George Brett shares thoughts on Royals’ future in KC after stadium tax failure

Hall of Famer George Brett didn’t have an opportunity to cast a ballot earlier this month for a 40-year sales tax that would have helped pay for a new Royals stadium in the Crossroads.

But Brett believes the idea of the new stadium was a “no-brainer,” a thought he shared Wednesday while on Chris “Mad Dog” Russo’s SiriusXM show.

Instead the tax was voted down by Jackson County residents. That money also would have funded renovations for the Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Royals say they won’t play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season, and Brett believes the team should try to make its own deal for a new stadium.

“I think it’s time the Royals and the Chiefs kind of separate a little bit,” Brett said on Russo’s show. “We’ve always shared the same parking lot, and obviously with their success ... they want to do a lot of things to the stadium. And our (stadium) is, you know, kind of falling apart, too.

“I retired in ‘93 and it was the last day of Arlington Stadium. And the next year, they (Texas Rangers) moved into that brand new stadium, and they’ve already torn that one down and built a new one.”

The Rangers moved to Globe Life Park in 1994. That stadium is actually still around, but the Rangers left it for Globe Life Field in 2020.

Brett loved the idea of the Royals playing near the T-Mobile Center, which lacks an anchor tenant.

“We have a beautiful arena downtown, but we don’t have a basketball team or a hockey team and the only time it’s used is for concerts and truck pulls and things like that,” Brett said. “So to put a tenant downtown I thought would be a great move. Unfortunately, the taxpayers of Jackson County did not think it was that great of a move. And I don’t know what Mr. Sherman’s plan is.”

Following the election result, Royals CEO/chairman John Sherman said the team would “find a path forward” that best suits the organization.

Brett, who played 21 seasons in Kansas City, admitted he’s a little concerned the Royals will leave not only Jackson County, but also the state of Missouri. Ditto for the Chiefs.

“I live 15 minutes from Kauffman Stadium, but I live in Kansas,” said Brett, who resides in Mission Hills. “And I don’t live in Missouri, I didn’t get a chance to vote. There’s a lot of land in Kansas so I wouldn’t be surprised to see either the Chiefs or the Royals move to the Kansas side rather than the Missouri side. And I wouldn’t be surprised to see them both move over there.”