Last week, Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman announced his location for the new ballpark: East Crossroads. This is also where the T-Mobile Arena is located and will cost $2 billion to build a stadium.
While the stadium has a capacity of 34,000 compared to Kauffman’s 37,000, the chance to play in Downtown Kansas City was an opportunity that could not be passed up. The move will be done in an attempt to draw more fans to the Royals than they have been able to in recent years.
While the site has been announced, there are still other logistics that need to be figured out. While the team plans to invest $1,000,000,000 towards this project, the idea of how much funding is needed from the public has become a debate. Both the Royals and fellow Kansas City team the Chiefs tried to put the sales tax on the April 2 ballot to help finance the stadium, which was then vetoed by Jackson County. This led to the Royals having to disclose to the public what they will be paying for.
Another logistic that will need to be figured out is how this becomes discussed among Jackson County locals. While some will be thrilled to see a baseball team join their city, others may not like how this move could affect their businesses. They will most likely be voting against any plan for a new ballpark.
South of the location of the Royals new ballpark is the home to places such as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, American Jazz Museum, and the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. West includes the Power and Light District, the area that hosts many well-known bars and restaurants in Kansas City. Adding the Royals in Jackson County could be seen as the main attraction to an area that is already rife with sites.
The Kansas City Royals are a team known for stability. They started out playing at the Municipal Stadium in 1969 before moving to Kauffman Stadium in 1973. 36 years later, the stadium consisted of renovations for consecutive years which finished in 2012. Leaving Kauffman at the end of the 2027 season may seem premature for a team that had just renovated their stadium slightly over a decade ago.
However, Kansas City has been seen as a staple American city. They have hosted two World Series, an All-Star Game, an NFL Draft, and a quarterfinal for the 2026 World Cup will be played at Arrowhead Stadium. With the city having hosted a wide variety of sporting events with more on the way, it makes sense for the Royals to play in a more attractive location.
