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."

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Leaving downtown is sure going to be fun on Royals game nights.

Downtown is a shit hole...to be fair everywhere in the US

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Enjoyed the suburbanite and boomer comments on FB yesterday... traffic and congestion nightmares, one way streets, cats and dogs living together, won't ever attend another game ever!!!

Hell, it took me an hour and a half to get out of WS game 7 in 2014 and at least an hour to get out of the 2021 AFCCG.... downtown won't be any worse than that.

The one hope though is managing the flow of people and vehicle traffic... Sprint Center events have been annoying in the past because they funnel everyone right in front of the parking garages where no one can leave due to all the foot traffic. Just a little bit of thought towards managing that and traffic lights and so forth would go a long way.

Nothing will ever top how people who live in KC are obsessed with parking and never leaving the suburbs.

[bdj23]

Originally Posted by New World Order

Leaving downtown is sure going to be fun on Royals game nights.

It took me over an hr to get out of the parking lot at Kauffman stadium the last Royals game i went to. Truman is a mess on gamedays. It just dissipates quickly once you get on the highways.

[Bearcat]

It's not like they tore down the original Gates BBQ to build the arena and P&L... what was there before, Temptations?

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

It's not like they tore down the original Gates BBQ to build the arena and P&L... what was there before, Temptations?

But dude if you leave the northland and go downtown you'll die, I've literally heard this by the way.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Pasta Little Brioni

Downtown is a shit hole...to be fair everywhere in the US

I have no idea what you're talking about unless by 'shithole' you mean corporate chain restaurants and bars in the P and L.

The business district part of downtown is your normal stuff.

This stadium going in south of I-70 will be destroying a very hip, happening arts/music/brewery/restaurant district full of life. Nothing shitty about it.

[ChiefsCountry]

All the parade coverage has been right where the stadium will be.

[Katipan]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

I have no idea what you're talking about unless by 'shithole' you mean corporate chain restaurants and bars in the P and L.

The business district part of downtown is your normal stuff.

This stadium going in south of I-70 will be destroying a very hip, happening arts/music/brewery/restaurant district full of life. Nothing shitty about it.

We have that same neighborhood 1 block from Coors.

[Mecca]

TEMPTATIONS IS SAFE! https://t.co/DhjOA9RvlT

— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) February 13, 2024

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

It's not like they tore down the original Gates BBQ to build the arena and P&L... what was there before, Temptations?

There was nothing there north of I-70 then. I had no problem with the arena, other than the tax abatements and corporate chain restaurants and bars that have nothing to do with KC dominating everything and funnelling all of the money out of the city. It stands as a huge missed opportunity.

This plan has all of the same actors, with the added goat**** of destroying a KC success story to replace it with another round of tax abatements and corporate chain bullshit funnelling the money out of the city again.

This isn't progress, it's a grift.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

There was nothing there north of I-70 then. I had no problem with the arena, other than the tax abatements and corporate chain restaurants and bars that have nothing to do with KC dominating everything and funnelling all of the money out of the city. It stands as a huge missed opportunity.

This plan has all of the same actors, with the added goat**** of destroying a KC success story to replace it with another round of tax abatements and corporate chain bullshit funnelling the money out of the city again.

This isn't progress, it's a grift.

Giving a billionaire, billions of tax money to build a stadium to turn profit off of is also a grift, in case you missed the entire building of stadiums is a grift.

[KCUnited]

Originally Posted by Mecca

TEMPTATIONS IS SAFE! https://t.co/DhjOA9RvlT

— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) February 13, 2024

Cigar Box would hurt

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

This stadium going in south of I-70 will be destroying a very hip, happening arts/music/brewery/restaurant district full of life. Nothing shitty about it.

I see the one block of Grand where there's Cigar Box, a Ramen place, Kobe Q, Prime Bar... am I missing anything?

Yeah, it would suck if they replaced The Belfry with some generic place, or a few other places... but not seeing much in the construction zone between Grand and Locust and 17th and to the north.

I'd love walking from Taps on Main or Oak and Steel to a game or having a beer after (and not being local, then walking to a hotel for the night)... huge, massive improvement over the K in that regard.

[Chris Meck]

The Record Bar, on the opposite side, The Brick. My good friends own The Pairing, as well.

It's important to realize as well that even if they don't tear your location down, you will be out of commission during building if you are on the edge, and after the stadium is complete, and you don't own the building the business is in, the rent will go through the roof and you'll simply be priced out to be replaced by a chain that can absorb the cost.

[DJJasonp]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

When San Diego decided to build Petco Park in downtown people had the same concerns some of you are complaining about.

However, the stadium did wonders to revitalize an aged, ugly portion of downtown San Diego and that area has thrived since. We have public transportation (trolley) as well as a number of parking lots/structures that help alleviate the congestion issue. Also helps that there's multiple freeway entrances near by.

yep.

Anyone who's ever been afraid of a downtown park should visit Petco.

Easy in/easy out. unlimited food and drink options within walking distance.

It's perfect.

And c'mon man....."but I tailgate at baseball games....". Really?