The NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs will establish a new team headquarters and training facility in Olathe as part of a monumental jump across the state line announced on Monday.
The centerpiece of the deal unveiled by team officials and state and local leaders at a press conference in Topeka is a new $3 billion domed stadium in Wyandotte County.
But the move also includes the new team facilities in Olathe.
“Both sites will have mixed-use developments that could include sports, entertainment, dining, shopping, office, hotel and residential properties,” Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s office said in a news release.
At the press conference, Olathe Mayor John Bacon called the move a “game changer.”
“The Kansas City Chiefs have already been a huge part of this community for a long time,” Bacon said. “And we could not be more excited to welcome them to Olathe.”
Gov. Laura Kelly said the economic impact the relocation will have on the state is “massive.”
“We are making Kansas a tourist destination for the region, for the nation and for the world,” Kelly said.
Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said he’s excited about the next chapter for the football team.
“Today’s announcement ensures that for generations to come, Chiefs fans will have the best game day experience in the entire National Football League,” he said.
What this means for Olathe
In a release sent out after the announcement, President and CEO of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce Tim McKee said the project has the potential to go beyond professional sports, saying it could be “revolutionary for the Chamber, the City and the school district.”
Though the official announcement did not disclose exactly where in Olathe the new team facilities will go, multiple sources confirmed to the Post that it is set to go near the Garmin Soccer Complex just off Kansas Highway 10 and Ridgeview Road.
That lines up with a preliminary map of the proposed STAR bond district that includes the stadium in Wyandotte County and the practice facility in Olathe. That map shows a marker for the practice facility that appears to be near that spot at K-10 and Ridgeview.
The Chamber’s release mentions that this move could lead to a stadium for Olathe Public Schools.
Olathe Public Schools Superintendent Brent Yeager is also quoted in the Chamber’s release, saying there are “possibilities for meaningful partnerships that support student learning and community engagement.”
Olathe City Manager Michael Wilkes, who is set to retire next month after 27 years with the city, also emphasized the broader impact the relocation could have on the city.
“More than just the Chiefs facility, this project has tremendous potential for education and medical partnerships as well as a significant boost to travel and tourism in the area,” Wilkes said in a statement. “We’re hoping to create a true entertainment destination.”
Johnson County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Kelly chimed in Monday, calling it a “significant win.”
“I’m thrilled to welcome a new Chiefs headquarters and training facility, along with a mixed-use development, to Johnson County,” he said in a statement. “Given the continued economic and quality of life benefits within our county, it is no surprise that Johnson County was entrusted with this opportunity.”
The team’s current lease at the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County, Missouri, runs out in 2030, and the new stadium and team facilities would open in the next five or so years.
“I want to extend a warm welcome to the Kansas City Chiefs,” said Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Democrat from Lenexa, in a release on Monday. “I look forward to seeing plans become reality and remain grateful for the Chiefs’ enduring commitment to the Kansas City region.”
The City of Olathe is thrilled that the Kansas City Chiefs will remain in the region.
Welcome to Olathe! https://t.co/gDGeePahZv
— City of Olathe, Kansas (@CityofOlatheKS) December 22, 2025
What now?
Now that the state has approved the formation of a special STAR (Sales Tax and Revenue) bond district for the Chiefs’ headquarters facility, Olathe has 60 days to hold a public hearing and authorize the use of new local sales taxes in the district to help pay back the debt and interest accrued by those bonds.
Additionally, any development applications would still need to go through the standard planning process before they could go ahead, which may include a rezoning and site plan at the Olathe Planning Commission and Olathe City Council.
“Any development in the City of Olathe is subject to the standard City planning and development process,” an Olathe city official told the Post.
Halo Ridge
The Hunt family already has a major development underway in Olathe.
Loretto Companies, owned by Lamar Hunt Jr., Clark Hunt’s brother, is developing an “ultra-accessible” entertainment district at 119th Street and Renner Boulevard.
Halo Ridge will include an amusement park, hotel, medical facility and sports arena — all designed to be accessible for people with disabilities.
Construction of the $320 million project will begin February 2026. Like the Chiefs training facility and HQ, Halo Ridge will use STAR bonds to help with financing.
James Arkell, vice president of Loretto Companies and Hunt Jr.’s son-in-law, was inspired to create Halo Ridge after facing accessibility challenges with his son Michael, who was born with a genetic condition that requires him to use a wheelchair and feeding tube.
The 64-acre district will also be a tourist attraction with an estimated 725,000 visitors every year.
Kate Mays contributed to this story.
