KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – Cedric Johnson, who owns All Pro Cuts Barber Shop on Parallel Parkway in KCK, said he is cautiously optimistic about the Kansas City Chiefs’ planned move to Kansas City, Kansas, after being a Chiefs fan for decades and calling the community home for more than 20 years.
The Chiefs’ move has created uncertainty about how to finance a new stadium, with Kansas officials proposing sales taxes to cover 60 percent of the project without raising taxes.
“I think it could work, but it will take more than just the Kansas City area,” Johnson said. “That would have to be a big part of it, but as long as it doesn’t impact the taxpayers of the local community, I think it’s a good thing.”
Johnson said conversations about the Chiefs’ move have dominated discussions in his barbershop. Customers like Denard Foreman, who lives in KCK, expressed excitement about the change.
“Like they said, it ain’t a fly-over state no more. We a touchdown state,” Foreman said.
Jacob Parker, also a KCK resident, agreed the move would be beneficial.
“It’s closer to my house, so I can go more often,” Parker said.
However, not all local businesses support the financing plan. KCTV 5 contacted more than 20 local businesses, and some expressed concerns about public funding for the project. One business owner said they wished projects like this would be paid for completely through private funding.
Kansas Commerce said sales taxes through STAR bonds will pay 60 percent of the stadium project without raising taxes. Some Kansas financial experts say more studies are needed to understand the full price tag.
Wyandotte County’s director of economic development said the county initiated a third-party financial analysis to better understand the financial impacts of the project.
Johnson, who has operated his business for more than 20 years, said tourism will need to play a significant role in making the financing work.
“It’s kind of like a wait-and-see. It’s kinda hard to tell what things will be like five years from now because things change so rapidly,” Johnson said.
Daymon Gatson, a barber at All Pro Cuts, said he supports keeping the Chiefs in the area despite the Kansas-Missouri rivalry.
“Kansas, Missouri, it’s always been some kind of rivalry or whatever, but as long as the Chiefs are still in the area, I think it’s cool,” Gatson said.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.