Another day, another dose of drama involving a MLB ballpark project.
As the Rays are wading through local political turbulence in pursuit of their $2.3 billion domed stadium, a seemingly done deal for a new Royals ballpark in downtown Kansas City is facing new problems.
Three months after the Royals unveiled plans for a new $3 billion stadium and entertainment complex in a large-scale pact with greeting cards giant Hallmark, local opponents are attempting to force a citizen vote on $600 million in city funding toward the ballpark.
That public sector contribution has already been approved, but two different activist groups are seeking to force a voter referendum on that outlay. Members of the Missouri Workers Center, a labor advocacy group, disrupted a Monday night zoning meeting about the stadium district, breaking out in chants of “let us vote.”
Similarly, Stand Up KC, another group representing low-wage workers, delivered signatures to City Hall last month in a petition drive seeking to force a vote on the use of taxpayer funds.
