Royals Ballpark Proposal Advances Through City Council’s Finance Committee

The proposed Royals ballpark development at Crown Center moved another step forward Tuesday, as the Kansas City Council's Finance Committee recommended approval of legislation establishing the development and financing framework for the project. The committee's consideration followed the release of the proposed project agreements, giving council members and the public an opportunity to review the terms and hear a presentation from City staff about the proposed development.

"Three months ago, the Council directed my team to work with the Royals to come up with the framework to build a stadium in Crown Center and keep Hallmark's headquarters in Kansas City," said City Manager Mario Vasquez, "I am proud of City staff's skills, expertise, and professionalism. We've managed to bring Kansas City a strong, well thought-out proposal that will serve generations of Kansas City residents. Our elected officials on the City Council will make their decision later this week, and in the meantime we're very proud of the work that we accomplished to get here today."

Under the proposed agreements, the Royals would enter into a 30-year lease with city to host games and house team offices at the new downtown location, with the option for five, two-year extension options. The City would commit a fixed total of $600 million to the overall $1.9 billion cost -- $90 million is anticipated to be provided as city infrastructure funding, with the remaining $510 million to be provided as City-supported bonds.

The legislation establishes the framework necessary to move forward with development of the proposed ballpark and surrounding district while keeping the project on track for the 2030 season.

Today's committee action is not the final step. The proposal will next go before the full City Council, where council members will consider the legislation and determine whether to give final approval to the City's agreements. The full City Council is expected to consider the ordinance authorizing agreements on Thursday, August 20.

The complete agreements, supporting materials, and meeting information are available on the City Clerk's webpage.