firm’s president and owner, said it’s an honor to design the next home of the Chiefs in their hometown.
“This stadium is being designed not just for today's fans, but for the generations of Chiefs Kingdom to come — a place that reflects the passion, pride, and enduring strength of one of the greatest fan bases in all of sports,” Manica said.
The Chiefs also plan to build new team headquarters and training facilities in Olathe. The project will largely be financed by sales and tax revenue, or STAR, bonds, and a sports-betting revenue fund created in Kansas to attract a professional sports team.
