City leaders push Royals, Hallmark HQ plans toward full council vote; mayor calls deal a ‘home run’ for KC

Advancing two agreements that would keep Royals baseball in Kansas City for another 30 years — as well as retain the global headquarters of Hallmark Cards — marks a base path toward victory, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, hyping a unanimous vote Tuesday by the city council’s finance committee.

(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) A rendering of the center outfield at the future of Royals stadium at Crown Center; rendering courtesy of Populous

Leaders approved Ordinances 260704 and 260705, which Lucas noted will support the baseball club’s efforts to reimagine the Crown Center district with a state-of-the-art downtown stadium and events venue. The $3 billion plan is contingent on support from the city, which is considering proposed funding of $600 million toward the project.

The ballpark would open in April 2030, based on the current timeline.

“Today is a home run for Kansas City,” Lucas said Tuesday. “The Royals and Hallmark downtown will bring millions of people to our city core, build thousands of jobs in the heart of our region, and will extend benefits to every corner of Kansas City and our area.”

Click here to explore details of the proposed stadium funding agreement.

The Royals on Tuesday also released new renderings of the future stadium, including concept designs for the outfield plaza and overall field.

A stadium rendering from left field at the future of Royals ballpark at Crown Center; rendering courtesy of Populous

While Tuesday’s committee vote was unanimous, public input on the plan has been mixed, with contentious objections from critics — many of whom voiced concerns about transparency, the speed at which the deal is being pulled together, and the details of the funding plan itself.

RELATED: Altercation breaks out as Kansas City leaders head toward Royals stadium vote

A rendering of the outfield plaza at the future of Royals stadium at Crown Center; rendering courtesy of Populous

The agreements approved Tuesday chart the path for the largest economic development project in Kansas City history, Lucas said, specifically pointing to impacts like enhanced focus on youth sports, the arts community, and the city’s Negro Leagues baseball heritage.

The mayor also said the proposed funding plan protects taxpayers better than the previous Jackson County lease agreement for Kauffman Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex. By using revenues from the project and the adjacent area with support from the State of Missouri, costs currently owed by the taxpayers of Jackson County — such as insurance and maintenance — will be shifted to the team, he said.

Under the agreements, the Royals also would hold Kansas City Public Schools harmless, Lucas said, “and remain committed to paying the best wages for any regional professional sports franchise for service workers and have agreed to terms for higher wages with the Service Employees International Union.”

RELATED: Worker groups seek common ground on proposed new Royals ballpark

“Rising cities retain their teams, retain key businesses and jobs, ensure great wages, and take care of the basics,” Lucas said. “This August, Kansas City has authorized billions of dollars into infrastructure, millions into affordable housing, and historic preservation, and ensures today that we can walk and chew gum — building a better life for every Kansas Citian and making sure our city is a place people want to come and want to be.”

Terrence Wise, a Kansas City leader for Missouri Workers Power, holds a protest sign during a July community engagement meeting on rezoning parts of the Crown Center neighborhood for a future Royals ballpark; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

The ordinance authorizing agreements could receive a full council vote as early as Thursday, Aug. 19. The ballpark project’s zoning authorization is set for a Sept. 3 vote.

Some critics of the Royals’ plans have called for a public vote on whether taxpayers should support the baseball club’s relocation.

A previous sales tax ballot question on whether to back the club’s planned move from Kauffman Stadium to a site in the Crossroads Arts District failed in 2024. Opponents at the time questioned the Royals’ transparency throughout the process, with community and activist groups successfully turning the vote into a referendum on public funding for corporate projects.