Kansas City Council Approves Rezoning and Financing for New Royals Stadium Downtown
The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council has approved three ordinances crucial for the development of a new downtown stadium for the Kansas City Royals. These ordinances include rezoning the area around Crown Center for the stadium, approving two tax increment financing (TIF) districts to fund the city's $600 million commitment, and authorizing the city to issue bonds for this amount. The TIF ordinance was passed with an amendment granting the council more power over future expansions of the stadium impact area. Mayor Quinton Lucas stated that these approvals pave the way for a "transformational baseball-centered district" with protections for the public and commitments to surrounding communities. City Manager Mario Vasquez emphasized that these actions establish the city's financial participation and provide necessary local approvals for the project to proceed. The Royals plan to open the new stadium by the 2030 baseball season.
