The Royals have spent a few years trying to secure public funding towards a new stadium. Those efforts seem closer to reality. Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas announced this afternoon that his office has proposed an ordinance towards a $1.9 billion investment plan for a new stadium and surrounding infrastructure in the Washington Square Park area in downtown Kansas City. Sam McDowell and Kacen Bayless of The Kansas City Star first reported the news in a column which those in the area will want to read in full.
The proposal would authorize roughly $600MM in city funding towards the project. That’s independent of whatever money would come from the state. Last summer, Missouri passed a law that allows the state to fund up to 50% of major stadium construction projects.
That was geared not only towards the Royals but also the NFL’s Chiefs, who have sought a move out of Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs ultimately found what they consider a better deal with Kansas lawmakers. They announced in December they’ll proceed with plans to move over the state border in 2031 on a $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas.
Today’s news makes it seem there’s a decent chance the Royals will remain in Kansas City, Missouri. However, this is not any kind of binding arrangement. It’d still need approval from the City Council, to say nothing of an agreement from the Royals themselves.
The idea would be for the Royals to commit to a 30-year lease beginning in 2030. The team’s lease at Kauffman Stadium runs through 2030, but the mayor’s office evidently hopes to have the new stadium ready for play a year in advance. He told reporters this evening the hope is for construction to begin early in 2027.
The team has not formally weighed in on the terms. Owner John Sherman has generally voiced support for a downtown ballpark. The mayor tells The K.C. Star that this proposal was the result of “hours and hours of extensive discussion” with the team. Even if the Royals are on board with the city’s plans, the state’s contributions would still need to be sorted out. Notably, this proposal does not include plans for a public vote. In April 2024, Jackson County voters shot down a sales tax measure to fund Royals/Chiefs stadium projects via referendum.
The Royals have played at Kauffman Stadium since 1973. It’s the fifth-oldest active venue in MLB behind Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, and Angel Stadium.
Does anyone want to see Kauffman stadium razed?
Should taxpayers fund a new stadium where the only benefits are to be in a better location and have a few more jobs?
If this goes through I better make sure to see Kauffman’s fountains before it comes down
They better implement the fountains in the new park. That’s one of the reasons why Kaufman Stadium is so iconic n
From what I’ve read they do plan to bring the fountains with them.
And the Crown scoreboard in some form or fashion.
I don’t know if it’s really worth it to remake Kauffman and implement fountains and the crown scoreboard there
Look at how bad new Yankee stadium is when they tried to copy compared to giving a ballpark it’s own identity
The new NYY stadium is 10x better than the old one. The history in the old park was irreplaceable for BB fans. The park itself was beyond dismal. The new park is like the Roman Colisseum.
I’m good with never replacing Fenway 😉
Aesthetically Kauffman is one of my all-time favorites. However, there’s literally nothing around it but endless parking lots.
Agree. I’ve been to 19 stadiums and Kaufman is a favorite. And their last renovations made it even better.
Doesn’t have to be – there’s all the space required to create a jointly beneficial Chiefs-Royals party destination. Thirty years ago no one wanted to drive to Cobb County but now it’s Braves town…
I don’t particularly care about the Royals but I like their ballpark and would be sad to see it go.
100%
Been there twice. Very nice park and atmosphere!
In this economy?
The K is beautiful. There’s no need.
John Sherman primary owner of the Royals net worth is over 1.6 billion dollars. Let him pay for the new stadium. Why does the city taxpayers have to pay for it?
Many public funded stadium deals are bad for residents, but some and in particular, more recent deals that been good for the city.
You’d need to know a lot more details to know which this will be. For example, if it revitalizes an area of decline and brings in outside money by being a destination venue, it could be great. Perhaps it’ll host year round events?
But no magic idea will make this a win in year 1.
Typically cities make more revenue when they are involved in paying the bills because they have greater influence on choices.
Sometimes that choice is “we have to pay so the team doesn’t move and we lose that revenue stream”.
Time will tell how that works out for Oakland.
Yep – the Battery in ATL (or Marrieta, as it may be) is everyone’s image of the perfect ballpark surroundings, now.
Mall-like and not in the city. Yeah not everyone’s image of the perfect ballpark surroundings, just a very particular group.
You mean stores people walk past to get into the stadium; ie more places for people to spend money isn’t good for everyone? The current K is in the middle of parking lots. No competition on where to buy food or souvenirs. Just park and walk to the game. Then the area is empty minus the 81 home games plus ~8 for the chiefs at least temporarily.
Yeah, I love the K, but the area around it won’t make me visit on an off day. The Battery in Atlanta or Camden in Baltimore are still bustling on winter days. Not bad for what used to be avoided areas of the city. (Baltimore was an old train yard; not much commerce going on without that publicly funded stadium.).
