KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals are leaving Kauffman Stadium behind. In one of the most consequential announcements in Kansas City sports history, the franchise revealed plans to build a $1.9 billion downtown ballpark at Washington Square Park — a stone’s throw from Union Station — as the centerpiece of a sweeping $3 billion mixed-use development in partnership with Hallmark Cards.
Royals owner John Sherman made the announcement alongside Hallmark chairman Don Hall Jr., Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. The project would transform the iconic Crown Center neighborhood, including Hallmark’s corporate headquarters, into a year-round hub of entertainment, retail, housing, and tourism anchored by a state-of-the-art stadium. A 2031 opening is targeted, with groundbreaking expected as early as September 2027.
The Kansas City Council’s Finance Committee approved two ordinances committing up to $600 million in city funds toward the project, primarily through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to be paid off through redirected economic activity from the stadium district. Public sources in total would cover roughly 60% of the project’s $1.9 billion price tag, with the Royals contributing the remaining share.
“When completed, it will be the largest single economic development project in the history of Downtown Kansas City,” Mayor Lucas said.
Not everyone is cheering. The Missouri Workers Center has opposed the plan, citing the $600 million in public financing approved without a public vote. Organizers with Stand Up KC gathered thousands of signatures in an attempt to force a public referendum on the incentives, and some council members have raised questions about the fiscal structure. Critics also note that the Royals will bear no obligation to repay the bonds, leaving the city responsible for any shortfalls.
The news comes as the Kansas City Chiefs complete their own move to a new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, where the state legislature committed $2.4 billion in bonds to lure the NFL franchise across the state line.
