Royals Reveal Rendering Videos for New Stadiums in Downtown, North Kansas City

The Kansas City Royals revealed videos and renderings of what potential new stadiums in two possible locations—the East Village downtown area and North Kansas City—would look like on Tuesday.

"In the fall of 2021, we announced that we were undertaking a diligent, deliberate, and transparent process to explore the possibility of a new ballpark district," the team wrote in a statement announcing downtown and North Kansas City as the two locations being considered. "We said we would look at various locations across the city that will allow for residential, commercial, and community components."

In Nov. 2022, Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman wrote a letter to the organization's fans, announcing the decision to build a new stadium and leave Kauffman Stadium—which has served as the team's home since 1973—behind.

He noted at the time that maintaining Kauffman Stadium had grown difficult.

"The renovations required at The K to achieve our objectives would cost as much or more than the price tag to develop a new ballpark," Sherman said. "A new home would be a far better investment, both for the local taxpayer dollars already supporting our facility and for the Kansas City community."

The cost of the new stadium project was estimated to be around $2 billion, with about half of that coming from private investment, per the team's projections.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred threw his support behind both of the new proposed stadium locations.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for this community—forget the Royals," he told reporters. "Either of these sites are outstanding sites for a new ballpark. Either present the opportunity for entertainment district development around the ballpark."

There has been pushback in Kansas City to the project, however, with many workers worrying that the jobs the Royals are promising will be low level, poorly-paid opportunities, and concerns about the new stadium ushering in a wave of gentrification and pushing long-term residents out of their current homes as landlords raise rents.

The new stadium is expected to take around three years to complete, meaning the Royals could have new digs by the 2027 or 2028 season.