Royals meet with public about new ballpark district

The Royals held their first public community meeting in front of more than 350 people on Tuesday night to inform and get input on what a new ballpark district in downtown Kansas City would look like.

It was the beginning of the Royals explaining to their fans and the public their vision of where the team will play in the future. Not only is the team looking at the physical ballpark, but at how to make a district that will excite fans of all backgrounds.

“We know this is a big, big decision and one we are not taking lightly,” said Royals owner John Sherman. “We know making a decision for the next 50 years is the most important thing. We want the Royals and Major League Baseball to thrive in this community for years to come.”

The new ballpark is projected to generate $185 million more annually in regional economic output in just the first year of its existence, with around 20,000 new jobs and more than $1 million in labor income, according to Royals senior vice president of business operations Brooks Sherman.

“We are not talking about just a ballpark, but an entire ballpark district,” he said. “We want this to be a hub 365 days a year, not just during the 81 home games during the season.”

• An Open Letter from John Sherman

Kauffman Stadium was built in 1973, and the renovations needed are projected to cost more than building a new ballpark. Renovations would cost around $1.072 billion, while the new ballpark would cost about $1.005 billion.

John Sherman also stressed that taxes in Jackson County would not be raised for this project.

“The bulk of this capital will come from private investors and this ownership group,” he said. “We’re still early on this process, but all of that will be shared in great detail. … It will be a far better investment to build new. … Building a new ballpark with high energy will bring many benefits to this community.”

The new stadium will have about 35,000 seats and a capacity of 38,000 with both sitting and standing views of the game. There is also hope of having numerous other events take place during the year at and around the new ballpark.

“We have looked at 14 different sites in downtown Kansas City,” said Earl Santee, global chair and founder of Populous. “It needs to be more than a ballpark. It’s about what happens before and after the game that makes a community.”

The speakers took questions from the audience for 45 minutes following the presentation. It is the first of many listening tours to come regarding the future of a new stadium.

“To be clear, we want to win a championship again wherever we play,” John Sherman said. “We all want to keep competitive with our peers in our ballpark, too.”