Kansas City manager outlines plan to bring Royals to Crown Center
Mario Vasquez, city manager of Kansas City, MO, joins Heart of the Matter to break down the city’s goals and timeline for the Royals’ move to Crown Center
THIS IS HEART OF THE MATTER. THANKS FOR JOINING US. I’M CODY HOLYOKE. THE STADIUM SAGA ENTERS A NEW CHAPTER AFTER YEARS OF WAITING, FAILED VOTES AND PROLONGED TALKS, WE NOW KNOW MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS AND ABOUT THE CHANGES LIKELY IN STORE FOR THE HEART OF KC. JUST NOT HOW WE DREW IT UP. BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE WE WANT IT TO LAND. ROYALS OWNER AND CEO JOHN SHERMAN LED WEDNESDAY’S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. A PARTNERSHIP WITH HALLMARK TO BRING NEW BALLPARK AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT TO CROWN CENTER. THIS IS A PLANNED $3 BILLION DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING A NEW STADIUM AND SURROUNDING ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT COVERING SOME 85 ACRES. THE ROYALS AND HALLMARK WOULD BUILD NEW HEADQUARTERS AS PART OF THE DEAL. SINCE THE BALLPARK IS EXPECTED TO GO WHERE HALLMARK’S CURRENT HQ STANDS NOW, JOHN SHERMAN SAYS TWO THIRDS OF THE FUNDING WOULD COME FROM ROYALS AND PRIVATE INVESTORS, WITH ONE THIRD MADE UP OF PUBLIC COMMITMENTS IN STATE AND LOCAL TAX DOLLARS. SHERMAN TOLD REPORTERS HE COULDN’T PASS UP THIS OPPORTUNITY. LOOK AROUND YOU HERE. THIS IS THIS IS A ONE OF A KIND SITE IN THE CENTER OF A GREAT AMERICAN CITY. THIS IS REALLY HARD TO COME BY. WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. LONG THOUGHT TO BE THE FRONTRUNNER IN TALKS, IS STILL PART OF THIS DEAL, BUT THE BULK OF THE CHANGES ARE COMING TO CROWN CENTER, ALLOWING FOR THAT MUCH LARGER FOOTPRINT. THE ROYALS WILL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THIS WAS NOT THEIR ORIGINAL PLAN, BUT VOTERS SHOT DOWN THE SALES TAX RENEWAL TWO YEARS AGO THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED FUND A MOVE TO THE CROSSROADS. NOW, THIS MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT SEEMS TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT A PUBLIC VOTE EARLIER THIS MONTH. PLANS MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH THE KANSAS CITY COUNCIL SETTING UP AN AGREEMENT FOR A BOND DEAL COVERING UP TO $600 MILLION. THE MONEY WOULD BE PAID BACK THROUGH REVENUE GENERATED BY THE NEW STADIUM DISTRICT, BUT BACKED BY THE GENERAL FUND. JUST IN CASE. THAT ALONE HAS COUNCIL MEMBERS BEING VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT’S DECIDED. REMEMBER, THE COUNCIL HASN’T OFFICIALLY SIGNED OFF ON A DEAL JUST YET. I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE RESIDENTS ONE UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON, THAT WE HAVE TRANSPARENT LEADERSHIP IN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, AND THAT WE’RE ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS. AND HOW IS THIS GOING TO PROVIDE A TRUE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR WHAT HAS ABSOLUTELY HAS BEEN SHARED TODAY IS GOING TO BE A GENERATIONAL INVESTMENT. THE COUNCIL DID DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO HANDLE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TEAM, ALONG WITH SECURING FUNDING THROUGH THE STATE AND LEADING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT RELATED TO THE LEASE AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS. LET’S GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER BY GOING STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE. PLEASE WELCOME BACK KANSAS CITY MANAGER MARIO VAZQUEZ. THANKS FOR BEING HERE DURING WHAT I IMAGINE IS A VERY BUSY TIME FOR YOU AND HAS BEEN IN THE LEAD UP TO THIS. FIRST UP, WALK US THROUGH WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW ON YOUR END. HELP US UNDERSTAND. SURE. I THINK WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL