Neighbors excited, wary about Royals move to Crown Center: ‘Going to see change’
Royals officials announced Wednesday morning that the team intends to move to Crown Center, revealing the organization’s long-awaited stadium vision.
In partnership with Hallmark Cards, and the use of both public and private funding, the plan would bring a Royals ballpark near downtown Kansas City. Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman said in a press conference Wednesday that construction on the new stadium could begin in 2027.
After the announcement, residents and businesses east and south of Crown Center told The Star they wonder what the future holds for their neighborhoods. Many seemed hopeful, despite concerns around street parking and congestion on their residential blocks.
Initial renderings show the stadium sitting just south of the ice terrace along Gillham Road as part of Crown Center’s 85-acre mixed-use shopping district.
Hallmark’s Executive Chairman Don Hall Jr. said that the company’s headquarters will be moving to make room for the new stadium, but that it will remain in Crown Center. The move would allow Hallmark and the Royals to “grow together,” in what will be a new, vibrant district near downtown, Hall said.
Sherman said the move will honor the legacy of the team’s founder Ewing Kauffman, who wanted the Royals “to be Kansas City’s forever.”
“We have a shared vision for lifting up our community in a dynamic, energized urban setting that will elevate our city,” Sherman said.
The total project, which has ballooned in price to an estimated $3 billion, would be funded primarily by the Royals and other private investors, and supplemented by funding from the city of Kansas City and Missouri’s Show-Me Sports Investment Act.
How will new stadium impact nearby neighborhoods?
The new stadium could shake things up in nearby neighborhoods, like Longfellow. That neighborhood’s western edge, which features Longfellow Park and the Ronald McDonald House, sits directly across Gilham Road from the planned stadium site.
Robb Traylor, president of the Longfellow Community Association, said the neighborhood is excited about the possible development opportunities the Royals’ stadium will bring to the area, like a proposed entertainment district.
But some remain concerned about parking and traffic changes. Traylor said the neighborhood is pretty quiet and does not have a lot of parking available for an influx of people.
“Street parking is somewhat of a premium,” Traylor said. “Not many of the folks here have parking lots or driveways where they would be able to put their cars, especially on game days or anytime there are any other events at the new location.”
But if those changes come, Traylor said that’s part of living in a busy city.
“Living in the urban core of any major metropolitan area, you’re going to see change,” Traylor said. “At the end of the day, this is probably going to be a good thing for the neighborhood.”
Meanwhile, Cesar Beltran, a North Hyde Park resident, was enjoying Sheila Kemper Dietrich Park with his 2-year-old daughter just hours after the Royals announcement. He said he enjoys the residential and family-oriented environment in the neighborhoods around Crown Center and does not like the idea of a new baseball stadium changing that in the near future.
“I’m not happy about it going there,” Beltran said.
Beltran said he wishes the stadium was built farther north, closer to downtown Kansas City off of U.S. 71. He said there are plenty of surface-level parking lots in that area that could have served as a location for building a new stadium.
Bridget Brockman, who’s lived in a home on Holmes St. for the last 25 years, was surprised to learn that the location of the stadium is planned for a site where Hallmark’s headquarters is currently located, rather than Washington Square Park.
Brockman said she had mixed feelings about the stadium moving closer to her home.
“I guess I would have to wait and see,” Brockman said.
Walking to games
In nearby Union Hill, residents told The Star they were excited by the prospect of a new stadium just down the street.
Seth Kohlstaedt, who will live just a few minutes’ walk from the new stadium site, said he was excited by the initial word that the stadium would be in the Washington Square Park area and said the idea of revitalizing Crown Center was appealing.
Kohlstaedt said he had some small concerns about parking and traffic in his neighborhood, but was otherwise psyched to be able to walk to Royals games.
“The only downfall is having to walk back up the hill with some beers in you after the games,” he said with a laugh. “We’re pumped, tailgate in the garage, and walk down the hill and go to Royals games, it’s going to be great.”
Union Hill was flooded with traffic during the Chappell Roan concerts on the lawn of the National World War I Museum and Memorial in October, and the neighborhood has been discussing how to handle what will likely be a similar influx of people heading to the World Cup Fan Festival, which will be set up at the same location this summer.
With the Royals moving in, perhaps any traffic and parking changes implemented during the World Cup might become permanent, Union Hill resident Katie Campbell wondered.
Campbell said she thought the stadium would be a good addition to the area and said she was excited to be able to walk to games.
“I think everybody, at least here, is all about it because we live downtown for a reason,” she said. “We want to be close to everything.”
Said Union Hill’s Casey Quintanilla: “I think it’s cool to have it downtown. You go to other big cities, and they have stadiums in the heart of their cities. I’ve always loved what we have (at the Truman Sports Complex), because the two stadiums are right by each other, I love the tailgating aspect of it, but to have a stadium in the heart of the city is going to be cool.”
What about local businesses?
Reba Horne, formerly Hamilton, has owned and operated Virgil’s Plant Shop at 2763 Cherry St. for the last five years. She said she hopes the city considers the small businesses in the neighborhoods around Crown Center and how the new stadium could affect their business.
For example, when the NFL Draft was held at Union Station in 2023, Horne’s business was completely dead. She said “not a single person” came out to shop that day because all of the parking in the neighborhood filled up with football fans.
Horne suggested the city consider making dedicated parking for small businesses on game days.
“So making sure that everyone that is already there,” Horne said, “that has put in the time and money and effort to help revitalize these different areas are also looked after.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 1:42 PM.
