Downtown ballpark proposed for Kansas City Royals

When Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals won the World Series in 2015, the city celebrated at Union Station and Washington Square Park.

Since then, the location has hosted multiple Super Bowl celebrations and was the shining star of the NFL Draft.

With its magical connection to victories, a group of Downtown Business owners envision an even greater civic win: a downtown home for the KC Royals. The team currently plays at Kauffman Stadium but has been considering a move to a new ballpark.

In January 2024, independent of the Royals, the City and County, Vince Bryant, CEO of 3D Development, assembled a team of architects, real estate brokers, attorneys and PR professionals to conduct a deep investigation to see if Washington Square Park could achieve the goals of both community and Royals.

This team includes 3D Development, BNIM Architects, Cushman Wakefield, Withers Brant and Highline Partners.

To achieve both community and team goals, the site must:

– Benefit local businesses across the largest footprint possible

– Deliver significant cost savings across the board

– Have both abundant parking and easy access via public transportation

– Be welcoming to families as a safe and fun destination

The key focus of the SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition – and all SVB LIVE events – is to elevate and innovate the live experience through architecture & design, fan experience, hospitality, premium sales & service, technology, sustainability and venue commercialisation.

Bryant said:

We didn’t believe that the vote was the end of the story. As Crossroads businesses, we understood the concerns of our neighbours, but we also believed in the Royals’ desire to create something transformational for the city. After months of due diligence, which included sharing it quietly with our neighbours, we feel confident that this is a great home for the Royals.

Steve McDowell, Principal BNIM, added:

It didn’t take long to see that this is the right site for the Royals and the people of Kansas City. For more than 50 years, we’ve worked in the Union Station District and a new ballpark here would leverage so many existing public and private assets. Even more, it connects to a civic tradition of what began two-miles east at the historic Municipal Stadium. This is the last piece of the puzzle in finishing the heart of the city.

After months of due diligence, the team has concluded the following:

Top key benefits

• Zero business displacements and disruptions, and only one building demolition (former Blue Cross building, which will be vacated in 2025)
• Unparalleled access by all modes of transportation, whether you walk, ride, drive, bike or roll

Access

• The new ballpark would be in the heart of the expanding KC Streetcar line: 15 minutes to UMKC and the Plaza (south), and 15 minutes to Berkley waterfront & KC Current Stadium (north)
• The Streetcar could serve up to 5,000 fans per game day
• Nine highway access points in all directions within a 6-9 block radius
• Convergence of eight four-lane roadways surround the park
• Potential of future commuter and regional rail service direct to Union Station

Parking

Nearly 19,000 parking stalls within a four-block radius

Hotel, hospitality and entertainment

• Direct connection to Union Station, Liberty Memorial, Crown Center and Crossroads Arts District
• More than 1,700 hotel rooms within a four-block radius, plus 4,500 more downtown
• Walking distance to hundreds of existing local retail/restaurant/bar establishments as well as Power and Light District
• Connections to family-friendly attractions: Science City, Legoland, KC Ballet, Sea Life Aquarium, KC Wheel, Coterie Theater and more
• Planned continued use of Washington Park area as public plaza and game day assembly and activation
• Adjacent and activating toward the existing 47-acre Liberty Memorial Park

National exposure

• Reinforces the City’s National Reputation
• As host to the NFL Draft and the future FIFA World Cup Fan Festival, the site has proven to be one of the city’s most iconic backdrops
• With downtown as the backdrop, aerial coverage will show off the city in a way that supersedes any other potential location and spur even more national interest and outside investment

Image and source courtesy of BNIM and https://www.welovekcbaseball.com

Sports Venue Business has launched a raft of new offerings under the SVB LIVE banner, including Networking Events & a Webinar Series, culminating in the annual SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition, being held at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, on October 9th and 10th, with an Opening Night Icebreaker at Aviva Stadium on October 8th, 2024.