Royals at a “crossroads” as they propose downtown ballpark in Crossroads District

“Today we’re at a crossroads. In fact, we’re here to talk about the Crossroads,” began Royals owner John Sherman as he unveiled renderings for a proposed ballpark in the north Crossroads at the site of the former Kansas City Star printing press. The proposed development would occupy 17.3 acres and consist of a ballpark with just over 34,000 seats as well as a hotel, office space, residential apartments, and an entertainment venue.

The stadium would be situated just south of the T-Mobile Center with Truman Road to the north, 17th Street to the south, Grand on the west, and Locust on the east.

The site was eliminated as a possibility when the Royals narrowed their choices to the East Village or North Kansas City, but returned as a candidate late in the process. Owner John Sherman indicated that the ability to tie into the proposed 670 cap gave the Crossroads site the edge. The city was already preparing a $217 million project to cap the highway this year, although the Royals said they expect to expand the project. It also helped the site had existing infrastructure, such as a nearby entertainment district, several parking options in close proximity, and it was the only site that did not require major highway improvements.

The renderings include a walkway to T-Mobile Center, improvements to Grand Avenue, and a greenway east down 18th Street to connect the project to the Negro League Baseball Museum and Urban Youth Academy. The ballpark renderings include iconic Kansas City fountains, but not the Crown Vision scoreboard. The field dimensions are not yet set, although owner John Sherman indicated he liked having a pitcher’s park and building a team through speed and defense as the club has done historically. The ballpark would face northeast, as is recommended by MLB rules, to keep the sun out of a hitter’s eyes.

The team would explore selling naming rights, but could still incorporate “Kauffman” into the name. The target date for opening would be in 2028.

The current project does not include a parking garage, leaving parking a concern for many fans. Earl Santee of Populous highlighted that downtown has 40,000 parking spots, compared to just 26,000 at the Truman Sports Complex, plus public transit options.

The Royals indicated they still have to assemble the land, and according to the Kansas City Business Journal, the project covers 41 unique parcels from 23 unique owners with a value totaling $33.8 million, including Church of the Resurrection, Prime, Mama Ramen, and The Cigar Box, among others. The team was not specific about what they would do if the owners would not sell, only saying that they planned to negotiate and purchase the land themselves.

Royals Vice President Sarah Tourville also highlighted the project will include a community benefits agreement that will include local art, job creation, a prevailing wage, union workers, ticket discounts, workforce development, and community events.

The Jackson County Legislature has put forth a measure before voters in April that will ask them to extend the current 3/8 sales tax for the Chiefs and Royals set to expire in 2031 for another 40 years, with the money to be used to renovate Arrowhead Stadium and fund the new downtown ballpark for the Royals. The total cost of the ballpark would be $1 billion, with the Royals pledging to cover cost overruns. The sales tax would provide about $350 million in funding. The Royals say they will provide over $1 billion in private financing towards the project, including the costs of the non-ballpark development.