There’s a new option for KC Royals’ stadium. Here’s a rundown on Washington Square Park
In the parade of possible Royals stadium locations, Kansas City has a new contender: Washington Square Park.
Currently host to occasional protests, unhoused people, and annual gatherings like Boulevardia and the Irish Festival, this centrally located park could be the site of a much-debated new baseball stadium.
Both the city and the Royals have been looking into the site near downtown recently, sources told The Star’s Sam McDowell.
In April, Jackson County voters struck down a 40 year, ⅜ cents tax that would have funded construction of a Crossroads ballpark and Arrowhead Stadium renovations.
Other front-runners to replace the 51-year-old Kauffman Stadium have included the Crossroads, East Village and North Kansas City.
In 2004, a local architecture firm considered the park as a home for a 42,000 seat baseball stadium, according to Star archives.
A ballpark in Washington Square Park would displace the unhoused people who congregate and receive free meals there.
Where is Washington Square Park?
The city-maintained park is located north of Crown Center and east of Union Station. The KC Streetcar line runs along Washington Square Park, which is close to both the Crossroads and Hospital Hill.
The green space is close to the Westin and Sheraton hotels and a number of offices, including the Internal Revenue Service building.
How big is Washington Square Park?
The park, established in the 1920s, takes up 4.8 acres in the heart of Kansas City.
However, the footprint could expand to 11.6 acres with the addition of the soon-to-be-vacant Blue Cross Blue Shield building and sunken parking lot, owned by the insurance company.
Kauffman Stadium’s lot currently takes up 18.8 acres, according to the Kansas City parcel viewer.
Plans for the rejected Crossroads ballpark and entertainment complex called for a 17.3 acre footprint, The Star previously reported.
What monuments are in Washington Square Park now?
In addition to numerous trees, benches and pathways, the park contains a George Washington Memorial and the Missouri Korean War Veterans Memorial.
The statue of the first president at Valley Forge is a 16-foot-tall replica of a Brooklyn, New York, sculpture located near the Williamsburg Bridge. The inscription on the granite base states that 109,000 Kansas Citians donated to fund the statue, which was dedicated in 1925.
Washington Square Park is home to the Missouri Korean War Veterans Memorial, which was dedicated in 2011. The memorial lists the names of the 900 Missourians who died in the 1950s conflict.
The Star’s Sam McDowell contributed to this story.
Have more questions about development in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 11:09 AM.
