Kansas City finishes record-breaking preparations for the NFL Draft
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Before the 2023 NFL Draft even kicks off on Thursday evening, Kansas City has already managed to make some history. The stage taking over Union Station is the biggest in the draft's nearly 90-year history.
City Manager Brian Platt said it's only fitting that a national event, introducing people to Kansas City, is held at Union Station.
“Union Station is really like the front door of Kansas City," he said. "It’s so iconic. It’s got so much history.”
Over the past few years, that history has come in the form of Super Bowl celebrations. Both the 2020 and 2023 Chiefs' championship parades were capped off at a stage at Union Station, where nearly one million people gathered.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said winning the team's latest title was the fulfillment of a promise he made when the NFL Draft was first announced.
"I told Mark Donovan [President of the Kansas City Chiefs] that I was gonna make sure they say World Champion Kansas City Chiefs whenever they announce our pick," Mahomes said.
For years, the NFL Draft had a home in New York City. From 1965 to 2014 the big event was held in the Big Apple. However, the NFL decided to move the Draft around, beginning in 2015. Kansas City is just the seventh city, since moving out of New York, to host the NFL Draft.
"People are in such a high place, right now, here. We’re really excited," Platt said. "I think everyone here is just so happy to be a part of this city right now. We’re on fire. We are no longer becoming the best kept secret in the United States."
The NFL said it projects about 300,000 people could be making their way to Kansas City for the Draft's three days. However, the KC Sports Commission said the city is even preparing for more, depending on weather. When Nashville hosted in 2019, it broke an attendance record with about 600,000 people attending over a three day span.
Attendance is still to be determined, but Platt said, either way, Kansas City is expecting massive economic impacts.
“We’re anticipating over $100 million in impact from this event," he said. "Huge amount of amount of activity that we’re generating and that’s people staying at hotels, going to restaurants and the events itself.”
The main event is the record-breaking stage at Union Station, however, the Draft festivities sit on a stretch as big as a football field, extending up to the National World War I Memorial.
"This is not our first rodeo. We’re good at mobilizing and changing and putting a good foot forward," Platt said.
Platt also added that the NFL Draft will be a good test run for when the world stage comes to Kansas City in 2026, as KC was selected as one of the host cities for the World Cup that year.
The NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, April 27 at Union Station and runs until Saturday, April 29.
You can watch the full story on Kansas City's preparations on ABC 17 News at six.