Again, I’m not saying it’s going to work out, just that it could be huge for the city/state and maybe make up for the loss of the chiefs. (Yes they are staying close, but different state means different entity getting the tax revenue.)
Damn hard to get to if you’re in south Atlanta…
Leo – an analysis of where braves season ticket holders were located, and, most attendees, showed south Atlanta was NOT their market.
But getting out of that third-world setting, where the county authority promised for decades revitalization but never did a thing, all while refusing to sell the parking lots to the Braves so they could do something to that area…
Yep, the Battery moving northward was a smart decision
What a great statement Mr. John Sherman!
The Royals owner is in the building!
Taxes, taxes, and more taxes. Go to a game and look at the taxes on every item you purchase. Then multiply that number by 2,000,000 or so. Then multiple that by 30 years. LMK if it is a penny less than $600M/
I’ve been to over 30 ball parks, some that no longer exist. I can say with conviction that Kauffman Stadium is still easily in my top 5. This is shameful.
This stadium was on my baseball stadium bucket list. Got to go last year and it exceeded my expectations. Great place to watch a game.
The best ballpark for wheelchair access for any sport that I’ve been to.
That’s awesome to hear.
Median income in KC, MO: $69,000
John Sherman’s estimated net worth: $1-1.5B
Clark Hunt’s estimated net worth: $2B
Subsidized healthcare: No thanks.
Subsidized billionaires: Yes please.
Which means that Sherman, Hunt and the players pay significantly more in taxes than most of the taxpayers. In addition, players (visiting included) pay a 1% earnings tax to the city.
so that’s the excuse for welfare for billionaires? Public funds for stadiums always end up screwing the the municipality not the oter weay around.
Olympics and World Cup have entered the chat.
So they get a prize? Explain why. It’s also necessarily untrue that they even pay that much. Let’s open their books and find out.
So they need to schedule the Dodgers more.
Wow proof the rich really depend on useful idiots
Corporate Welfare State
Wow proof sarcasm goes over some peoples’heads.
What’s the tax on net worth? I’ll concede they have more tax write-off’s than the rest of the city combined, though.
*write-offs, not write-off’s
An apostrophe makes a word possessive, not plural.
State & federal reserves essentially broken, economy in the toilet; creating jobs during tough times makes a lot of sense but not if it ends up enriching millionaires & billionaires… Just revitalize the area around the K…
If not for rich people creating opportunity, there would be no new jobs. They carry the risk. Please tell me More about how they should not reap the benefits of their labor. Just because someone is wealthy does not mean they are inherently greedy or a bad person. Stop judging them simply because you aren’t rich like they are. You do not have a right to their money or labor.
Don’t do it Royals! Stick with the K!
I think that is the one option that is NOT on the menu.
From the looks of things I’d say you’re correct.
Why is there always taxpayer money and related goodies for the uber-wealthy? Cops, firemen, sanitation, schools, libraries, parks, etc.etc. are constantly under threat…but this?
The police have plenty of funding, pal.
So do Indoctrination Centers. I mean “schools.”
I visited Kauffman in 2024, Reds swept them so I have fond memories. Park was very nice and well kept. It is located away from everything but arrowhead which I believe is moving. We are seeing the Reds play in park number 30 next week in Minnesota.
New downtown park would be a big revenue generator for the team and downtown.
As for who pays for it, that is well established. If you want to keep your team, pony up.
nothing like corporate welfare for billionaires.
Yes, it’s always a “Great Society” for the billionaires.
Stop giving billionaires charity
Lost the Rams. Chiefs moving across the river. I don’t know that Cardinals would have been able to be relocated without riots, but they got their stadium and ballpark village nearly 20 years ago now. Revitalizing the area around a new stadium for profitability makes sense from a political and business standpoint, but I like Kauffman Stadium and honestly it is kind of nice being able to get there without dealing with downtown in my opinion. It’s about the money though. My question is if a new stadium will actually put more butts in the seats. I mean the payroll has been up a little since the Witt contract, but prior to it the team has been in the bottom ten teams in the league. Is a new stadium going to improve the product on the field??? Maybe, but doubtful….
Is it just coincidence that since Cards got the keys to build their all-encompassing compound, downtown St Loo is a hellscape? Family restaurants that thrived for decades gone, streetscape of boarded up buildings…
I liked the Cardinals HOF and Museum, but the rest was a shame. The area around ballpark village feels pretty safe most of the time, but I didn’t ever really feel all too welcome walking south of the stadium. I haven’t been to that ballpark for about a decade though. It is much easier to get to a game in Springfield from where I live if I want to watch some live baseball.
