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Another day, another dose of drama involving a MLB ballpark project.
As the Rays are wading through local political turbulence in pursuit of their $2.3 billion domed stadium, a seemingly done deal for a new Royals ballpark in downtown Kansas City is facing new problems.
Three months after the Royals unveiled plans for a new $3 billion stadium and entertainment complex in a large-scale pact with greeting cards giant Hallmark, local opponents are attempting to force a citizen vote on $600 million in city funding toward the ballpark.
That public sector contribution has already been approved, but two different activist groups are seeking to force a voter referendum on that outlay. Members of the Missouri Workers Center, a labor advocacy group, disrupted a Monday night zoning meeting about the stadium district, breaking out in chants of “let us vote.”
Similarly, Stand Up KC, another group representing low-wage workers, delivered signatures to City Hall last month in a petition drive seeking to force a vote on the use of taxpayer funds.
It’s not yet certain whether either group will succeed, but pressure is undoubtedly rising. The Monday zoning meeting abruptly ended about 15 minutes early after the repeated chants and taunts toward the session’s speakers.
Existing Tension
Notably, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, which includes Kansas City, have already strongly rejected the use of public funds for a new Royals ballpark. Since that April 2024 vote, the Chiefs decoupled their stadium efforts from the Royals and struck a deal with Kansas officials late last year for a $3 billion domed stadium in that state. The Royals, meanwhile, reviewed several downtown locations before settling on the planned location at Crown Center.
“We voted before. We told them no. You’re not hearing me, so let me come back and tell you again,” said one of the protesters, Fran Marion. “There’s more important things out here in Kansas City than a Royals stadium.”
The club, along with Hallmark, are attempting to rezone 91 acres to create a year-round ballpark district that will include the stadium, a mixed-use development, and the company’s new corporate headquarters.
“We’re aiming for more than a ballpark, much more,” said Royals president of real estate and development Brooks Sherman. “We will add to and reimagine [Crown Center’s] mixed-use environment and have a year-round thriving ballpark district that will attract not only our local and regional fans but fans nationwide.”
The city planning commission is set to review the ballpark district rezoning plan on Aug. 5., and if approved there, the measure would go to the city council. The Royals are aiming to have the new ballpark ready for the 2031 season, when the lease at the current Kauffman Stadium will have expired.
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