Royals unveil plans for downtown ballpark, mixed-use development

The Royals unveiled plans Wednesday to build a $1.9B downtown K.C. ballpark as part of a $3B-plus district featuring mixed-use development in conjunction with Hallmark Cards on 85 acres at Crown Center.

Groundbreaking will occur at some point in 2027.

The project funding breakdown will be two-thirds from the Royals and private partners, and one-third from public partners via Kansas City (up to $600M) and Missouri’s Show-Me Sports Investment Act.

“Today is a day that by any definition is one that is worth the wait. It would be easy for me to say that this is how we drew it up but they’re never how you draw it up,” Royals owner John Sherman said. “Patience has given us an outcome that we could never have imagined. There’s no script, no playbook, no blueprint, no roadmap. The Kansas City Royals are staying in the state of Missouri, and we are bringing a second crown downtown.”

The Royals have been playing at Kauffman Stadium since 1973. The team’s lease there expires at the end of the 2031 season.

The team had conversations with officials about various sites in both Missouri and Kansas.

Sitting alongside Sherman at the press conference included Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas and Hallmark Cards Exec. Chair Don Hall Jr.