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The back-and-forth on the next Royals ballpark location could once again end up in downtown Kansas City.<\/p>\n
At an April 9 Kansas City Council meeting, Mayor Quinton Lucas and other council members proposed legislation that would relocate the Royals to Washington Square Park\u2014right between Crown Center and Union Station.<\/p>\n
Before you get too excited (or otherwise), Ordinance 260339 is still subject to review by the City\u2019s Finance Committee next week. Then, there would be a council-wide vote and further review by the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.<\/p>\n
Unlike the failed 2024 proposal<\/a> for a stadium in the Crossroads, the process this time around excludes a public vote.<\/p>\n Should this ordinance pass, City Manager Mario Vasquez would have the authority to enter a binding term sheet, lease, and development agreements for the design, construction, and operation of the new stadium plus immediately surrounding infrastructure. The current plan would only demolish the now-vacant Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City offices and a nearby service road. Meanwhile, the property in its place would be under the ownership of the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m heartened by the fact we see no destruction of existing businesses,\u201d Lucas told\u00a0The Kansas City Star<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n Livestream screenshot<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A successful vote would also mean a $1.9 billion investment in this proposed Downtown Ballpark District, with the City footing $600 million of the bill in a public-private agreement with team ownership.<\/p>\n This would be supplied by bonds, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and other allocations from the City budget. There would be no new taxes. Also, the State of Missouri\u2019s Show-Me Sports Investment Act, passed last year, could fund up to 50% of qualifying development costs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen completed, it will be the largest single economic development project in the history of Downtown Kansas City,\u201d Lucas says.<\/p>\n For some fully realized news: the Royals recently revealed their 2026 City Connect uniforms<\/a>.\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.thepitchkc.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/p\/z\/screenshot-2026-04-09-at-43147pm.png\")
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