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The Kansas City Royals announced plans in November to build a $2 billion downtown stadium and district, but exactly where the team will land is still unknown.
“We have looked at 14 different sites in downtown Kansas City,” said Earl Santee, global chair and founder of Populous. “It needs to be more than a ballpark. It’s about what happens before and after the game that makes a community.”
- Populous is consulting with the Royals on the project, which will include a 35,000-seat stadium.
- Santee said each of the sites have at least 14 acres for the stadium alone.
A location isn’t the only piece of the puzzle missing — the public financing portion of the deal will need to be figured out.
Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman said the team will not ask Jackson County citizens to pay any additional tax dollars.
Royal Revenue
Kauffman Stadium, the Royals’ current home, was built in 1973. Renovations to the stadium are projected to cost around $1.07 billion, whereas the new ballpark would cost around $1 billion.
It’s also projected to generate $185 million more annually in regional economic output in the first year than Kauffman, which sits adjacent to the Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium at Truman Sports Complex.
