The Kansas City Chiefs have unveiled initial renderings of a new $3 billion stadium planned for Kansas City

The fully enclosed stadium is expected to seat approximately 70,000 people and feature a translucent roof made with more than 400,000 square feet of ETFE panels above the playing field. Plans also call for more than 20,000 parking spaces and infrastructure designed to preserve one of the franchise’s most celebrated traditions: tailgating.

“From the beginning, our goal has been to build something that improved the gameday experience for every single fan,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in announcing the plans. “It honors the rich legacy of this franchise while setting a bold course for the future of Chiefs Kingdom.”

Although many design details are still being finalized, Hunt said the team is committed to creating a stadium built for crowd noise and a premier tailgating experience.

The stadium’s size, shape and roof geometry have been studied by audio engineers to amplify crowd noise, according to the team. The seating bowl will draw inspiration from Arrowhead Stadium and incorporate familiar features, including a Drum Deck for pregame and in-game ceremonies and prominent placement of the Chiefs Ring of Honor.

The translucent roof panels are also intended to preserve visibility for military flyovers, allowing the tradition to continue despite the enclosed design.

Outside the stadium, plans include a modern plaza featuring the Lamar Hunt statue, a Chiefs Hall of Honor more than twice the size of the current space and a team store approximately four times larger than the existing store. The stadium is expected to anchor a mixed-use development designed to extend the fan experience beyond game days.

Kansas City firms selected to lead design

The Chiefs selected two Kansas City-based firms to help deliver the project following a six-month design competition.

MANICA will serve as lead design architect, while HNTB has been named architect of record. CAA ICON is serving as the team’s representative and oversaw the project’s qualification, proposal and design-competition processes.

Chiefs President Mark Donovan described the undertaking as a transformational project that will be developed over the next five years.

“We are incredibly fortunate that Kansas City is home to world-class sports and entertainment design talent,” Donovan said. He added that MANICA distinguished itself by embracing the franchise’s history while presenting “a bold and dynamic vision for the future.”

MANICA President and owner David Manica called the assignment “the honor of a lifetime.”

“This stadium is being designed not just for today’s fans, but for the generations of Chiefs Kingdom to come,” Manica said. “A place that reflects the passion, pride and enduring strength of one of the greatest fan bases in all of sports.”

HNTB President Tom O’Grady said the project would combine the company’s Kansas City roots with its experience designing major sports and entertainment venues.

Team projects major regional economic impact

The stadium is part of a broader Kansas development plan that includes a new practice facility and team headquarters in Olathe, along with two privately developed mixed-use districts.

Based on figures released by the Chiefs, construction of the stadium and related developments is projected to generate 36,500 full-time-equivalent job-years and $8.2 billion in regional economic activity. Once operational, the developments are expected to support approximately 8,500 full-time-equivalent jobs and produce an estimated $1.5 billion in annual economic impact.

Those figures are projections provided by the team and will depend on the project’s final scope, construction schedule and future operations.

The project will be financed through a public-private partnership. The public portion is expected to rely on Sales Tax and Revenue bonds and the Attracting Professional Sports to Kansas Fund. According to the Chiefs, those programs were structured to avoid new state taxes or a negative effect on the Kansas state budget. The remaining costs will be privately funded.

The plan also includes an additional $1 billion in development elsewhere in Kansas.

If completed as envisioned, the stadium would mark a significant new chapter for the franchise—combining an enclosed, modern venue with architectural and ceremonial elements intended to carry the identity of Arrowhead into the future.