KC committee delays taking up $20 million for Royals ballpark, Crown Center rezoning
Kansas City officials on Tuesday delayed considering setting aside $20 million as an initial step toward the development of a new downtown ballpark.
The city’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee was scheduled to consider the proposed ordinance that also directs the city manager to carry out various agreements with the Royals and their affiliates, developers, incentive agencies and others to build the stadium.
Before the meeting began at 9:30 a.m., the committee Chair Andrea Bough said it would be holding two ordinances related to the proposed stadium in crown center.
Both are to be taken up at the next scheduled council or committee meeting, whether regular or special.
Royals measures delayed
After meeting with Kansas City residents, including workers’ groups on Monday, Mayor Quinton Lucas indicated social media that he expected holds on the ordinances pertaining to the stadium, KCATA and other measures on the agenda.
The proposed stadium ordinance says the city has negotiated “lease, development, funding, non-relocation, and community impact agreements” with the Royals. City officials may provide further details at a future meeting.
The ordinance would move $20 million in special obligation bond funding into a fund for the downtown stadium district. Food and beverage tax revenue would be used to cover debt service on the bonds to support project costs, the ordinance says.
It’s unclear what the funding exactly would be used for, but it appears to represent the council’s first move in months toward authorizing public financing for the $1.9 billion stadium.
If approved, the ordinance will go to the full City Council to consider final approval.
Stadium opposition
Councilman Johnathan Duncan said on social media late Monday that the Royals-related ordinances may not be heard in committee Tuesday.
Duncan has publicly criticized the city process of preparing the stadium ordinance that appeared on the agenda for Tuesday.
He said on X that he felt city’s priorities are “backwards” by rushing a stadium ordinance while other pressing matters are before the council, like tenants who have been without power for weeks.
The committee also delayed considering a rezoning request for plans to convert Crown Center into a $3 billion entertainment district around the ballpark.
The proposed rezoning plan lays out where the stadium would go, areas where buildings could be built new or renovated and where there could be plazas.
Officials with the team and Crown Center envision a revitalized, mixed-use entertainment district anchored by the new stadium and geared toward the family-friendly, walkable nature Crown Center already provides. The City Planning Commission signed off on the plans last week.
Lucas said during Tuesday’s meeting that the City Council would consider whether a special meeting was in order to go over the Royals ordinances on hold.
As of Tuesday morning, it was unclear when that meeting could be scheduled.
This story was originally published August 11, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "KC committee delays taking up $20 million for Royals ballpark, Crown Center rezoning."
