Kansas City is known for a variety of things, such as “barbecue, convenience, and fairly friendly people,” said history teacher Dustin Fox. Some people consider KCMO a major city in the U.S.,while others might disagree. Junior Nate Wernsman said he believes that KC is a major city and credits it due to the sports they have. “You can basically name a bunch of sports here, and each one of them has had their recent successes; Chiefs with the Super Bowl and Royals winning the World Series in 2015,” Wernsman said.
KC has recently been in the news due to the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl. “It’s brought a big spotlight to Kansas City,” sophomore Evan Simpson said. On February 12th, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35. Three days later, upwards of one million fans showed up to Union Station to celebrate their victory. The parade was broadcasted so people all over the nation could see the magnitude of Chiefs fans. “It’s hard to not like Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs,”Wernsman said.
Along with sports’ success, there have been discussions of many new buildings being developed in KC, like the new royals stadium and MCI’s new terminal. With our current lease for Kauffman Stadium ending in 2031, it was announced that a new Royals Stadium is coming to downtown KC in 2027 or 2028. The Kansas City Star reported that the budget for it will be $2 billion.
MCI’s new terminal officially opened on February 28. The $1.5 billion terminal is considered the largest all-glass building in the U.S, with all 40 gates containing glass boarding bridges. Construction first started four years ago in March of 2019. The Kansas City Star reported that many new amenities have been introduced, such as dozens of both local and chain restaurants, including Shaquillel O’Neal’s new chicken franchise Big Chicken. A parking garage was also built across the street from the terminal to make it more convenient for travelers. For individuals with sensory challenges or nervousness when flying, MCI has added a sensory room. Fox 4 News reported that the room includes calm activity areas, fidget chairs, fully cushioned areas, and non-abrasive flooring.
The new terminal will be officially open for the 88th annual 2023 NFL Draft, which takes place at Union Station. The event is free to all, so fans from around the nation can come and support their favorite team. The draft has seven rounds, spanning over a three day period from April 27 to April 29. Each of the 32 NFL teams will recruit new talents, and the event is viewed by millions of football fans, both online and in-person, waiting to see their team’s decisions.
It has been confirmed that KC will be one of 16 U.S cities to host a World Cup Game in 2026. “It’s good for the city. It’ll bring money in and bring a lot of visitors too. It’s the biggest sporting event in the world,” Fox said. The game is set to take place at Arrowhead Stadium.
“If you asked me ten years ago if Kansas City would be a major city, I would’ve said no. But as we’re getting more developments, we’re kind of getting to that stage. I do like how it’s not as popular as New York or Los Angeles, but it’s good to get some more traffic into it,” Simpson said. From what used to be a midwest city known for its barbecue, the KC area is slowly transforming into a tourist hotspot.
