Change will occur in Kansas City.
The Kansas City Royals declared their plan to move to a new stadium after 50 years of playing at the renowned Kauffman Stadium.
John Sherman, the team’s major owner, informed the fanbase in an open letter about the team’s continuous search for venues throughout Kansas City.
“We are thrilled to announce that we are currently considering a number of prominent locations in and around downtown Kansas City,” Sherman added.
Sherman discussed the possibility of rehabilitating Kauffman Stadium, but the ballpark would require a comprehensive facelift that would be significantly more expensive than constructing a new ballpark.
Kauffman Stadium is the sixth-oldest stadium in Major League Baseball and was last renovated in 2009.
A conceptual illustration depicting the future stadium surrounded by the ballpark district.
Kansas City Royals
It is expected that the new project will cost $2 billion, making it the most costly private-public development project in the city’s history. Sherman stated the new enterprise will generate $60 million in additional tax revenue and would not increase taxes for Jackson County residents.
In addition to the stadium, Sherman stated that a “ballpark district” will be developed to give spectators a “revitalized” environment.
“We envisage local restaurants and stores, office spaces, hotels, and a variety of housing alternatives that are accessible to all Kansas Citians,” Sherman said, adding that additional public transportation options would be developed for the area.
The concept of encircling a new stadium with a modern neighborhood is not new, but it has been increasingly popular in recent years, as evidenced by Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park, Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field, and Queens’ Willets Point’s proposed new NYCFC stadium.
Artist renderings depict the ballpark, which incorporates elements from Kauffman Stadium, such as an overhang over the top of the grandstand, the popular outfield water fountain, and a crown on top of the scoreboard, which has been relocated to left field. There are numerous grassy seating places and tall buildings visible in the outfield.
The rebuilt stadium will have an overhang and an outfield water fountain similar to that at the 2019 photograph of Kauffman Stadium.
Icon Sportswire with the assistance of Getty Images
The construction of the new stadium, according to the open letter, would generate 200,000 new employment, $1.4 billion in labor income, and $2.8 billion in total economic production.
The Harry S. Truman Sports Complex consists of Kauffman Stadium and GOHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The facility is located around 12 kilometers southeast of downtown Kansas City, and public transportation to the stadium could take up to an hour.
John Sherman, who assumed ownership of the Royals in 2019, has made it his mission to retain the team in Kansas City.
Getty Pictures
After the Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics announced interest in leaving their present aging ballparks, the Kansas City Royals became the third big league team to be actively exploring for a new home.
Before the Royals’ contract at Kauffman stadium expires in 2030, there is still more work to be done on the new ballpark and surrounding development district, including finalizing the site, design, and approval from Jackson County and the state of Missouri.