The Royals are set to give Kansas City another look at their planned downtown ballpark on Thursday, and this update will come with a new visual of the project near Crown Center.
At 1 p.m., Royals President of Real Estate and Development Brooks Sherman and Populous Senior Principal and Founder Earl Santee are scheduled to walk through the latest design changes for the new stadium. The team’s news conference will be livestreamed Thursday, with the story updated as the event unfolds.
The reveal arrives about six months after the Royals, Hallmark Cards and Populous first showed renderings for the nearly $3 billion ballpark district, stadium and Royals headquarters. That earlier plan outlined a “first-of-its-kind development” covering 85 acres at the former site of the original Hallmark headquarters at 2501 McGee Street.
Of the total cost, roughly $1.9 billion is tied to the stadium itself, while the remaining money is earmarked for the mixed-use district surrounding it in the Crown Center area. The project is also expected to incorporate parts of Washington Square Park, one of the original sites considered for the downtown ballpark.
The team’s April announcement described a central square with a park feel and fountains, a nod to Kansas City’s “The City of Fountains” nickname. Transportation is also a major piece of the plan, with access through the KC Streetcar route and about 9,000 parking spots within a 10-minute walk.
The construction work is projected to generate more than 20,000 jobs, while also raising Kansas City’s national profile and drawing more tourism to the metro. The stadium is expected to open on opening day in 2030, and city leaders want the Royals to lease the facility for at least 30 years.
The current lease at Kauffman Stadium runs through 2031.
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