UG approves community improvement district for American Royal's $375M campus
KANSAS CITY, KAN. (May 30, 2025) The Unified Government signed off on a new tax district to support the American Royal’s $375 million campus in Western Wyandotte County.
UG commissioners on Thursday approved creating a community improvement district for the American Royal’s campus near Kansas Speedway — the last piece of the project's public financing stack.
The food and agriculture nonprofit broke ground at 11645 American Royal Way in March 2023. It paused work in February after construction outpaced project financing.
In 2016, the UG approved creating the Northwest Speedway Sales Tax Revenue (STAR) Bond District for the American Royal and later signed off on plans to use as much as $80 million in STAR bonds to support a $165 million project.
Since then, the project has grown significantly in size and price. The latest plan for the American Royal's campus features a 390,000-square-foot livestock barn/exhibition hall, a pair of indoor arenas and a 75,000-square-foot outdoor arena. An 80,000-square-foot Agricultural Education Center with 150,000 square feet of additional exhibit and outdoor learning space will be developed west of 118th, south of Parallel Parkway and north of State Avenue.
The American Royal also has the option to develop a 120-acre festival area with a concert lawn as part of a future second phase. If it builds the festival grounds, the total cost would increase to $450 million.
On April 24, the UG approved a development agreement and signed off on a STAR bond project plan for the development. The latest agreement grants the nonprofit a $155 million STAR bond allotment to cover roughly 42% of the total project cost, with private financing covering the balance. The first issuance of STAR bonds will be sold as a private placement to entities that are donors, investors or supporters of the American Royal.
The nonprofit intends to restart construction after the bond sale and hopes to move to the new campus in 2026. Its current headquarters is in the West Bottoms.
The CID will place an additional 1% sales tax on purchases made on the American Royal campus for 22 years. Collection would begin July 1, 2026, and revenue from the district will be capped equal to the difference between the net STAR bond proceeds and $185 million.
The UG also voted Thursday to dissolve the Plaza at the Speedway tax increment financing district, meaning property taxes from the district no longer will be redirected, but both the state and the UG will pledge sales tax from the district to pay off the STAR bonds. In return, the American Royal will pay the UG roughly $1 million to $1.8 million annually during the 20-year life of the STAR bond plan to offset UG revenue collections from the Plaza at the Speedway.