@leo
A lot of those buildings you speak of are abandoned and marked historic which makes them a pita to revitalize because of our rules regarding historic buildings make it to expensive for a lot of investors to want and do anything with them. So instead they sit empty and rot.
*too expensive
When will we say enough is enough? We’re borrowing from our grandchildren to pay for our luxuries today! I really regret what we’re leaving for future generations to pay for in America!
50% of the voters will vote to get more benefits and 50% will vote for lower taxes. Try running for office on a platform of modestly higher taxes and modestly lower benefits, and the only votes you’ll get is mine and yours.
Royals turn to the rockies with a downtown stadium and people will quit going. People in KC like to drive and there won’t be enough parking and it’ll cost way more with a downtown stadium. There was a shooting at the Chiefs superbowl parade just a few years ago so let’s put the baseball team downtown now too! Several blocks isn’t far enough away from that. Idiotic.
While I despise politics on this site, I do believe this falls into a relevant category. These stadium projects always promise job creation and benefits but most economists who aren’t paid to say these things end up showing the projects harm cities more than help. I agree with all he comments. These billionaire owners want new playgrounds for themselves then they should build them themselves.
I’m just speaking from a NY perspective.
1-They say the public cost was about $1.2B. I don’t know what portion of that as a result of issuing tax-free bonds. i wouldn’t include that, since that doesn’t come out of the government’s pocket. But call it $1.2B for discussion purposes.
2-The NYY generate $400M in ticket and suite sales. NYC and NYS have a 8.875% share of that $400M. That’s $32.6M. Call merchandise sales an even $100M to make it easy on me. That’s another $8.2M in taxes. Add another $1.2M in garage taxes. Now we’re up to $42M.
3-When the Blue Jays plays a series in NY, ~ $13.8M of their annual payroll is subject to NYS and NYS taxes. That might be $1.0M per team on average.
4-Yankee Stadium has 2,500 full-time equivalent employees. Probably mostly lower-paid employees, but my guess is another $3M or so.
I see no way way that the NYC and NYS government are taking in a dime less $60M in taxes.
I can’t remember off the top right now. I think it was Kaufman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium that my Dad and uncle installed stainless steel railings throughout the stadium. They also installed the stainless steel kitchen equipment at Arrowhead Stadium. I am about 50/50 they did railings or part of them at the K.
I’ve yet to go to Kaufman or Arrowhead Stadium. Kaufman Stadium is on my bucket list for sure.
You gotta go, if for no other reason than to check out the railings!
Wait, I thought people hated billionaires. Oh, they’ll build a baseball park that you’ll never go to. That taxpayers pay . You’re happy. Aesop fable about the area around the stadium Orlando Magic opened their new arena. There were 15 stores across the street from it. You were not allowed to bring anything in from the stores to the game. Every store went out of business within two years because people don’t come down there when there’s not a game plus you can’t take anything into the stadium from those stores because you gotta buy the stadium concessions. .
11 new minor league stadiums, they all are pretty cool and are being put together for 75M to 150M.
Wilson Warbirds attached a hotel property to their stadium, fans can watch the game from their hotel suites. 70M for the ballpark around 200M for a mixed use development that includes the hotel.
Only 4000 capacity but thats a cool ballpark in that town.
1.9B for a stadium in KC. Id stick with Kaufman Stadium.
I personally think the new mega stadiums arent worth the money as a fan, ticket prices will go up, the ball game is what you came to see not the crazy LCD displays and all the nonsense.
Fans, in the end, will abandon big stadiums and will seek out these smaller ballparks for a better game experience.
Football may thrive at Jerry World but baseball thrives at Fenway and Wrigley and these stadiums are 100 years old.
When you go to a major league game you just get bombarded with bad music, and half the people there just want to see their faces shown up on the big screen. Haven’t been in years and don’t miss it at all. It is a bunch of nonsense, I agree.
I agree, I dont like the music either. Thunderstruck by AC/DC, and then its the Baby Shark, and then they hit you with some hip hop jive, its bewildering.
I’ve been to the part of KC with the proposed location. It seems like a very small space to fit a MLB stadium. One of the dimensions will have to be very short, or there will be Fenway/Wrigley style home runs bombarding the streets. Any KC residents have an opinion on that?
Making it a man made bay with people in boats going after the homeruns around the stadium to copy the Giants would be a better idea than a downtown KC stadium. The only reason it’s going to happen is tax $ and because the Chiefs are already gone to Kansas. Missouri has lost all NFL revenue and will bow down to whatever the Royals want just to keep them now.