


A view of Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals. The stadium opened in 1973. (Photo by ... [+]
Kauffman Stadium has aged well for a 50-year-old stadium, but not well enough that John Sherman, owner of MLB’s Royals, isn’t ready for a venue that comes shiny and new. And a ballpark that can host an entire money-making district around it.
While Sherman has offered up few details on two potential sites for the new stadium, an open letter written to Royals fans says that more details are coming this summer. The decisions will start flowing by the end of September.
“In the next 30 days, we plan to share an overview of the ballpark district, including the broad benefits of the two sites under consideration,” Sherman writes. The unveiling will also come with “detailed renderings” to help compare the benefits of the two sites. Then, expect a decision on the location to follow.
The two locations, both in Missouri, features an East Village site near downtown in Jackson County and a location north of the Missouri River in Clay County.
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Whichever site Sherman opts for, he says he’s committed with the team’s ownership group of spending “well in excess of $1 billion in private investment to help create transformational growth here and across the region, dramatically enhanced game day experiences and more visitors who will generate much more spending throughout our hometown.”
A stadium isn’t all that’s on the docket. Expect an entire district. While the “world-class ballpark” aims to keep pace with “our peers nationwide,” Shermans says the new ballpark project will also spur meaningful development around the stadium and in adjacent neighborhoods.
The team will need much more than $1 billion to achieve its goals of a stadium and district and is engaging government officials on taxpayer assistance. The total price tag of $2 billion requires taxes to cover the costs beyond what private money is willing to pay, which will lead to a potential spring 2024 ballot question to the voters.
Already an ongoing sales tax in the region supports the upkeep of the Truman Sports Complex, which includes both Kauffman Stadium and neighboring Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs of the NFL. The Royals want the Kauffman Stadium share transferred to a new venue.
Along with the touted regional economic output—while numbers are given as $185 million more in regional economic output than currently offered by Kauffman Stadium, they are difficult to verify—by building both a new stadium and a surrounding entertainment district, Sherman hopes to generate additional revenue for the team. That revenue could be put toward making the Royals more competitive on the field.
While the letter promises that fans will see the two potential sites complete with renderings and details by the end of August, Sherman also says that he expects to announce which site is the winner to replace Kauffman Stadium in late September.
“I look forward to staying in touch,” he writes in conclusion of his open letter, “and working together to achieve something special that changes the face of our region for the better.”