KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – When hundreds of thousands of fans gathered outside Union Station and the World War I Memorial to celebrate the Kansas City Royals as World Series champs in 2015, few could have imagined their favorite team would play a stone’s throw away less than two decades later.
But after years of weighing options, public discourse and even a failed vote, the Royals announced the site of their new stadium and ballpark district: the area of Crown Center just south of Kansas City’s Crossroads District.
Rendering for Royals stadium at Crown Center(Kansas City Royals)
The Royals announced a “world-class ballpark, surrounding mixed-use development and reimagined headquarters for both iconic institutions at Crown Center would create more than 20,000 jobs in the construction phase alone.”
“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. “Joining Hallmark with this project achieves both and extends the Hall family’s critical legacy of helping Kansas City grow.”
The Royals, along with Hallmark Cards, stated the 85-acre development surrounding a park-like central square with fountains will have “little if any precedent worldwide for a professional sports project, and the expected private investment of $2 billion or more would be the largest in Kansas City history.”
Rendering for Royals stadium at Crown Center(Kansas City Royals)
Two-thirds of the funding for the project will come from private sources and the remaining one-third from public partners, including money earmarked by the state for stadium projects.
The announcement came about a week after Kansas City officials passed an ordinance authorizing City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate a $600 million deal to help the Royals move downtown. Most believed the stadium would sit on Washington Square Park, which is next to Union Station, but it will instead be located just south of it, with the park featured in the development.
Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri(Kimo Hood, KCTV5)
“When the new Royals stadium opens at Crown Center, something proud will come full circle,” Hallmark Cards Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors Don Hall Jr. said. “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.”
Hallmark intends to build a new headquarters in the area.
A news release from the Royals stated the new stadium would bump them into the top 10 in walkability among Major League Baseball teams, lowering the cost and growing the accessibility for Kansas Citians to enjoy and connect with their team.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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