Kansas City Chiefs add Clark-AECOM JV to $3bn stadium construction team

Kansas City, Missouri - The Kansas City Chiefs have appointed Clark | AECOM, a joint venture of Clark Construction Group and AECOM, to the construction team for the NFL club's new 70,000-person fixed-roof stadium in Wyandotte County, Kansas, which is due to open in 2031.

The club made the announcement on Wednesday. It said the venue will be the Chiefs' future home, operate as an entertainment destination all year round and anchor a mixed-use development around it.

The stadium accounts for $3 billion of a $4.5 billion investment programme in Kansas, which also covers a $300 million practice facility and headquarters in Olathe and $1.2 billion of private real estate development around both sites, according to economic impact figures the Chiefs published in June. The club projects $1.5 billion a year in total economic impact for the greater Kansas City region once the stadium and practice facility open in 2031.

The Chiefs described the two partners as among the sports industry's leading venue builders, now working together on a single high-profile project. Their task is to convert the club's stadium vision into construction plans that can be carried out in full.

According to the club, the scheme will drive economic growth across the region, create jobs and attract new investment, while giving residents and visitors a sports and entertainment venue it called a bucket-list destination.

Mark Donovan, President of the Kansas City Chiefs, said: “We are excited to have the Clark | AECOM team join us for our transformational stadium project that will benefit the entire region. This milestone is indicative of the progress and continued momentum we’ve made with our project partners.”

He added: “As we finish the overall design, Clark | AECOM will help us advance the project further by identifying more certainty around project scope, budget, and scheduling. They understand our vision and have the expertise required for this scale of project, and we look forward to collaborating with them as we prepare for construction to begin.”

At the current stage, the club is working with Clark | AECOM's construction specialists alongside the stadium designers, the owners' representative and other main stakeholders. Together they are developing the initial design concept into a project that is permitted, budgeted and ready to build.

Lee DeLong, CEO of Clark Group, said: “It is an incredible privilege to team with the Kansas City Chiefs and AECOM to begin the process of delivering this landmark project. This project represents an exciting new era for Kansas City, poised to transform the sports and entertainment experience for the region, and serve as a powerful catalyst for economic growth and community connection. We share a deep commitment to delivering a world-class venue that will serve Chiefs Kingdom for decades to come.”

Design work rests with MANICA and HNTB, who are refining the seating bowl, premium spaces and back-of-house operations, as well as the site infrastructure. In parallel, the construction team is advising on how to make the building easier to construct, more functional and more flexible to operate.

Its recommendations cover the availability and procurement of materials, installation, and the construction timeline.

Ken Johnson, Executive Vice President and Sports Market leader of AECOM Hunt, said: “As the leading sports venue builder in the United States, we are honored to partner with Clark Construction to deliver this once-in-a-generation project for the Kansas City Chiefs and Chiefs Kingdom. NFL stadium projects present some of the most complex challenges in our industry, and that’s where our team thrives.”

He added: “We bring decades of experience, innovative thinking, and a relentless commitment to delivering world-class facilities that spur job creation and fuel the economic engines of communities nationwide. We’re excited to take on this challenge alongside Clark Construction and the Chiefs organization and create a state-of-the-art entertainment destination that supports the Kansas City region and inspires the next generation of football fans.”

Clark | AECOM will also set the strategy and timetable for putting the work out to competitive bids. That means gauging market interest, finding qualified subcontractors and suppliers, and assessing whether they have the experience, resources and capacity to carry out the packages.

Sitework on the stadium site is scheduled to start in 2027.