Royals’ renderings propose 5 acres of park the team doesn’t plan to pay for. So who will?
As voters prepare to weigh in on the stadium tax measure that would help pay for a proposed new Royals stadium in the Crossroads and renovations to Arrowhead stadium, details about the baseball team’s plans for the area surrounding the stadium are still coming to light.
Renderings from the Royals’ Feb. 13 press conference announcing the proposed location include six blocks of green space covering the Interstate 670 trench between Wyandotte Street to the west and Locust Street to the east.
That’s bigger than the potential I-670 freeway cap park that’s in the works.
But the Royals don’t intend to help pay for constructing any part of that park — including the two-block, five-acre area between Grand Boulevard and Locust Street that only appears in the team’s own renderings.
Here’s what we know about the highway “lid” park proposal and how it aligns with — and doesn’t align with — the Royals’ stadium proposal.
What are the current plans for a park above I-670?
A coalition of public and private groups is finally making headway on a long-anticipated effort called the South Loop Project. The project would construct a four-block park above the I-670 highway trench between Wyandotte Street to the west and Grand Boulevard to the east.
The proposed “Big Lid” park would include playgrounds, walking trails, a dog park and other amenities covering around seven acres of land. The South Loop Park was first proposed in 2004 and initially stagnated, but the idea has gained traction in recent years as the project has progressed toward its funding goals.
However, the Royals’ renderings of their proposed stadium site include two more large blocks of park, totaling around five more acres of green space between Grand Boulevard and Locust Street. One image labels the area as the “South Loop Park Extension & Bridge.”
Here’s the problem: The coalition of groups behind the South Loop Project was never contacted about this additional green space. Their engineering plans don’t include extra park space to the east of Grand or a pedestrian bridge like the one appearing in the Royals’ diagrams.
Who will pay for the proposed additional five acres of park space?
Royals spokesperson Sam Mellinger told The Star that the pedestrian bridge connecting the proposed stadium to the nearby T-Mobile Center is part of the team’s current construction plans — but the spacious park this bridge will soar above is not.
“The park space and ballpark would each enhance each other, but the projects are separate,” Mellinger said. “Our project is separate from the South Loop and our project includes the bridge as shown in the renderings.”
He added that even if nobody builds the additional blocks of park space seen in the team’s renderings, the Royals still intend to build the pedestrian bridge above the exposed I-670 highway trench.
The team’s renderings spare no detail for this additional five-acre space: In one image, the additional blocks of park space include leaping fountains, manmade pools, tree-lined walking paths and large grass areas.
But the group behind the South Loop Project, including the City of Kansas City, has no plans to make the Royals’ wishes a reality.
“Does the city plan to fund the additional blocks as proposed by the Royals? The answer is no,” said Morgan Said, Mayor Quinton Lucas’ chief of staff. The other two groups involved in the South Loop Project, port authority Port KC and the nonprofit Downtown Council of Kansas City, referred The Star to city spokespeople to comment on the project.
With neither of the major players in the Crossroads’ redevelopment planning to fund this additional green space, visitors may be left with a pedestrian walkway high above the uncovered I-670 trench.
Do you have more questions about the proposed Royals stadium in the Crossroads? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
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