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."

[Pablo]

If you don’t go watch the women’s soccer games and pay for the parking its probably because you’re sexist tbh

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Pablo

I rode the street car once. It was in winter and it was half full of homeless going from midtown to River market and back to stay out of the cold I’d imagine. Had a younger dude with military ptsd trying to tell a few of us his life story while his buddy was knocked out drunk next to him.

I’m guessing this is what happens a lot when it’s freezing or hot as hell out. Maybe they’ll start charging for it and that will change

Mecca would have shed a tear for the dude and gave him 20 bucks I’m sure

In another city where I lived the light rail was a rolling homeless shelter, especially in the winter. It's heated and has wifi, and they unofficially eliminated fares by putting the whole payment thing essentially on the honor system. The last time I rode it I saw a homeless dude just whip it out and piss right on the floor. It used to be mostly unscary at least in the day, but I quit riding it after that.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

The last time I rode it I saw a homeless dude just whip it out and piss right on the floor.

And in that moment you knew you were seeing and smelling progress.

Must have been humbling

[Katipan]

You'll get way more concerts.

[Pablo]

The soccer stadium does look cool coming across the river. So it’s got that going for it

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Pablo

And in that moment you knew you were seeing and smelling progress.

Must have been humbling

They eliminated transit cops and stopped checking tickets for reasons you'd have to discuss in over in the DC forum. Seeing people urinate in public had become common in that town, but inside a car on the train was a new one for me. Aggressive panhandlers on the trains were a problem too.

Don't get me wrong, I'd like it if KC had more transit options, but if they aren't going to keep it clean and safe people aren't going to use them.

[underEJ]

Originally Posted by Pablo

You just Uber or walk right to the stadium. It’s so simple

Hop on the street car

Or the casino can make some parking money.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by Eleazar

Don't get me wrong, I'd like it if KC had more transit options, but if they aren't going to keep it clean and safe people aren't going to use them.

They’ll be used. There’s a whole subset of urban gen z that practically vomit when they see a car per Reddit. They all busted extra fat nuts over the expansion from River market to Berkeley park. So they better use it

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by underEJ

Or the casino can make some parking money.

Maybe so. They can charge 60 to park on asphalt so that’s already a better deal

[dabergtobirden]

crossroads spot makes too much sense. way more attendance in this location. tons of extra people who might go early/stay late to hang downtown or crossroads. tons of new jobs to take care of all the additional spenders which increases tax revenues for the city. extra money made by royals increases payroll so we field competitive teams that increases attendances even further.

if people are against crossroads location, they hate our city.

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by dabergtobirden

crossroads spot makes too much sense. way more attendance in this location. tons of extra people who might go early/stay late to hang downtown or crossroads. tons of new jobs to take care of all the additional spenders which increases tax revenues for the city. extra money made by royals increases payroll so we field competitive teams that increases attendances even further.

if people are against crossroads location, they hate our city.

Your average Mayor Q voter ^^

[dabergtobirden]

you prefer locations that give our city fewer jobs and less tax revenues for city programs? why? crossroads location would undoubtedly be better overall for the city.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Pablo

Your average Mayor Q voter ^^

Gotta be fat Zach's alt

[|Zach|]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

You would really have no idea someone lived in a city of 2.5 million people listening to them complain about parking garages and traffic and one way streets... but it's a major topic of conversation if you're ever at an event downtown or even on the Plaza with people who don't often go there.

You would really think they all just drove in from BFE Kansas or someone had grabbed an uncontacted tribesmen from the Amazon and dropped them off at Times Square... but nope, live in OP and just cannot fathom getting around downtown and finding a place to park.

[KCUnited]

If I can’t back in my pickup that I’m spending 60% of my monthly household budget on and light up a grill then this just ain’t going to work for me