New details show Crown Center plan for Royals stadium. See parking and traffic in maps
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A traffic study identifies a potential parking supply of 18,257 spaces.
- A traffic study estimates 67% of attendees would arrive by car to the site.
- Plans propose reconstructing interchanges and adding lanes to ease congestion.
As Crown Center moves forward with plans for a sweeping redevelopment anchored by a proposed $1.9 billion downtown Royals stadium, newly released city records offer a closer look at how the area could be reshaped.
That includes where thousands of fans could park, how they might get to the ballpark and what street improvements could be needed to handle increased traffic and pedestrian activity.
The documents outline a potential parking supply of more than 18,000 spaces, possible changes to major streets and pedestrian crossings, and a broader vision for a $3 billion mixed-use sports and entertainment district that could take years to fully build out.
These maps and illustrations show what some of those changes could look like:
Parking plans for a Royals stadium at Crown Center
A traffic study identifies a potential supply of 18,257 parking spaces, including 8,219 spaces at Crown Center and another 10,038 at off-site locations near the stadium.
The study estimates that as many as 67% of attendees would arrive by car, while 15% would use ride-share services such as Uber and 10% would walk or bike.
Although the screening found that the regional highway network would “largely” have enough capacity to handle heavy event traffic, it also identified several potential stress points on highway interchanges and local streets.
Areas highlighted in red included the eastern portion of the downtown loop, the Interstate 35 southbound off-ramp to 20th Street, and north-south corridors such as Grand Boulevard and Oak Street.
The study recommends reconstructing those interchanges, potentially by adding lanes to improve how vehicles enter and exit the highway.
It also outlines possible changes to local streets and pedestrian infrastructure, including crossings over or under 22nd Street to separate pedestrians from traffic, narrowing Pershing Road to shorten crossing distances and upgrading traffic signals.
Rezoning offers new look at Crown Center plans
North Kansas City-based engineering firm Olsson applied for rezoning several Crown Center properties as the urban redevelopment district. Urban redevelopment zoning is aimed at flexibility while setting standards to guide future development and what can be built in underdeveloped areas.
The rezoning would be another procedural step toward bringing the stadium and the broader mixed-use development to life.
The plans suggest stadium construction could start this year and last through 2031, with dates subject to change.
The Star’s Chris Higgins contributed.
