Greg Dailey | KCTV 5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Before the Kansas City Royals took the field for their home opener on March 30, owner John Sherman reiterated the team had made progress on selecting its final site for a new stadium.

According to Sherman, the three finalists remained the Kansas side of the state line, North Kansas City and Kansas City, Missouri.

At Thursday’s City Council meeting, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is expected to propose a funding plan for building a $1.9 billion stadium at Washington Square Park.

Under the ordinance, the City would commit up to $600 million through bonding, financed primarily through economic activity redirections from the stadium and surrounding development, according to the mayor’s office. The proposed district would be funded with no new taxes, have a 30-year lease and a community benefits agreement toward parks across Kansas City, Missouri.

“The new Royals Downtown Stadium is not just a stadium development. When completed, it will be the largest single economic development project in the history of Downtown Kansas City,” Lucas said. “The project, with a current estimated investment of $1.9 billion into our city’s workers, our businesses, and our Downtown, will deliver tens of thousands of guests to Downtown Kansas City 81 additional nights per year, and will have more than 300 days per year of year-round engagement, tourist activity, and conference, concert, and special event activation.”Default Mono Sans Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsDefault X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large XX-LargeDefault Outline Dark Outline Light Outline Dark Bold Outline Light Bold Shadow Dark Shadow Light Shadow Dark Bold Shadow Light BoldDefault Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Default Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%

With a 2031 opening target, Sherman jas said the Royals need to break ground by September 2027.

The team released a statement following the mayor’s announcement:

“The Kansas City Royals appreciate the work of our City’s leadership — the Mayor, City Manager, and City Council — as they take important steps toward continued economic development for our city. We are grateful for their engagement in this process, as well as for the critical work of the State of Missouri, and look forward to more detailed conversations as we consider solutions that are best for our team, our fans, and our community.”

The ordinance, if approved, would authorize City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate and execute a term sheet and to continue work toward a lease and development agreement, a release stated.

Background

The Royals and Chiefs have shared a lease at the Truman Sports Complex for decades, but their current contract expires in 2031.

The Royals stadium situation remains undecided after voters in Jackson County shot down a proposal to extend the 3/8-cent sales tax in April 2024 to approve a stadium in the Crossroads.

Sherman had previously expressed a desire to build a stadium in downtown Kansas City, selecting that area over a site in North Kansas City. The Royals owner has previously stated the entire stadium and ballpark district project would cost $2 billion and that the club will commit to only $1 billion in private funding.

In June 2025, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law legislation that would authorize state funding for up to 50 percent of stadium projects for the Chiefs and Royals.

But in December, the Chiefs announced they would build a domed stadium across state lines in Kansas.