KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals intend to build their new downtown stadium blocks away from the T-Mobile Center and Power & Light District, ruling out two concepts elsewhere in the city for a location that brings the stadium closer to existing entertainment. areas.
The Royals unveiled plans for the $2 billion-plus stadium project Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium, two days after the Kansas City Chiefs, whose Arrowhead stadium shares the Truman Complex with their existing stadium, won their third Super Bowl in the last five years. and a day before the city celebrates another Lombardi Trophy with a parade in the center.
“This is going to be amazing!!! I can't wait!” Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes wrote on X in response to renderings of the Royals' new stadium.
Wednesday's parade route travels along Grand Avenue to Union Station, or directly past the location of the new stadium.
“We are the second-smallest city with an NFL franchise and a Major League Baseball club,” said Royals owner John Sherman, “and we want to sustain ourselves as a Major League city. We want these franchises prosper here for another 50 years. years.”
The new stadium, located in “the heart of Kansas City,” according to a team post . season. The final design is still in development, but renderings shown Tuesday paid homage to the K's sloping roof lines and iconic center field fountains.
We are excited to share our vision for the future of Royals baseball in the heart of Kansas City. pic.twitter.com/1t2Wcumyoa
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 13, 2024
“The stadium will have a great sense of intimacy,” Sherman said.
Kansas City began playing at Municipal Stadium in 1969, then moved to Kauffman Stadium in 1973 and extensively renovated the current stadium between 2009 and 2012.
The Royals unveiled two other locations last fall, one on the east end of downtown and the other across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri. Both were met with a lukewarm 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 stadium. .
The Royals' ownership group plans to invest more than $1 billion in private funds for the project, but some of the money will come from the 3/8 cent tax, which will also provide funds the Chiefs plan to use to renovate Arrowhead Stadium. .
“I know I'm biased here,” Sherman said, “but between what the Chiefs can do here with an expanded tailgate experience and what we do there, we'll have two of the best pre- and post-game experiences anywhere.” 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 see Jackson County Executive Frank White five-time All -Star and member of the Hall of Royalty. Fame: veto the measure. Last month, two lawmakers changed their votes and joined five others in overriding the veto.
That not only put the tax extension on the ballot, but also put the onus on the Royals to reveal exactly what voters will pay.
The new stadium would be located off Interstate 670, where the former Kansas City Star printing plant building sits largely empty, and would unite several disparate neighborhoods into a more cohesive downtown environment.
Just to the north, where new parks would cover the interstate and allow for safe foot traffic, is Power & Light, home to many existing bars and restaurants. To the south lies the Crossroads Art District, a modern 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 like Arthur Bryant's Barbeque.
“The fact of the matter is, we've always been aware of this site. It never went away,” said Earl Santee, founder of Kansas City-based sports architecture giant Populous. “We looked at other sites over time, and this is my 23rd major league stadium, and it's timing that gets you to the end, and this is the right time for this site.”
Santee compared the 17.3-acre site to downtown stadiums built in Denver, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. There are around 20 landowners in the area and the Royals will have to negotiate with each of them to purchase their parcels of land.
“Development is happening in interesting ways,” Santee said. “This will amplify the Kansas City brand.”
In fact, the Royals hope the project continues what Sherman called “a golden era” for the former Plains cattle town.
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 National Women's Soccer League's Kansas City Current will open its new purpose-built stadium next month on the north end of downtown, and Arrowhead Stadium recently hosted six games, including a quarterfinal match, from FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. organized by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“This is much more than just a new home for the Royals,” said Brooks Sherman, the Royals' president of business operations, who is not related to the team's owner. “This generational project is destined for something big.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
