The Kansas City Plan Commission has unanimously approved the rezoning of the Crown Center area to pave the way for a $3 billion ballpark district for the Kansas City Royals.
KCUR said the Kansas City Royals and Hallmark Cards will move forward with rezoning of Crown Center for a future 85-acre Royals ballpark district.
Planning officials said the zoning request will be the first step in the redevelopment process.
Rezoning is the legal process where a local government changes the official use category of a piece of land or property. This shifts what owners can legally build or do there.
The Kansas City Plan Commission included two conditions, asking the team to maintain the same parking arrangements for the residents of San Francisco Tower, as well as a visual noise and light study, which would be available to the public.
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri (US). The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League Central Division.
The Royals currently play at the 40,793-seat Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri (US).
Commissioner Matt Hasek said Kansas City could benefit from the future mixed-use entertainment district with a stadium that is more connected to the neighborhood.
He said, “The southern portion of Crown Center has had a lack of activation for many years. This has the potential to sort of bring the success of the northern half of Crown Center into the southern half.”
Brooks Sherman, Royals president for real estate and development, said the stadium construction and the redevelopment of Crown Center would occur at the same time.
Future redevelopment plans will include renovating current buildings around Crown Center, creating new commercial structures and a large apartment complex.
The Royals had been weighing several options for a new ballpark in recent months. But they ultimately rejected an option in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and allowed a deadline to pass for a site north of downtown and across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri.
The Royals expect to break ground at Crown Center in 2027 with a target date of opening for the 2030 season, although their lease at the Truman Sports Complex isn’t up until after the 2030 season.
While Commissioner Tyler Enders echoed support, he also hopes for stronger communication between the developers and the residents who live in and around Crown Center.
Enders said, “I feel as though this project is a huge win for Kansas City, for this area, for this neighborhood, for the community, for the region.
“The one thing that I really want to see that would make this even easier would be fantastic communication.”
City staff told the commissioners that the plan received 63 letters of support and eight letters in opposition to the project.
Residents who expressed their disapproval with the project believe the motion was rushed, and the proposal fails to answer how lighting and noise from the stadium will affect residential quality of life.
San Francisco Tower resident David Byrn, who would be surrounded by the rezoning area, said, “Imagine what that means for us living there. And the reality is, yes, you do have to imagine because there’s no photometric study submitted, there’s no lighting plan.
“If we’re going to build a project of this magnitude, shouldn’t we get it right for our residents and our city?”
Local business leaders and labor unions said that the project would create more jobs and serve as a long-term investment in the city.
“This will create more opportunities for our apprentices,” said Ralph Oropeza of the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council. “We are pleading with this commission for the passage of the rezoning so that we can build a momentous, once-in-a-lifetime creation.”
Ronald McDonald House and Children’s Mercy Hospital filed letters in support of the rezoning proposal.
Alejandro Quiroga, president and CEO of Children’s Mercy, wrote, “The goal is not to choose between progress and access. It is to ensure we achieve both.
“A new Royals stadium has the potential to serve as more than a venue for baseball. If planned thoughtfully and implemented responsibly, it can contribute to a stronger future for residents, businesses, visitors and families alike.”
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