Chiefs officials announce two Kansas City-area firms as finalist for new stadium design

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KQTV) The Kansas City Chiefs officials have announced two architectural design firms as finalists for the new stadium design.

In a release sent out on Tuesday morning, the Chiefs announced that MANICA and Populous are the two firms left.

"We're thrilled to take this next step in our new stadium journey and announce the two finalists in our search for lead designer," Chiefs president Mark Donovan said in a release. "The Kansas City region is the central hub of global sports and entertainment venue architecture and design, so we didn't need to go far to identify the top options to explore final concepts for the future home of Chiefs Kingdom."

MANICA projects include New Nissan Stadium (Nashville, Tenn.), Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), arenas, and soccer stadiums.

As of Populous, its projects include New Highmark Stadium (Buffalo), Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Sphere (Las Vegas), more soccer stadiums, and a new stadium in Morocco for the 2030 World Cup.

The $3 billion stadium and surrounding development will be located in Wyandotte County, Kan. and is scheduled to open at the start of the 2031 NFL season. 

According to State of Kansas estimations, the fixed-roof stadium project is scheduled to bring in more than 20,000 jobs and more than $4.4 billion in economic impact for Kansas during the construction phase alone. 

it is estimated that the project will generate more than 3,500 jobs and more than $1 billion in economic impact annually.

The project will be paid by a public-private partnership that includes 60% of the $3 billion stadium being funded through Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds and the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund. 

The remaining 40% of the project will be privately funded with the Hunt Family also committing $1 billion in additional development as part of the relocation to Kansas.