By MATT PIKE
Kansas City leadership is supporting a proposal to fund a $1.9 billion baseball stadium near downtown Kansas City at Washington Square Park.
Tomorrow afternoon during their meeting, Kansas City Parks and Recreation board members will consider approval of allowing City Manager Mario Vasquez “to execute a lease agreement with the Kansas City Royals for Washington Square Park.”
The plan involves a lease agreement with the Kansas City Royals, with Mayor Quinton Lucas proposing up to $600 million in funding through economic activity redirections. The proposed district would not involve new taxes, would have a 30-year lease, and include a community benefits agreement for parks in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Royals need to break ground by September 2027 for a 2031 opening target. Legislation allows state funding for up to 50% of stadium projects for Chiefs and Royals. However, the Chiefs plan to build domed stadium in Kansas, separate from Royals' project.
Royals owner John Sherman had previously expressed a desire to build a stadium in downtown Kansas City, selecting that area over a site in North Kansas City. The Royals owner has previously stated the entire stadium and ballpark district project would cost $2 billion and that the club will commit to only $1 billion in private funding.
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