Royals hold community event regarding planned move downtown

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - On Tuesday night, the Royals brass made their case for a $2 billion move.

For the first time, Owner John Sherman is talking about the price tag. There were no specific dollar amounts mentioned, but he did say: “This is a public-private partnership, and our ownership group is going to be the substantial investor in this project.”

The team is still looking for the exact location where the new ballpark district will go.

KCTV5′s Neal Jones was at the first town hall on Tuesday night. He takes a closer look at the details in the video above.

Previous coverage is below.

The Kansas City Royals organization is asking for the community’s input Tuesday night about moving Kauffman Stadium downtown.

Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman cites renovation and upkeep of Kauffman as a contributing factor to the planned move, but still wants to hear what the metro community thinks about it all.

The Community Listening Tour event is at the Plexpod Medallion Theater at 300 E. 39th St., Kansas City, MO, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The organizers are asking people to fill out a form before attending.

Sherman will be in attendance and will be joined by Royals COO Brooks Sherman, architectural firm representatives, and economic development consultants. The meeting will include presentations and a chance for the public to ask questions.

Back to the Stadium

The concrete is still set after 50 years as the home of the Royals. The current lease between the Royals and Jackson County is over in 2030, at which point the ballpark will be nearly 60 years old. The stadium most recently received a renovation in 2009, but still, Kauffman Stadium is currently the sixth-oldest ballpark used by a major league baseball team. Only Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, and the Oakland Coliseum have been in use longer.

The club doesn’t have a timetable for a move, but what we do know is 14 former MLB stadiums have been in use for less time than the 50 years the Royals have played at the Truman Sports Complex.

Price Tag

John Sherman said the organization is hoping to move forward with a process that would result in the largest public-private development project in Kansas City history, with a move in or around downtown.

“A new home would be a far better investment, both for local taxpayer dollars already supporting our facility and for the Kansas City community,” Sherman said.

The stadium development is currently envisioned to require a $2 billion price tag.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said parking, a major concern for many locally, was the least of his concerns.

Lucas compared the situation to St. Louis and other cities with that landscape of a stadium downtown, and said, “It’s not something that we’re scared of. However, it is something that we want to say makes financial sense, makes good geographic sense for the people of Kansas City in this region. And, more than anything, of course, makes sense to keep the Royals and the Chiefs in Kansas City.”

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