If the Royals move to downtown Kansas City, here’s what a new ballpark has to include
I grew up in Kansas City and have fond memories of Kauffman Stadium. I’ve seen dozens of (mostly losing) games and sang the national anthem there with Plaza Middle School chorus. I don’t want to see The K go. Thanks to many upgrades, it’s still a great stadium to watch baseball.
Yet time is catching up with the half-century-old concrete doughnut. Calls are increasing to replace it in a spot downtown that’s now mostly parking lots. The Royals also seem to favor the idea. Understanding that something will likely be built, I think these elements are essential in a new Kansas City stadium:
▪ Fountains. One thing that makes Kauffman so phenomenal are the outfield fountains. We are the City of Fountains. A fountain is on the city’s logo. If we don’t have fountains in our ballpark, are we even Kansas City?
▪ Scoreboard. The stadium doesn’t have to be a carbon copy of Kauffman. However, our scoreboard must be 1) huge and 2) tall. It’s part of our baseball DNA.
▪ Barbecue. There are two things that make Kansas City famous: having an identity crisis with the state line and barbecue. If we build a new stadium, then let’s represent.
▪ Views. One thing missing at Kauffman is a view beyond the stadium. Interstate 70 is America’s Main Street but it’s not great to look at. The new Atlanta stadium has a fantastic skyline beyond its outfield. Baltimore and San Francisco have gorgeous views of their harbors. Visitors to Busch Stadium can see the Gateway Arch in the distance. Our ballpark needs sight lines that are as captivating as a Salvador Perez grand slam.
▪ Greenery. If there’s one thing many stadiums get wrong, it’s that they don’t feel at all natural. There’s concrete and steel but little that’s organic. Baseball is an escape. Even nice stadiums can feel like a prison.
▪ Open space. Most sports facilities are also too crowded. Even as wide as Atlanta’s new stadium concourse is, it’s a pain to navigate. The seating areas need to pack in spectators, but the other stadium spaces should be roomier. There’s nothing like getting stadium chili dogs and a beer — then when someone isn’t looking, you end up with food all over your Whit Merrifield jersey.
▪ Transit. When we build the ballpark, let’s make sure we can get there and back. I love our city’s skyline, but I don’t want to stare at it helplessly while stuck in traffic going to or from the game. When I leave the current stadium complex, I often get shuttled out to streets I don’t know well and must navigate back to the Northland in the dark. St. Louis put its light rail station across the street from Busch Stadium’s main entrance. I’m also not talking about the KC Streetcar. It must be something that would move masses of people a fair distance from the stadium at a reasonable speed, and could also help with everyday commutes. Whether it’s a monorail, heavy rail or something else, we’d need the ability to go to and from the games without gridlock.
▪ Out of left field. I know much of what the stadium needs but admit I’m not perfect. I also think the ballpark is going to need that one thing that truly separates it from every other stadium. Detroit had the flagpole in center field, Houston that silly ramp, Yankee Stadium those arches. It should be visible from the stands and also instantly and unmistakably recognizable.
If we leave Kauffman Stadium behind, let’s not abandon the things that make our stadium great — and let’s ensure the new one is even better.