Royals Announce New Ballpark in "The Heart of Downtown KC"

[Couch-Potato]

What do you guys think about the new ballpark?

ESPN:

Spoiler!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals intend to build their new downtown ballpark blocks away from T-Mobile Center and the Power & Light District, scrapping two concepts elsewhere in the city for a location that puts the stadium closer to existing entertainment areas.

The Royals revealed plans for the $2 billion-plus ballpark project Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium, two days after the Kansas City Chiefs -- whose Arrowhead Stadium shares the Truman Complex with their existing ballpark -- won their third Super Bowl in the past five years, and one day before the city celebrates another Lombardi Trophy with a parade downtown.

"This is going to be awesome!!! Can't wait!" Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes wrote on X in response to renderings of the new Royals ballpark.

The parade route Wednesday travels along Grand Avenue to Union Station, or directly past the location of the new ballpark.

"We're the second-smallest city with both an NFL franchise and Major League Baseball club," Royals owner John Sherman said, "and we want to sustain ourselves as a major league city. We want these franchises to thrive here for another 50 years."

The new ballpark -- located in "the heart of Kansas City," per an X post from the team -- will seat about 34,000 fans, or roughly 3,000 fewer than Kauffman Stadium, and the Royals are hopeful it would be ready for the 2028 season. The final design is still under development, but renderings shown Tuesday paid homage to the K's swooping roof lines and iconic center-field fountains.


"The ballpark will have a really great feeling of intimacy," Sherman said.

Kansas City started play at Municipal Stadium in 1969, then moved to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the current ballpark from 2009-12.

The Royals unveiled two other locations last fall, one on the eastern edge of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. Both were met with tepid reaction from fans, many of whom still love Kauffman Stadium, and political infighting ensued over the extension of a sales tax in Jackson County, Missouri, to help pay for the ballpark.

The Royals' ownership group plans to invest more than $1 billion in private funding for the project, but some of the money will come from the 3/8-cent tax, which also will provide funding that the Chiefs plan to use to renovate Arrowhead Stadium.

"I know I'm biased here," Sherman said, "but between what the Chiefs can do out here with an expanded tailgate experience, and what we do down there, we will have two of the best pregame and postgame experiences in all of sports."

The Royals and Chiefs pushed to put the sales tax on the April 2 ballot, and Jackson County legislators initially approved the referendum, only to watch Jackson County executive Frank White -- a five-time All-Star and member of the Royals' Hall of Fame -- veto the measure. Last month, two legislators changed their vote and joined five others in overriding the veto.

That not only put the tax extension on the ballot, it put the onus on the Royals to reveal exactly what voters will be paying for.

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The new ballpark would be situated adjacent to Interstate 670, where the Kansas City Star's former printing press building sits largely vacant, and tie together several disparate neighborhoods into a more cohesive downtown environment.

Just to the north, where new parks would cover the interstate and allow for safe pedestrian traffic, sits Power & Light, the home to many existing bars and restaurants. To the south lies the Crossroads Art District, a trendy enclave anchored by the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. And to the east is the historic 18th & Vine neighborhood, home to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the American Jazz Museum and iconic restaurants such as Arthur Bryant's Barbeque.

"The fact of the matter is, we've always been cognizant of this site. It never went away," said Earl Santee, the founder of the Kansas City-based sports architectural giant Populous. "We looked at other sites over time, and this is my 23rd major league ballpark site, and it's timing that leads you to the end, and this is the right timing for this site."

Santee compared the 17.3-acre site to downtown ballparks built in Denver, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. There are about 20 property owners in the area and the Royals will need to negotiate with each of them to purchase their parcels of land.

"Development is happening in ways that are engaging," Santee said. "This will amplify the brand of Kansas City."

Indeed, the Royals hope the project continues what Sherman called "a golden era" for the former cowtown on the plains.

Over the past decade, Kansas City has hosted two World Series, baseball's All-Star Game and the NFL draft, while a $1.5 billion airport opened just over a year ago. The Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League will open their new purpose-built stadium next month on the north edge of downtown, and Arrowhead Stadium was recently awarded six games -- including a quarterfinal match -- by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

"This is about a lot more than just a new home for the Royals," said Brooks Sherman, Royals president of business operations, who is unrelated to the team's owner. "This generational project is intended for something great."

[Katipan]

Maybe take a deep breath.

[srvy]

I think the new ballpark should befit what the Royals have become. Design it to look like a toilet bowl.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

As volatile as the construction/material market has been the past few years, with no end in sight, they (Royals and Chiefs) are going to make the "bond" language as generic as possible so that they aren't obligated to any "feature piece" that could cause the project to end up in the red because of inflation come the time of construction.

This is no different than any project that has required a vote the past few years, except for the fact it's a high-profile project!

I am part of projects that require a vote that don't even disclose a specific location within the question, but identify a need [ie. schools, hospitals, etc]. and these pass all of the time.

If this one passes, expect maybe 33% of what is shown in the renderings to actually be built. They are only obligated to provide what is stated in the question that is to-be voted on.

Edit: I am NOT working on either of the projects nor have anything to do with them. And Tyler Bray.

[nychief]

Originally Posted by srvy

How bout you worry about your own wreck of a City?

Um. Eat my ass. My family has been in KC since it's founding for Christ's sake.
The question still stands, how much money and civic recognition do these business bring to the city and region? I'd like some numbers, but assume it is substantial.

Anyway, I love all the associate degree libertarians that come out of the woodwork for a ****ing extension of a 15 year old 5/8th a cent tax.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by nychief

The question still stands, how much money and civic recognition do these business bring to the city and region? I'd like some numbers, but assume it is substantial.

Your assumption is wrong.

[ModSocks]

The KC situation reminds me a bit of the SD situation.

Whack ass Padres that have never won shit ever got a bitchin' new stadium in the heart of downtown San Diego, Chargers got the middle finger.

[MVChiefFan]

Originally Posted by ModSocks

The KC situation reminds me a bit of the SD situation.

Whack ass Padres that have never won shit ever got a bitchin' new stadium in the heart of downtown San Diego, Chargers got the middle finger.

I’ve given the Chargers the middle finger several times.

[Katipan]

Padres stayed loyal to San Diego.
I shouldn't have to explain this to you Cali boy.

[ThrobProng]

Originally Posted by Katipan

Padres stayed loyal to San Diego.
I shouldn't have to explain this to you Cali boy.

That loyalty plus five bucks will get you a decent cup of coffee.

[Katipan]

You don't have the IQ or CP longevity to address me.

[ThrobProng]

Originally Posted by Katipan

You don't have the IQ or CP longevity to address me.

Of course I do. Lol

[RealSNR]

Did we build this piece of shit yet?

[srvy]

Originally Posted by nychief

Um. Eat my ass. My family has been in KC since it's founding for Christ's sake.
The question still stands, how much money and civic recognition do these business bring to the city and region? I'd like some numbers, but assume it is substantial.

Anyway, I love all the associate degree libertarians that come out of the woodwork for a ****ing extension of a 15 year old 5/8th a cent tax.

Well have your family come in and post the question. We don't have time for quitters.

As for the ass eating well keep those proclivities to yourself. I have high confidence your desires can be filled by a step outside in the NYC streets.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by Mecca

It's build stuff for the rich fans, renovation.

LOL...

[dlphg9]

I'd because yes vote, but the lack of transparency from Sherman is extremely annoying. The guy has had this planned from the moment he bought the team almost 5 years ago, but he still is being vague as hell about everything and it seems like he has no idea where he wants to actually put the thing.