NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Another potential Kansas City Royals stadium location could be out of the mix.
In response to a report that Kansas lawmakers are no longer interested in bringing a new Royals stadium to the Sunflower State, Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said North Kansas City is also taking their ball and going home.
“I absolutely loathe the business of baseball,” Withington shared in a Facebook post Wednesday. “Like Kansas, I’m done negotiating with the Kansas City Royals. Last year, we were told the team wanted to be on the November 2025 ballot. We worked in good faith all summer to make that happen.”
KCTV reached out to the Royals for comment. A club spokesperson said negotiations for the club are not done, but “we do not have anything public to share on this.”
“As the August deadline approached, we were then told they wanted to move to the April 2026 ballot at the earliest,” Withington said. “(Thursday) was the deadline we gave the team to meet that timeline. They’ve now told us they aren’t ready for that either.”
Withington continued: “At some point, you stop negotiating — and start being honest about what’s actually happening. For me, the Royals’ situation in Clay County is now a closed chapter. It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control — either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one.”
Withington’s comments indicate a souring of interest from the Clay County side of things toward one of the three listed options for possible stadium locations the Royals have said they’re exploring.
In late 2025, the team sent out a survey to season-ticket holders asking about their preferences for stadium locations between an Overland Park location in Johnson County, a North Kansas City location in Clay County or a downtown Kansas City location in Jackson County.
Kansas’ lack of supposed interest in bringing the Royals into play comes after lawmakers agreed to a preliminary term sheet to bring the Kansas City Chiefs to Kansas City, Kansas, in 2031.
As Withington shared a lack of interest in continuing negotiations with the club, Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota told KCTV on Dec. 31, 2025, that the county continues to converse with the Royals.
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