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Key Points:

• KS State Sen. David Haley introduced a bill to establish a port authority for economic development along the Kansas City, KS, riverfront.
• The bill was recently included in a package of incentives to attract the Chiefs and Royals across the state line to Kansas.
• Haley sees the location of the port authority and potential stadium as a win-win for KCK development and as easily accessible to KC destinations.

Kansas state Sen. David Haley stood on the banks at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers and took in the beauty of his surroundings. 

Across the river, the downtown Kansas City skyline stretched across the horizon. At eye-level was God’s work: the calm rippling motion of the river and on the banks, a vast display of lush greenery … but little if any way for people to enjoy it. 

Proudly, Haley pointed out he’s standing in Kansas’ Senate District 4, which he’s represented since 2001. The district, on the northeast corner of Wyandotte County, is most notably known for being one of the poorest areas in the county, but few people realize it includes what could be one of the county’s biggest economic drivers.    

With that in mind, in 2021, Haley introduced a bill to establish a port authority running from the historic Quindaro Ruins on the north, down past the Kaw Point where he was standing, and south to the Rock Island Bridge, which is currently being developed as America’s first bridge entertainment destination.  

In 2021, the bill passed the Kansas Senate but stalled in the Kansas House. In subsequent legislative sessions, he’s reintroduced the bill with little fanfare or results.

In the past few weeks, though, the bill has drawn lots of attention – thanks to the Kansas Legislature’s efforts to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals across the state line.   

The port authority bill was made part of a package of incentives the Legislature is compiling to attract the teams. 

While the creation of the port authority is gaining recognition because of the Legislature’s recent efforts, Haley said when he introduced the legislation three years ago, it had nothing to do with attracting sports teams to his district.

“But now, obviously, it makes sense if the teams would relocate near the river,” said Haley, who is pleased the bill has been given “new life.”    

Haley said he introduced the bill as a means for economic development along the KCK riverfront. 

He sees how establishing a port authority would encourage development there and ensure it’s done – with the best interest of Wyandotte County citizens – in a controlled and comprehensive manner.

The Vision

“Every city I know, just about, has something going on its riverfront,” said Haley.

His vision is for an active and vibrant riverfront with people taking advantage of both the land and water. 

Haley recalled a popular riverboat that used to depart from Kaw Point that gave scenic tours along the river. Since then, he said, there’s been no KCK-based activities from the riverfront and little if any activity along the river banks. 

While his vision wasn’t originally about attracting a sports team, it’s a vision he’s strongly embraced.  

“What a beautiful backdrop for a stadium,” he said as he stood on the riverbank. “It [the stadium] would be a national, if not an international, attraction; way better than the same old stuff out there by the Legends, with no natural beauty. 

His reference to the Legends was a more than slight dig against the most talked about Wyandotte County locations for either or both teams. Even before the stadium expansion tax was voted down, ideals for a Kansas location included Johnson County and Western KCK near the Legends and International Speedway. 

Never was there a mention of a stadium in Eastern KCK. 

Riverfront KCK Stadium a Win-Win

Haley sees a KCK Riverfront Stadium as a win-win. It would offer the benefits of a downtown stadium the Royals were looking for without all the disruption to existing businesses or the parking issues. 

According to Haley, KCK’s Fairfax District, in the city’s river bottoms, has several 30-plus-acre lots that would be perfect for a stadium and come at a much lower price than land in downtown KCMO or the Legends. 

An eastern Wyandotte County location would be a great incentive for downtown KCK development while remaining easily accessible to KMCO destinations like the Power & Light District, West Bottoms, the Crossroads, and the 18th & Vine Jazz District. 

Finally, he says, the location is close to the Kansas City International Airport and has easy access to Interstates 70, 635 and 29. 

Why a Port Authority

Port authorities are usually associated with the movement of cargo and vessels within a port, but their areas of responsibility can be further reaching and include coordination of the development of land and other economic activities within the port’s boundaries. 

KCK used to have a port authority, but it was disbanded in the 1970s. In addition to the river, the authority included an old KCK airport that served as a major transport hub during World War II.  

Dismantling the port authority had a lot to do with plans to use the old airport as the site for the General Motors plant, which is still a major employer in KC’s Fairfax area. 

Up until 1981, when the Kansas Legislature inserted the state into the process, it wasn’t necessary to get state approval to establish a port authority. Wyandotte County could simply have established a port. 

Now, the first step to creating a port authority is approval by the state through a bill like the one introduced by Haley. 

His bill doesn’t establish many of the details of the power of the port authority and how it will be governed. The bill leaves most of that part up to Wyandotte County. It also doesn’t speak to the district’s taxing mechanisms. 

Haley said he knows Wyandotte County residents, like Jackson County residents who voted down the additional tax to fund the Chiefs and Royals stadiums, are tax-weary.  

However, he believes a port authority would be a big economic win for Wyandotte County that he envisions could help lower the tax burden on residents and would be largely paid for by taxes on the commercial entities operating within the district. 

In addition, the STAR bonds proposed by the Kansas Legislature to attract the teams would provide financing for the new stadiums without imposing any new taxes. 

What if the Chiefs & Royals Don’t Come to WYCO?

While Haley thinks a riverside stadium in KCK is the best place for a future stadium, both he and the Kansas Legislature will still work to bring a professional team to Kansas if the Chiefs and/or the Royals decide to stay in Missouri. 

The STAR bond package being developed by the Legislature, gives the Chiefs and Royals until June 2025 to decide on accepting the state’s proposal. If the teams decline, the deal remains open for an NBA or NHL team to accept.

Haley said his vision for the site works equally well for an NBA team. However, his vision for the development of the KCK waterway isn’t contingent on the attraction of a professional sports team.

KCK and Wyandotte Mayor Tyrone Garner agrees. Like Haley, he cited his vision for development of the KCK waterway well before there was talk of bringing professional sports teams to Kansas. 

“Our vision is to extend these developments landward using the river as a catalyst,” said LaVert A. Murray, chief economic development advisor to Garner. “A port authority can assist in these efforts but we are prepared to move things along utilizing a great number of economic tools and incentives, including STAR bonds.”

Garner, like Haley, is pleased with Wyandotte County’s western development and expansion, but he ran on a platform of improving growth in Eastern KCK. 

“I just want to enhance some of the other regions of the county,” said Haley. “We continue to focus on a 4.5-mile radius of our county for development and there are many other miles that are prime for economic enhancements. 

“It’s a shame that the state and the county have invested millions in the development of Western Wyandotte County and not a dollar for the Quindaro ruins and eastern Wyandotte County.”