Are the Royals going to North Kansas City? Talks get serious

Talks between North Kansas City and the Royals to build a new ballpark there appear to be getting more serious as the mayor says the city is working out the framework of a deal.

North Kansas City, the small city with the Armour business district across the river from downtown Kansas City, has been floated as one of the possible contenders for a future Royals stadium. Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a bill earlier this year that allows Clay County to create a sports complex authority, a board that would help structure and manage a future stadium deal.

The Royals have said they will not stay at Kauffman Stadium in eastern Kansas City past the 2030 season, after which their lease with the Jackson County Sports Authority will expire. Other options that have been discussed for a future Royals stadium include the Aspiria campus in Overland Park and Washington Square Park near Crown Center in Kansas City.

In a news release on Thursday, the city said that discussions with the Royals are “substantial.”

North Kansas City Mayor Jesse Smith said in a statement that the city is working on a deal framework that would then involve the state and the county. The city is now entering a “brief period” where talks will remain confidential, Smith said.

Smith said the city will communicate four major priorities with the team as talks move forward:

• Protecting the city’s long-term financial health, making sure any deal is a win-win-win for the city, its residents and the team.
• Safeguarding neighborhoods, ensuring game day operations like traffic and parking do not spill into residential areas.
• Leveraging investment for the city’s infrastructure as the city had needs for items like water and roads.
• Engaging the community and region with open communication if a deal framework is reached.

“As mayor, I remain committed to transparency throughout this process and want to share the priorities I have consistently communicated on behalf of our community,” Smith said.

The Royals have not made any major announcements about a future stadium site after, in 2024, Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax plan that would have helped fund a Royals move to the Crossroads. A lingering question has been whether Clay County voters would be called to a sales tax vote if the Royals target North Kansas City.

Smith suggested they could, saying that nothing will sneak up on residents and they’ll know if there’s any deal even on the table well ahead of any public vote.

The question of where the Royals will build a new stadium, and whether the Chiefs will stay at Arrowhead, has erupted into a new border war between Missouri and Kansas as both states have financial incentives on the table that would help them fund new facilities, either to stay in Missouri or move across the border.

Kansas City officials have touted the Washington Square Park site for the Royals, which includes a Blue KC building that the company has vacated. Mayor Quinton Lucas emphasized the success of the two recent Chappell Roan concerts at the nearby WWI Museum and Memorial Park, which drew tens of thousands of fans to the area, to radio host Pete Mundo last week.

The Jackson County Legislature recently appointed Phil LeVota to be county executive after voters recalled Frank White last month. LeVota has said he will work to keep the teams in Jackson County.