Recap: Royals give details on $2B downtown stadium district, taxpayer impact, timeline

The first stop on the Royals’ listening tour surrounding a potential downtown stadium district began on Tuesday at the Plexpod Westport Commons in Kansas City.

The Royals previously announced they would be holding the event following the release of an open letter penned by Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman — which expressed the desire to move into a new stadium in or near downtown.

The letter put a $2 billion price tag on the entire ballpark district, which would include a stadium, restaurants and shops, office spaces, hotels and housing, including affordable housing options. Sherman also said the Royals would work with local officials to ensure adequate public-transportation options.

The Kansas City Star had several reporters in attendance for the first stop on the listening tour to discuss the proposed stadium district. The Royals did take questions on the project, though they were submitted ahead of time and read off cards. Overall, there were around a couple hundred attendees.

Here are live updates from the Tuesday session...

The listening tour begins

The Royals added that around 1/3 of attendance comes from Kansas City and Jackson Country — and that there is about a 50-50 split of fans from Missouri vs. elsewhere.

When will the new stadium move forward?

Brooks Sherman, Royals COO, said the earliest a stadium could go to a vote in Jackson County would be August 2023.

To this point, there is no timetable proposed for the new ballpark, the Royals said.

A more concrete note: The Royals plan to remain in Kansas City. The final question John Sherman was asked was if he could make a promise that the Royals wouldn’t leave Kansas City, Mo.

“We can do that,” John Sherman said.

Royals say they’ve looked at 14 sites downtown

John Sherman pointed out new ballparks in Atlanta, Denver, Minnesota, San Diego, D.C. and St. Louis as examples of cities that built “new vibrant ballparks and benefit from their location ... creating transformational change in their communities.”

The Royals emphasized that women-owned and minority-owned businesses “will be central to the mix of the ballpark district.”

The Royals have not yet decided on an exact downtown location. “We are still in the stages of determining where” the stadium will be, said Sarah Tourville, Royals senior vice president of business operations.

The Royals added they have looked at 14 potential sites around downtown. Sherman also said the Royals are looking at affordable housing solutions both in the potential district and outside of it via Royals charities and general philanthropy.

The $2 billion price tag

Brooks Sherman has clarified how much of the $2 billion price tag assigned to the project is for the stadium — and how much is for the district. Per the Royals, it is approximately a $1 billion/$1 billion even split.

Sarah Dempster, a principal at Populous, said it will cost as much to upgrade and renovate Kauffman ($1 billion) as it would to build a new ballpark.

The Royals also showed a slide that estimated a $1.072 billion cost to renovate Kauffman Stadium, compared to a $1.005 billion cost for a new stadium. The slide also said it would take at least two years longer for renovations.

Earl Santee, global chair and founder of Populous, said 70 percent of Kauffman Stadium would have to be replaced, including the entire lower bowl, if it remains the home of the Royals for the next 50 years.

The Royals also say “the bulk of this capital will be private” — as compared to public dollars.

John Sherman added that private capital will take care of a major part of the stadium and all of the ballpark district. He was later asked why taxpayers should foot part of the bill.

“We are asking we do this together,” John Sherman said. “You will hold us accountable to deliver benefits on your behalf. We will be beside you with a very significant investment.”

Stadium details

The first specifics on the potential size and capacity of the future stadium have been shared.

Santee said a new stadium would seat around 38,000, with 34,000-35,000 permanent seats plus standing room capacity of 3,500. Santee also said the Royals would need around 10,000-11,000 parking spaces, while noting downtown currently has around 55,000 existing spaces.

The Royals have also launched a new website for the project that includes details about what the stadium could look like.

“We envision incorporating our Kansas City fountains, the Royals’ crown, and our team’s rich traditions and history in a new ballpark district,” says the website. “We will marry the traditions of The K with a vastly improved experience for our fans.”

John Sherman addressed the look of the future stadium on Tuesday, saying of the design: “We plan to bring our history with us.”

The on-field product

The Royals have yet to make a big splash in free agency or via trade this offseason, which is in part by design. The Star’s Lynn Worthy was in San Diego for Winter Meetings and detailed the Royals’ offseason strategy, which will involve banking on internal improvement. That being said...

“I’d watch the wire over the next couple days,” said John Sherman. “We could be adding some pitching talent.”

John Sherman was also asked why “a perpetual last-place team” would deserve a new stadium. He responded that youth develops and, when time is right, he will invest heavily in the on-field product, adding that whatever revenue comes from this new endeavor will go into the team.

• The Star’s Lynn Worthy, Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell contributed to this story.