The Kansas City Royals announced in a press conference on Wednesday their intention to build a stadium at Crown Center, in a partnership with Hallmark that will transform both the business complex and the surrounding neighborhoods.
One week prior, when Kansas City Council voted on a $600 million bond proposal, some council members were only just learning that the stadium location had shifted away from Washington Square Park — a spot that had long been touted after the Royals’ failed countywide sales tax extension vote in 2024.
Councilman Johnathan Duncan, who represents Kansas City’s 6th District, said the lack of transparency from the Royals ownership group is “irresponsible and reckless.”
“It sows distrust among our stakeholders, our residents, about how this deal is being done and why they don't have a chance to have a say,” Duncan told KCUR’s Up To Date.
Fourth District-at-Large Councilman Crispin Rea said he abstained from voting on the funding ordinance due to unconfirmed information about the exact site location. But now, Rea said he agrees with the choice of Crown Center.
“I think we have a lot of questions about the infrastructure costs, logistical issues, since it is a slight deviation from where we were located before,” Rea said. “But overall, I think that general area is a great location for downtown baseball, and I'm excited about it.”
Groundbreaking is projected to begin in 2027, but many details must be worked through in order to finalize the deal — including an agreement to build a Tax Increment Financing district, development plans and other ordinances that must be approved by city council.
Royals owner John Sherman has repeatedly expressed his desire for a downtown ballpark since purchasing the team in 2019. He said the stadium will anchor a $3 billion mixed-use development spread across 85 acres.
Baseball has a long history of being played in an urban setting, integrated into the very fabric of neighborhoods, according to Paul Goldberger, author of “Ballpark: Baseball in the American City.”
“It's all about weaving the ballpark into the city, and if there's not enough city around it you build a little more,” Goldberger said.
In Kansas City, professional baseball’s roots took shape at 22nd and Brooklyn Avenue, the site where the Kansas City Blues and Monarchs played.
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, said it only makes sense to bring baseball back to the core of the city.
He said the walkable experience of a stadium within the heart of the city fosters growth.
“I think collectively, we have an opportunity to leave a legacy,” Kendrick said. “At my age, this stadium is not for me. This stadium is for the generation of Royals’ fans to come.”
- Crispin Rea, councilman, 4th District-at-Large
- Johnathan Duncan, councilman, 6th District
- Josh Merchant, local government reporter, The Beacon
- Paul Goldberger, architectural critic and author, “Ballpark: Baseball in the American City”
- Bob Kendrick, president, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
