The Ehlert family is working to sell the Kansas City T-Bones (independent; American Association) amidst financial issues, with hopes of completing a sale in the coming months.
Financial challenges have been an issue for T-Bones ownership over the years, including difficulties that came after the Ehlerts’ Ehlert Development privately financed a $12 million ballpark that was completed in 2003 and is currently known as T-Bones Stadium. To alleviate financial issues, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City spent $8 million as part of a 2014 agreement to buy the ballpark and make the T-Bones a tenant, but that was not enough to prevent future difficulties. More recently, a 2017 deal made the T-Bones the manager of the facility while the two parties agreed to share in utility costs, with the Unified Government covering 55% of those expenses and the team paying the remainder.
However, T-Bones ownership is currently strapped with debts that include more than $365,000 owed to the Unified Government. In order to help cover that debt, the Ehlert family is planning to sell the T-Bones. No agreement to sell the team has been reached to date, but the club hopes to have a deal in place in the coming months. More from KHSB:
Adam Ehlert, president of the T-Bones, told 41 Action News that the team would stay in Kansas City, Kansas, but be run under new ownership. He said the team is in negotiations and hopes to complete a sale at the end of the 2019 season.
The T-Bones, a fixture in KCK for 16 years, currently owe the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK more than $365,000, according to the Unified Government.
In September 2018, KCK officials sent the team a notice of default and requested full payment. The Unified Government said that it still has not received a payment from the team.
The team also owes more than $394,000 in past-due bills to the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities.
Under their current agreement with the Unified Government, the T-Bones can continue playing in and managing T-Bones Stadium through the 2022 season.