Royals to announce ‘important update’ on downtown stadium. Here’s what we know
The Kansas City Royals are scheduled to announce an “important update” about the team’s future in Kansas City on Wednesday, a long-awaited decision that could mark the culmination of the team’s stadium hunt.
Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman will make the announcement alongside Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas at 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to a release from the team on Tuesday.
The announcement is expected to center on a new Royals downtown stadium, according to two officials scheduled to attend the press conference and an email invitation sent to City Council members on Tuesday. That invitation references a “Bring the Crown Downtown Ballpark Celebration.”
A stadium announcement from the team would come six days after city officials passed an ordinance authorizing City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate a $600 million deal for the Royals to move to Washington Square Park.
The site, which also includes the former Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City building, sits just north of Crown Center and east of Union Station. It’s not yet clear to what extent Crown Center would be included in the project, but Lucas told The Star last week it will at least be part of the team’s broader financial district.
Ahead of the ordinance passing on Thursday, Lucas said he anticipated it was the final step before “a big, fancy announcement” from the Royals.
Two days earlier, as the ordinance progressed through the city’s legislative process, Royals team president Brooks Sherman told reporters, “We think we have a great project that will ultimately come to pass. … We are very appreciative of this process, and we will maintain our work in it.”
The final, fleshed-out deal would still require final approval from city council members, as would a potential community benefits agreement.
The Royals and city officials are also hoping to secure state funding for the Washington Square Park project, but it remains unclear how much money Missouri plans to contribute. The city’s proposal authorizes Vasquez to apply for funding from a sweeping stadium financing package Kehoe signed into law last summer in addition to state tax credits.
Missouri House Speaker Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, said he learned about the press conference in a phone call with Kehoe Tuesday morning. He said he expected it to center on a “framework for a deal” that would bring the Royals near downtown.
“I think there’s a financing package that will be fair to taxpayers and give the taxpayers a chance to take part in the growth that would come from downtown baseball,” Patterson told The Star. “Optimistic about what that can bring, also very happy that the team will be in Missouri and not move out of state.”
Council member Wes Rogers, who represents northern parts of the city, said in an interview that he anticipated a stadium announcement on Wednesday.
“It sounds like we’re bringing baseball downtown,” Rogers said. “I think it’s going to be a really exciting deal for everybody and I can’t wait to get started.”
