Royals hold public meetings Tuesday & Wednesday about downtown ballpark

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Kansas City Royals have released their intentions of constructing a $2 billion stadium and ballpark district for a future home.

On Dec. 13, the club hosted an initial meeting Dec. 13 in Westport to give community members an opportunity to address their thoughts and concerns on the project.

The Royals will host at least two more public community meetings giving residents in other parts of the city a chance to have their voices heard. They will be held:

• Tuesday from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Urban Youth Academy (1622 E 17th Terrace, Kansas City, Mo.)
• Wednesday from 5:30-7 p.m. at The Midwest Genealogy Center Community Hall (3440 South Lee’s Summit, Independence, Mo.)

Speakers will include Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman, Royals COO/SVP Brooks Sherman, Royals SVP/Chief Revenue & Innovation Officer Sarah Tourville and representatives from the Kansas City-based architectural firm Populous.

The current lease between the Royals and Jackson County is over in 2030, at which point Kauffman Stadium will be nearly 60 years old. The stadium most recently received a renovation in 2009, but still, “The K” 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 has 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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