Royals baseball is beginning a new chapter of downtown baseball in Kansas City, Missouri, breaking ground on an 85-acre and $3 billion project next year with a brand new stadium as the key feature, revealed by a press release from owner John Sherman, and word from mayor Quinton Lucas. Many fans around Kansas City and Staley High School are excited about the release
“I like the idea; I think it’ll make the stadium cooler, having the backdrop be of downtown KC,” junior Owen McKenna said. “I’ll come down to many games no matter where I’m at.”
The Royals will be leaving Kauffman Stadium, the fourth-oldest in the MLB, to a new extensive project, partnering with Hallmark Cards. The stadium will be located in the Crown Center area, just south of Washington Square Park, providing a view of the city’s backdrop behind the outfield wall.
“I am proud of the steps we have taken to build a strong future for Royals baseball in Downtown Kansas City,” mayor Quinton Lucas said during the announcement. “The Royals are staying home, and they are building a new home at the center of our region’s culture, arts, vibrance, and entrepreneurial success. This is the best in public-private partnership — funded by baseball and development, with no new tax increases, and with the kind of conservative fiscal management Kansas City families deserve. We are the visionaries of today, and we are changing Kansas City for the better.”
With the Royals lease in Truman Sports Complex expiring in 2031, the organization will have the time to construct the stadium and the surrounding business district. The idea of downtown baseball has been tossed around before, but this new project from the organization is intent on providing a better and more accessible fan experience, while also establishing a business link with Hallmark Cards.
“We have teamed up with Hallmark Cards on a transformative project that will include a new ballpark at Crown Center, mixed use development in the surrounding 85 acres, and reimagined headquarters for the Royals and Hallmark,” Royals owner John Sherman said in a press release.
While there is no defined plan for the stadium itself, Sherman’s plan for the franchise was to bring downtown baseball to the city, similar to the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park or the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field, following the format of a centerpiece stadium with mixed use development from leftover funds. This location wasn’t the first pick for the Royals, as other options for relocation including Overland Park and North Kansas City eventually were rejected, resulting in Sherman’s vision of a stadium in downtown Kansas City to come through. The location’s design allows for easy walkability and access to public parking while also extending the streetcar route as a result of Hallmark using the opportunity to build their new headquarters by the stadium. Funding for the stadium is split by funding from public sources and private investors with some money coming from the state endowed for stadium projects.
“We are committed to creating a vision which honors our history, the rich past of both organizations, while reinvigorating and reimagining what our future can be together,” Sherman said.
With the 2026 season not off to the best start, the news of a change of scenery for Royals baseball will be a breath of fresh air for fans and the organization, with the main purpose of the relocation to bring a modern baseball experience closer to the city and its fans. It has been undecided when the completion of the stadium will be, so the team will continue to play in Kaufman until the lease expires.
“I think it’s decent,” sophomore Maddax Healy said. “We need to keep Crown Vision and the fountains, but overall it’s not a bad beginning of a new stadium for our team.”
The Royals currently represent a team built around young players like superstar shortstop Bobby Witt, Jr., and slugging first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, along with impressive rookies like Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone. This new stadium is just a part of the Royals future, representing what the franchise hopes to be a successful future.
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