The Kansas City Royals made it official Wednesday morning: downtown baseball is coming to Kansas City, Missouri.
The team is partnering with Hallmark Cards — headquartered in Kansas City — to develop a new baseball stadium, surrounding mixed-use development, and a “reimagined” headquarters for both the Royals and Hallmark at Crown Center.
The more than $3 billion plan, which the Royals will cover 2/3 of, will build out 85 acres across Crown Center and Washington Square Park.
“Our founder Ewing Kauffman wanted the Royals to be Kansas City’s forever, and he wanted the team to benefit his hometown as much as possible,” Royals CEO and Chairman John Sherman said Wednesday. “Joining Hallmark with this project achieves both and extends the Hall family’s critical legacy of helping Kansas City grow.”
The development will also be funded through the city of Kansas City, Missouri, and the state's Show-Me Sports Investment Act.
“When the new Royals stadium opens at Crown Center, something proud will come full circle,” said Don Hall Jr., Hallmark Cards executive chairman of the Board of Directors. “The iconic Royals crown that Hallmark created will return to the very neighborhood where it was conceived. Every time a fan walks through the stadium doors, they’ll be standing in a place shaped by Kansas City and Hallmark’s creative spirit.”
Sherman and Hall were joined by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe at Wednesday morning's news conference.
"Today's announcement reinforces that the State of Missouri is not just where the Kansas City Royals play, but where they belong," Kehoe. "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."
Wednesday's announcement highlighted the accessibility of the new stadium. The club says the plan would take the Royals from the bottom of the MLB in walkability to inside the top 10. Greater accessibility will lower costs to attend games, giving fans more options to connect with the team, per the Royals.
Additionally, the club says the development would "enhance previous investments, including the Kansas City Streetcar, and optimize ample parking within a 10-minute walk.
"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," Lucas said Wednesday. "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!"
Lucas also noted the project will deliver 20,000 construction jobs, support 1,000 union jobs on game days, and bring millions of visitors downtown for 81 home games and "hundreds of additional events" each year.
“The Royals are staying home, and they are building a new home at the center of our region’s culture, arts, vibrance, and entrepreneurial success," Lucas said. "This is the best in public-private partnership — funded by baseball and development, with no new tax increases, and with the kind of conservative fiscal management Kansas City families deserve."
Press conference
Several state and local leaders were in attendance at the press conference Wednesday morning.
Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman mused during his remarks that the new stadium will "rethink, reimagine, redefine and redevelop" Crown Center.
Don Hall Jr., Hallmark Cards executive chairman of the Board of Directors, called Wednesday a "legacy moment." He said downtown is "exactly where baseball stadiums belong."
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe believes the Show-Me Sports Investment Act helped keep the Royals in the state.
Like other speakers, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas acknowledged past work downtown to make it the vibrant landscape it is today, an ideal location for downtown baseball. The mayor closed his speech by saying, "We are the visionaries of today, and we are changing Kansas City for the better.”
This story was originally published by Sam Hartle , Addi Weakley, Gary Brauer, Tod Palmer and Charlie Keegan with the Scripps News Group in Kansas City.
