First legislation proposed for relocating Royals to Washington Square Park via steep $600 million city investment
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The back-and-forth on the next Royals ballpark location could once again end up in downtown Kansas City.
At an April 9 Kansas City Council meeting, Mayor Quinton Lucas and other council members proposed legislation that would relocate the Royals to Washington Square Park—right between Crown Center and Union Station.
Before you get too excited (or otherwise), Ordinance 260339 is still subject to review by the City’s Finance Committee next week. Then, there would be a council-wide vote and further review by the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.
Unlike the failed 2024 proposal for a stadium in the Crossroads, the process this time around excludes a public vote.
Should this ordinance pass, City Manager Mario Vasquez would have the authority to enter a binding term sheet, lease, and development agreements for the design, construction, and operation of the new stadium plus immediately surrounding infrastructure. The current plan would only demolish the now-vacant Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City offices and a nearby service road. Meanwhile, the property in its place would be under the ownership of the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.
“I’m heartened by the fact we see no destruction of existing businesses,” Lucas told The Kansas City Star.
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A successful vote would also mean a $1.9 billion investment in this proposed Downtown Ballpark District, with the City footing $600 million of the bill in a public-private agreement with team ownership.
This would be supplied by bonds, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and other allocations from the City budget. There would be no new taxes. Also, the State of Missouri’s Show-Me Sports Investment Act, passed last year, could fund up to 50% of qualifying development costs.
“When completed, it will be the largest single economic development project in the history of Downtown Kansas City,” Lucas says.
For some fully realized news: the Royals recently revealed their 2026 City Connect uniforms.
