Bobby Witt Jr. hopes to lead Royals into bright future: ‘Home from day one’
13 February 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals plan to move to the Crossroads District, team leaders announced Tuesday as they released new renderings.
The Royals’ proposed $2 billion ballpark district is bordered by Grand Boulevard to the west, Locust Street to the east, Truman Road to the north, and 17th Street to the south.
The Royals announced a new proposed downtown Kansas City baseball park site on February 13, 2024.
At the center of the new ballpark district is the Kansas City Star Press Pavilion property, along Interstate 670. It appears the Star building would be demolished to build the stadium.
The stadium will be located next to the new South Loop Link park over I-670 and then across from the T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City.
Part of the Royals’ plans calls for extending the South Loop Link further east than originally planned to accommodate for the new ballpark. The team would also add a pedestrian bridge that directly connects the T-Mobile Center and the stadium.
The $2 billion ballpark district would include team offices, a conference center, corporate offices, a hotel, and residential and entertainment venue space. The project would also call for improvements to Grand Boulevard, according to the team.
The Royals said they do not have any plans for additional parking at the new ballpark, arguing there is enough in the area already.
It’s a big shift from the last time the team shared project renderings.
Back in August, sites in the East Village of downtown Kansas City and North Kansas City were considered the two finalists for the new stadium.
But last fall, the owner of the Kansas City Star Press Pavilion said his property had reemerged as a contender. Tony Privitera, executive vice president of Mark One Electric Co., has since released several renderings of what a new Royals ballpark could look like.
Even the city of Independence made a late pitch last week, hoping to land the new stadium. City leaders said they would put the ballpark at the for-sale Independence Center site, but representatives for the mall said they’re looking at other redevelopment plans.
But the Kansas City Business Journal reported the Crossroads District became the Royals’ new preferred location in recent months.
Up next, Jackson County residents will soon get to vote on continuing the 3/8th-cent sales tax that goes to the Kansas City Royals and Kansas City Chiefs’ stadium projects for another 40 years.
The Royals want to use that revenue to build their new $1 billion stadium in Kansas City. Team owners have also committed a $1 billion private investment to help support the entertainment district surrounding the stadium.
The Royals even started a campaign committee last week dedicated to promoting the stadium tax ballot question. Days later, they donated $500,000 to their own cause, according to a filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium, though they haven’t detailed what those renovations would entail.
Last month, the county legislature voted to put the sales tax question on the April 2 ballot, overriding County Executive Frank White’s veto.
White released a statement Tuesday, calling for more clarity and transparency before the April election, saying in part:
“For months, we’ve stressed the importance of selecting a site to move forward effectively with negotiations and to provide a clear basis for the proposal before it goes to the voters,” White said. “I am pleased that the Royals have taken this significant step. It is a decision that marks progress in our journey towards a resolution that will shape the future of our county.”
“The time for broad overviews has passed,” he said. “As this issue heads to the ballot, it is crucial for all parties involved to commit to a dialogue that leaves no question unanswered, and no detail obscured. This is a monumental decision for Jackson County, involving an investment of over $2 billion by our taxpayers. They deserve to understand every aspect of what this entails.”
“We must all dedicate ourselves to an open and honest discussion,” White said. “The voters of Jackson County are owed a complete accounting of the economic impacts, the financial commitments required from them and how this stadium will benefit the community at large.”