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."

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Red Dawg

Super liberal on social issues? ****ing gross.

That poster is a bot. The teams are spamming the internet trying to drum up support for their half baked plan

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Titty Meat

That poster is a bot. The teams are spamming the internet trying to drum up support for their half baked plan

If you're saying a bot is less afraid of downtown KC, one way streets, and parking garages than the average Royals fan... that does make a lot of sense.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

His high dollar ass wont have to walk through a shooting gallery to his car parked in the break in and steal your shit zone. So if you do, just watch yer 6 and walk fast

Oh, kindly shut the **** up with this bullshit.

The Power and Light and Crossroads areas aren’t anything like that. They’re not proposing people park east of Troost between 20th and 40th (which is the only area in KCMO that fits that description).

[srvy]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Aren't there only like 25k spots at TSC anyway?

That sounds about right as far as paved parking. When you add in grassy areas which are uncountable that increases some of the parking area. And there are fully paved large area bus parking that are unstriped and uncountable.

Populous Architecture said earlier that 40000 parking spaces are available within 15 minute walking distance of the proposed new site. I would imagine they walked that back some today. They already had to somewhat weeks ago. They were asked if those were available anytime spaces. They admitted no but that they are usually open in evening and on weekends lol.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Oh, kindly shut the **** up with this bullshit.

The Power and Light and Crossroads areas aren’t anything like that. They’re not proposing people park east of Troost between 20th and 40th (which is the only area in KCMO that fits that description).

You can really tell how many people never leave the burbs.

[duncan_idaho]

I’ll vote Yes. Despite being anti-billionaire and consistently voting with the folks that tend to oppose this type of effort the most.

Despite being a bigger fan of the East Village site (which would have helped further pull up that neighborhood). Still not sure what happened there (suspect the owner of the old Star printing building made the real estate purchases easier and cheaper).

The Royals aren’t staying at the current site. That option doesn’t exist. If this fails, they’ll move to a different county or different city all together.

I don’t like either idea.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I’ll vote Yes. Despite being anti-billionaire and consistently voting with the folks that tend to oppose this type of effort the most.

Despite being a bigger fan of the East Village site (which would have helped further pull up that neighborhood). Still not sure what happened there (suspect the owner of the old Star printing building made the real estate purchases easier and cheaper).

The Royals aren’t staying at the current site. That option doesn’t exist. If this fails, they’ll move to a different county or different city all together.

I don’t like either idea.

That's me, I'm not a fan of subsidizing billionaires but I also don't want to lose pro sports, it's a shit spot.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Originally Posted by Mecca

That's me, I'm not a fan of subsidizing billionaires but I also don't want to lose pro sports, it's a shit spot.

which ultimately means we end up subsidizing billionaires.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by srvy

That sounds about right as far as paved parking. When you add in grassy areas which are uncountable that increases some of the parking area. And there are fully paved large area bus parking that are unstriped and uncountable.

Populous Architecture said earlier that 40000 parking spaces are available within 15 minute walking distance of the proposed new site. I would imagine they walked that back some today. They already had to somewhat weeks ago. They were asked if those were available anytime spaces. They admitted no but that they are usually open in evening and on weekends lol.

Yeah, I know there are a ton of surface lots (whether they're available to the public or not), but that number does seem awfully high.

Seems strange they would quote a number that's so far off from what they actually need.... I mean, I know the dating scene in KC is kind of rough, but would expect some people to drive with SOs/spouses/family.

And then given the number of people terrified of downtown, there's a subset who will use the buddy system and drive together.

If the stadium seats only 35k, not sure why they just wouldn't use a realistic number for how many they need plus some.... parking won't be nearly as bad as some are saying, but needlessly lying like it's a parking lot mecca is dumb.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Giving billionaires money they don't need to build a stadium in an unsafe cesspool or lose the team? Great options....

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Fansy the Famous Bard

which ultimately means we end up subsidizing billionaires.

Yeah, it's one case where the end game may not be worth doing something on principle... sucks to be held by the balls to vote yes or else maybe lose the team, but the long game has to be considered.

One option is shitty... and the next option might be even shittier.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brioni

Giving billionaires money they don't need to build a stadium in an unsafe cesspool or lose the team? Great options....

You have to give them the money or you don't love KC. Jackson County will re-elect Mayor Q and Frank White too. They've never said no to a grifter.

[Mecca]

Still feel like the what the Chiefs want to do with that money is a total loser.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I’ll vote Yes. Despite being anti-billionaire and consistently voting with the folks that tend to oppose this type of effort the most.

Despite being a bigger fan of the East Village site (which would have helped further pull up that neighborhood). Still not sure what happened there (suspect the owner of the old Star printing building made the real estate purchases easier and cheaper).

The Royals aren’t staying at the current site. That option doesn’t exist. If this fails, they’ll move to a different county or different city all together.

I don’t like either idea.

It's all good, and that's exactly what the billionaire is going to keep doing every few years. And I totally agree that the east village was better. I just wish it was going somewhere along the river.

Oh well, these folks didn't make their billions by being being dumb.

[Bearcat]

At least Arrowhead will always be in the safe, glamorous part of the city.