A lot has happened since John Sherman, principal owner of the Kansas City Royals franchise, first floated the idea of a new stadium in November of 2021. The road since then has been winding and frustrating<\/a>, and four years and one failed vote later and we don\u2019t know where the stadium is going or what it will look like.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Royals\u2019 lease with the Truman Sports Complex ends after the 2030 season, which means they have to start on construction relatively soon to be ready by the 2031 season. Missouri<\/a> and Kansas<\/a> have both passed state-level funding. And the Royals had planned on announcing their final plan earlier this year, which implies they are close to an answer themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lately, there has been a lot of smoke surrounding the North Kansas City option. The office of NKC mayor Jesse Smith put out a press release<\/a> on October 16 stating that:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The City of North Kansas City continues to have conversations with the Kansas City Royals regarding the possibility of a stadium and related development in North Kansas City. These discussions are substantial and will ultimately involve collaboration among the State of Missouri, Clay County, and the City in any final framework.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Additionally, the Missouri legislature had previously passed a bill that allows Clay County to create a sports complex authority<\/a> that would govern the stadium. And we can\u2019t forget that North Kansas City was one of two initial proposed sites<\/a> by the Royals back in August 2023.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Like many folks, my reaction to the proposed Clay County site was one of skepticism. What was the point? To just leave a suburban area to go to another suburban area? Why not just stay in Kauffman Stadium?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I have since come around, and not because I am being paid off by the Royals. I have no idea what they\u2019re doing and they have declined to comment on media requests about the stadium for a while now. No; I genuinely think that the North Kansas City site is the best one outside the East Village site, which seems dead. Let\u2019s dig into why.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So much has happened that it\u2019s worth re-visiting the first real piece of official communication the Royals put into the world: an open letter from Sherman about what the Royals wanted to accomplish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There are two things that stand out as clear benchmarks for what the Royals wanted the stadium to be from the very start of this project. First, though downtown was the primary goal, the Royals were cognizant that there were other sites that could work. They were pursuing sites \u201cboth in downtown Kansas City and close to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Second, and most importantly, the Royals wanted to build a ballpark district, with \u201cresidential, commercial, and community components.\u201d As Sherman wrote, their version was to construct \u201ca new ballpark district and all that comes with it – one that is woven into the fabric of our city, can host events and concerts, and boosts our local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kauffman Stadium is a beautiful park that exists within an ugly car dystopia that sucks the life out of the entire area. It\u2019s surrounded by acres and acres of useless concrete. It\u2019s cut off from goods, services, housing, and lodging. It is an unwalkable island wasteland.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Contrast that with walkable areas, where you don\u2019t have to drive a car to get to where you want to go. More importantly, there are people already there<\/em>. People live in walkable areas in multiunit apartments and condos, and walkable areas have narrower streets, more public transit, and a significantly higher density of resources and services than car-centric areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Downtowns are usually the only areas in American cities that have walkability and density. But suburbs can be walkable, too. Consider the area around Johnson Drive and Lamar in Mission, Kansas, versus the area around 119th Street and Strang Line Road in Olathe. Both Kansas City suburbs, but one is significantly prettier, more lively, and livable than the other.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n North Kansas City is one of the only areas in the metro that has the ingredients for significant walkability. Indeed, the Armour Road area is already walkable and bikeable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The above screenshot of Google Maps shows roughly where the Royals have proposed their site: bordered by Armour Road on the north and 16th Avenue on the south, and from Erie Street on the west to Howell Street on the east. North of Armour Road, there are rows and rows of houses, a public library, North Kansas City High School, and multiple new apartment complexes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Add the streetcar into the equation, and the area quickly becomes an opportunity to transform into the type of urban neighborhood that is a destination. RideKC has already created an extensive and recent study<\/a> of what an extension would look like up to North Kansas City, and their plan is to extend the line over the Heart of America Bridge and then up Swift Street.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And though walkability is key, car access is still easy. I-35 is immediately to the east, and there\u2019s access to I-29, I-635, and Highway 169\u2014along with access to downtown and I-70 via Highway 9.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
The Royals\u2019 new stadium goals<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Why North Kansas City works<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n