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Royals and Hallmark announce downtown baseball plan
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- Royals and Hallmark announce downtown baseball plan
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Royals and Hallmark Cards are bringing a brand new ballpark to downtown Kansas City.
According to the team, the franchises are teaming up to bring Royals baseball to Crown Center through a “historic project” with an expected private investment of $3 billion, making it the largest in Kansas City history.
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The total project, described as a “first-of-its-kind development,” would largely be funded by the team and other private investors, in addition to public funding from the city and Missouri’s Show-Me Sports Investment Act.
Governor Mike Kehoe said he expected the public portion of this project to be about 1/3 of the cost, meaning it could be $1 billion.
The new $1.9 billion ballpark will be joined by a surrounding mixed-use development ballpark district, equating to an approximate $3 billion investment into the Crown Center area.
Originally, the project was expected to cost about $2 billion, but according to Wednesday’s announcement, the extra cost is being covered by private investment, now also including Hallmark.
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This stadium will be located at the Hallmark headquarters, at 2501 McGee Street, just south of Washington Square Park and Pershing Road.
“It stretches from 27th Street all the way down to Pershing Road,” Hallmark Cards Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors Don Hall Jr. said during Wednesday’s conference, talking about the company’s current footprint.
The event with Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman and Hall Jr., not to mention Governor Kehoe, Kansas City, MO Mayor Quinton Lucas, and Negro League’s Baseball Museum President Bob Kendrick lasted about an hour and a half.
“This is an 85-acre site you know?” Sherman said during the news conference, talking about the site. “Our plan is to make Washington Square Park a part of an expanded district.”
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Images FOX4 was given Wednesday show the stadium would be at the northwest corner of 26th and Gillham, right where Hallmark’s Corporate Headquarters is.
The ordinance that the Kansas City Council passed called for the stadium to be in the Washington Square Park or Crown Center area, even though until Tuesday, fans thought the ballpark was going to be built east of Union Station.
Sherman said Wednesday they told the city they were coming to Crown Center before the council voted on this, the week of Monday, April 13.
“We’re trying to protect Hallmark and their employees from wondering if something leaked, kind of where were they going, but this 25th Street would be probably the back of the center field wall,” Sherman said to reporters late Wednesday morning.
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Despite Washington Square Park no longer being the site of the stadium, as it was originally proposed, it will now be transformed into part of the ballpark district.
The Hallmark headquarters will now move to a new building, Hall Jr. announced Wednesday. Hall Jr. said it will continue to be somewhere in the Crown Center footprint.
According to the team, the construction phase alone will create more than 20,000 jobs and bring more tourism to the metro, not just during the MLB season, but throughout the entire year.
It is expected to span 85 acres, featuring a park-like central square and fountains–fitting for the metro’s reputation as the “City of Fountains.”
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According to the team, the project will likely enhance previous investments made by the city, including the KC Streetcar, as well as approximately 9,000 parking spaces within a 10-minute walk.
On Tuesday, sources told FOX4 the stadium would likely be built in the Crown Center area , just south of Washington Square Park and Pershing Road.
It was also announced that the Royals had scheduled an event for Wednesday morning to share an “important update” regarding the team’s future.
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“Today’s announcement reinforces that the State of Missouri is not just where the Kansas City Royals play but where they belong,” said Gov. Kehoe.
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“This decision by the Royals to invest in our state is more than just a commitment to Kansas City, it is a commitment to communities and fans across Missouri. I appreciate the partnership of the Royals organization, Hallmark and state and local leaders in working together to make this project a reality.”
Mayor Lucas added, “For over 50 years, Crown Center and the Kansas City Royals have created memories that last a lifetime for the people of our region.”
He continued, “The public-private partnership between Hallmark, the Royals, Kansas City and our state ensures we connect our neighborhoods, keeps our downtown vibrant and maintains big league baseball in our city for generations to come. I look forward to decades of new, treasured experiences, thousands of jobs and vibrant small business growth and millions of visitors building the beating heart of our region – our downtown – while cheering on our Royals. Play ball!”
Mayor Lucas has said he hopes the new stadium would be ready for opening day 2030, and that the Royals would lease the facility for at least 30 years.
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The Royals’ current lease for Kauffman Stadium is set to expire in 2031.
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