Royals to build $1.9B downtown KC ballpark as part of $3B project with Hallmark Cards

Royals Announce $3 Billion Downtown Stadium Project in Partnership with Hallmark

The Kansas City Royals unveiled plans Wednesday to relocate from Kauffman Stadium to a new $1.9 billion ballpark in downtown Kansas City, anchoring an ambitious $3 billion development project in partnership with Hallmark Cards.

In a press conference near Hallmark headquarters, Royals owner John Sherman joined Hallmark chairman Don Hall Jr., Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to announce the landmark project that will reshape the city’s downtown landscape.

“This is a partnership between two treasured Kansas City institutions,” Sherman said. “We are committed to creating a vision which honors our history, the rich past of both organizations, while reinvigorating and reimagining what our future can be together.”

The 85-acre development will be situated in the Crown Center area, with the stadium as its centerpiece. Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with approximately two-thirds of funding coming from private sources and one-third from public partners, including state funds earmarked for stadium projects.

The announcement follows last week’s Kansas City ordinance authorizing City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate a $600 million deal supporting the Royals’ downtown move. Contrary to earlier speculation that placed the stadium at Washington Square Park next to Union Station, the ballpark will instead be located just south of that area, with the park incorporated into the broader development.

As part of the project, Hallmark plans to construct a new headquarters in the area, which is connected by streetcar to the Power & Light District and T-Mobile Center. The downtown skyline will provide a dramatic backdrop beyond the outfield fence, creating a visual connection to the city’s urban core.

Project officials highlighted the area’s existing public parking infrastructure and convenient highway access as key advantages of the location. The mixed-use development aims to create a vibrant entertainment district that will operate year-round, not just during baseball season.

Missouri’s financial contribution stems from legislation passed last year authorizing bonds for up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums, plus up to $50 million in tax credits per stadium and additional local government support.

“We think it’s a great investment for our Missouri taxpayers, because this does not affect existing programs,” Governor Kehoe explained. “The ripple effect from this facility will truly be far-reaching into rural Missouri and other parts of the state.”

The path to Wednesday’s announcement has been complicated. The Royals’ lease at the Truman Sports Complex expires in 2031, and since purchasing the team in 2019, Sherman has consistently expressed interest in building a downtown ballpark.

A significant setback occurred in April 2024 when Jackson County voters overwhelmingly rejected a sales tax extension that would have funded both Kauffman Stadium’s replacement and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium, home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. That vote forced both franchises to pursue separate paths forward.

While the Kansas legislature aggressively courted the Chiefs with a $2.4 billion bond package to cover 60% of a new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, their interest in the Royals was notably less enthusiastic. The NFL franchise ultimately decided to cross the state line and will also build a new training facility in Olathe, Kansas.

Before selecting the Crown Center location, the Royals considered several alternatives, including sites in Overland Park, Kansas, and across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri, but ultimately decided against those options.

Sherman cited Atlanta’s Truist Park as a model for what’s possible in Kansas City. That stadium was developed through a public-private partnership that included bond issuances, transportation taxes, business contributions, and team investment, totaling more than $1.1 billion for the ballpark and The Battery mixed-use development.

“There are many great ballpark neighborhoods in Major League Baseball,” Sherman noted, “but this is a bigger project with more land in downtown and in the heart of the city. We are bringing a modern, state-of-the-art ballpark experience to our fans, closer to our public transportation and where more people work and live.”

The project comes despite economists’ long-standing conclusions that public stadium subsidies rarely deliver sufficient economic benefits to justify their cost, as they typically redistribute economic activity rather than expanding the overall economy. Nevertheless, most professional sports venues in America—49 of the 60 used by MLB or NFL teams—are publicly owned or situated on public land.