Royals plan adds Hallmark’s crown to downtown ballpark: ‘Kansas City’s forever’
April 22, 2026 | Tommy Felts
Royals fans celebrate outside Union Station, looking east toward Crown Center and Washington Square Park, in November 2015 during a victory parade after the Kansas City team won the World Series; photo by Bobby Burch, Startland News
A partnership unveiled Wednesday would use billions in private investment and economic development dollars to bring Royals baseball to Crown Center — creating an 85-acre development surrounding a park-like central square with fountains, officials from the baseball club and Hallmark Cards announced.
“When the new Royals stadium opens at Crown Center, something proud will come full circle,” said Don Hall Jr., executive chairman of the board of directors for Hallmark Cards. “The iconic Royals crown that Hallmark created will return to the very neighborhood where it was conceived. Every time a fan walks through the stadium doors, they’ll be standing in a place shaped by Kansas City and Hallmark’s creative spirit.”
The announcement came amid months of speculation that the Royals would select a smaller site nearby at Washington Square Park. The city of Kansas City, Missouri, passed a funding plan last week with heavy support from officials for a site near Union Station.
The just-named Crown Center location would include a world-class ballpark, a mixed-use development, and reimagined headquarters for both the Royals and Hallmark. Company officials called the plan unprecedented for a professional sports project, and noted the expected private investment of $2 billion or more would be the largest in Kansas City history.
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“Our founder Ewing Kauffman wanted the Royals to be Kansas City’s forever, and he wanted the team to benefit his hometown as much as possible,” said John Sherman, CEO and chairman of the Kansas City Royals. “Joining Hallmark with this project achieves both and extends the Hall family’s critical legacy of helping Kansas City grow.”
Don Hall Jr., executive chairman of the board of directors for Hallmark Cards, and John Sherman, CEO and chairman of the Royals, provide greater context to new renderings by Populous of a new ballpark at Crown Center; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland NewsSherman and Hall have known and worked together for decades, including through each family’s civic and philanthropic efforts that have touched all corners of their shared hometown, the Royals said in a press release.
“That trust and mutual respect proved critical in creating a possibility that nobody would have imagined even a year ago,” the release said.
RENDERINGS: Here’s how Royals’ Crown Center ballpark changeup could stitch KC spirit into downtown
A timeline for the massive sports and entertainment district has not yet been announced, although phase 1 is expected to break ground in 2027. The total project would be funded primarily by the Royals and other private investors and supplemented by public funding from the City of Kansas City and Missouri’s Show-Me Sports Investment Act.
“The public-private partnership between Hallmark, the Royals, Kansas City and our state ensures we connect our neighborhoods, keeps our downtown vibrant and maintains big league baseball in our city for generations to come,” said Quinton Lucas, mayor of Kansas City, Missouri.
John Sherman, CEO and chairman of the Kansas City Royals, chats with J.J. Picollo, executive vice president and general manager, in the Royals dugout on opening weekend at Truist Park in Atlanta, a stadium designed by Earl Santee, senior principal at Kansas City-based Populous, which is expected to lead design for Kansas City’s new ballpark at Crown Center; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
If the Crown Center project comes to fruition as announced, it would complete a years-long quest by the Royals to bring downtown baseball to Kansas City. A push to relocate the ballpark from the Truman Sports Complex to the Crossroads Arts District boasted significant support from regional leaders, but ultimately failed when put to Jackson County voters in 2024.
Earl Santee, Populous; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
That plan involved a new ballpark district as envisioned by acclaimed sports designer Earl Santee, senior principal at Kansas City’s Populous, who either designed or renovated two dozen of the 30 MLB stadiums, including Truist Park in Atlanta, Target Field in Minneapolis, and PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
While the Royals have been tight-lipped about the ballpark’s future location until this week, Sherman has repeatedly referenced working on new plans with Santee to bring the project to life once announced. Populous designs were released as part of a press conference Wednesday morning to announce additional details about the project.
“Most great ballpark sites aren’t easily found — they’re earned through vision, persistence and imagination,” Santee said in a statement Wednesday. “We are honored to support the Royals in their pursuit of downtown excellence. This site represents a rare opportunity to deliver the next great ballpark, one that not only defines a new era for the franchise but also serves as a powerful catalyst for downtown KC’s continued renaissance.”
A rendering shows the 10-minute walk radius around the Royals ballpark district, which includes access to the KC Streetcar; rendering courtesy of Populous
Among the topics expected to concern Kansas Citians as the development takes shape: parking for the new ballpark district.
Royals officials already are touting the Crown Center site’s proximity to the KC Streetcar line, which would connect ballpark visitors to “ample parking within a 10-minute walk.”
“My grandfather always believed a great city depends on having great transportation,” Hall said Wednesday, referencing Hallmark founder J.C. Hall. “Crown Center is centered between I-35, I-670 and Highway 71. It’s adjacent to to the railroads, to the streetcar, and currently has more than 9,000 parking places, just within our 85-acre Crown Center campus.”
“The Royals stadium will take advantage of all this existing infrastructure,” he added.
Click here to check out parking options along the KC Streetcar route.
Crown Center, Hospital Hill, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri, United States
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