KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals’ quest to move to a new downtown ballpark cleared a major hurdle on Wednesday when the Kansas City city council approved a $600 million commitment to help make it happen.The club announced in April that it planned to partner with Hallmark Cards on a $3 billion project to create a mixed-use development, with the new stadium as the centerpiece.The city council’s decision sets the general structure for how the city will finance its share of the investment, though there are still several more steps to navigate. The city could approve the creation of a tax increment finance district that would redirect a portion of the tax revenue in the district back into redevelopment in the area.The Royals have pledged to pay for $760 million of the estimated costs. The club and the city will also try to secure an additional $540 million from the state government.
“This step advances what will be the largest public-private economic development project in Kansas City,“ Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman said in a statement. “It will bring Royals baseball to the center of our city, creating jobs, housing and year-round economic activity, advancing Kansas City’s terrific momentum.”The goal is to break ground on the $1.9 billion stadium sometime in 2027, with the chance that it could be done in time for the 2030 baseball season.
