Mayor Quinton Lucas is expected to introduce a proposal before the City Council on Thursday to bring the Royals downtown with a ballpark at the site of Washington Square Park, according to several reports, including a story at the Star. The idea has been considered since voters rejected a ballpark vote for a Crossroads location in 2024.
The proposed ordinance would direct the city manager to negotiate a 30-year lease for a ballpark that would be scheduled to open in 2030, a year before the current
lease at Kauffman Stadium is set to expire. The total cost of the project would be $1.9 billion, with the city providing $600 million in funding, derived from bonds, city appropriations, and Tax Increment Financing (TIF), where tax revenues generated from the project are funneled back into the financing. The state of Missouri and Jackson County could also provide funding for the project, although their share is unclear. The proposal would not require a public vote, and would next head to the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners for approval. The Royals have yet to announce public support for the proposal.
The Washington Square Park proposal would place a ballpark between Main Street and Grand Boulevard in Kansas City, just north of Pershing Road. Union Station sits to the west and Crown Center sits to the south. This location would not require demolition of many buildings or relocation of many existing business, which was part of the objection to the earlier Crossroads proposal. The city estimates there are 19,000 parking spots within a 10-minute walk of the location.
Last month, owner John Sherman said the team was still looking at ballpark sites in North Kansas City and Kansas, although a proposal at the Aspiria Campus in Overland Park is off the table.
