The Kansas City Royals and Hallmark Cards will move forward with rezoning of Crown Center for a future 85-acre Royals ballpark district.
The Kansas City Plan Commission included two conditions, asking the team to maintain the same parking arrangements for the residents of San Francisco Tower, as well as a visual noise and light study, which would be available to the public.
Commissioner Matt Hasek said Kansas City could benefit from the future mixed-use entertainment district with a stadium that is more connected to the neighborhood.
“The southern portion of Crown Center has had a lack of activation for many years,” Hasek said. “This has the potential to sort of bring the success of the northern half of Crown Center into the southern half.”
Brooks Sherman, Royals president for real estate and development, said the stadium construction and the redevelopment of Crown Center would occur at the same time. Future redevelopment plans will include renovating current buildings around Crown Center, creating new commercial structures and a large apartment complex.
The Kansas City Business Journal reported that the plan could add building space to Crown Center from 9.1 million to 12.6 million square feet, but final numbers are subject to change.
While Commissioner Tyler Enders echoed support, he also hopes for stronger communication between the developers and the residents who live in and around Crown Center.
“I feel as though this project is a huge win for Kansas City, for this area, for this neighborhood, for the community, for the region,” Enders said. “The one thing that I really want to see that would make this even easier would be fantastic communication.”
Community response
City staff told the commissioners that the plan received 63 letters of support and eight letters in opposition to the project.
Residents who expressed their disapproval with the project believe the motion was rushed, and the proposal fails to answer how lighting and noise from the stadium will affect residential quality of life.
“Imagine what that means for us living there. And the reality is, yes, you do have to imagine because there’s no photometric study submitted, there’s no lighting plan,” said San Francisco Tower resident David Byrn, who would be surrounded by the rezoning area. “If we’re going to build a project of this magnitude, shouldn’t we get it right for our residents and our city?”
Ben Lindner, president of the San Francisco Tower Association, said that while he fully supports revitalizing Crown Center and the downtown ballpark, he didn’t see the plan moving forward without proper communication on parking access.
“The way the questions have been answered, unfortunately, I think we have to go completely toward opposition at this point,” Lindner said.
Local business leaders and labor unions said that the project would create more jobs and serve as a long-term investment in the city.
“This will create more opportunities for our apprentices,” said Ralph Oropeza of the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council. “We are pleading with this commission for the passage of the rezoning so that we can build a momentous, once-in-a-lifetime creation.”
The Kansas City Star also reported that the Ronald McDonald House and Children’s Mercy Hospital filed letters in support of the rezoning proposal.
“The goal is not to choose between progress and access. It is to ensure we achieve both,” Alejandro Quiroga, president and CEO of Children’s Mercy, wrote. “A new Royals stadium has the potential to serve as more than a venue for baseball. If planned thoughtfully and implemented responsibly, it can contribute to a stronger future for residents, businesses, visitors and families alike.”
Planning officials said that the zoning request would be the first step in the redevelopment process. Future plans will still require administrative city approval as officials continue to flesh out the details.