HAS AUTHORIZED ME TO DO OR DIRECTING ME TO DO, IS TO PUT TOGETHER THE FRAMEWORK TO EFFECTUATE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING THE ROYALS INTO DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, WORKING OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE STADIUM IS LOCATED. PRECISELY. THE LAND, LAND TRANSACTIONS, CONSTRUCTION, LEASING, YOU KNOW, HOW WE DEVELOP THE WHOLE THING, WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED, HOW WE MANAGE IT AND HOW WE PAY FOR IT. RIGHT. SO THERE’S A LOT OF WORK THAT THAT GOES INTO PUTTING ALL THOSE PIECES TOGETHER. ONE OF THE SELLING POINTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS, WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM EARLY ON ABOUT KEEPING THEM INTERESTED IN KANSAS CITY, IS THE FACT THAT KANSAS CITY HAS DONE BIG PROJECTS IN THE PAST. YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, THE KC CURRENT STADIUM IS IN PLACE. YOU KNOW, WE ARE DOING A BIG DEVELOPMENT DOWN IN THE WEST BOTTOMS WITH WITH ALL THAT WORK SO WE CAN HANDLE THE BIG PROJECTS. AND SO THIS IS NOT FOREIGN TO US. WE’RE PREPARED TO HANDLE IT. WHAT’S THE TIMELINE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE? WELL, I THINK REALISTICALLY I WANT TO GET THE TEAM PLAYING. AND YOU KNOW, 20, 31 SEASON IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED ABOUT FOUR YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION. SO WE NEED TO GET GOING FAST. SO I THINK YOU’RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF WORK HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER INTO THE FALL. THAT’S A TIGHT WINDOW. IF THEY’RE SAYING THEY WANT TO REALLY BREAK GROUND NEXT YEAR TOO. CORRECT, CORRECT. YEAH. BUT THAT’S WHAT WE INTEND TO PURSUE THIS. YOU’RE ALSO TASKED WITH WORKING TO, TO AT LEAST HAMMER OUT SOME OF THE DETAILS ON A COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT WITH THE TEAM. WHAT NEEDS TO BE ON THAT LIST? WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, FUNDAMENTALLY, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE PROVISIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT, YOU KNOW, JOBS, YOU KNOW, A GOOD WAY TO, TO ENSURE THAT ALL EMPLOYEES OR ALL WORKERS ARE GOING TO PAY, YOU KNOW, A FAIR WAGES AND ALL THAT. THAT’S THAT’S IMPORTANT. THEN FROM THERE, WE FLOW INTO HOW WE MAKE SURE THERE’S TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE ENTERING THAT INDUSTRY. AND THEN FROM THERE, WE FIGURE OUT HOW WE SPILL OUT INTO INTO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. HOW DO WE USE THIS IMPACTFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TO GENERATE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENT IN PEOPLE’S LIVES THROUGHOUT THE CITY? SO THAT’S KIND OF HOW IT FLOWS OUT. THERE IS MAINTENANCE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR PARK SYSTEMS, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WE WOULD PROBABLY LOOK INTO THAT CONCERN THAT WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT JUST PROTECTIONS FOR TAXPAYERS USING HISTORY AS OUR GUIDE WITH POWER AND LIGHT, WITH THE CITY PAYING MILLIONS IN DEBT SERVICE THERE. HOW DO YOU PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING IN THIS CASE, IF REVENUE DOESN’T QUITE GO YOUR WAY ON TIME ON THE SCHEDULE YOU WANT? SURE. WELL, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH DOING THIS AND WE KNOW WHAT WORKS AND WHAT HASN’T WORKED, AND WE’RE GOING TO INTEND TO APPLY THOSE LESSONS HERE. I WILL ALSO NOTE THAT WE’RE DOING A LOT OF OUR OWN HOMEWORK IN THE PAST. SOME PEOPLE TRUST WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE GIVES THEM. YOU KNOW, A CONSULTANT FROM THE DEVELOPER GIVES YOU A PIECE OF INFORMATION. PEOPLE TRUST THAT OR GO WITH IT. WE’RE NOT DOING THAT. WE’RE DOING OUR OWN HOMEWORK. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE’RE GOING TO HAVE IT CHECKED WITH A CONSULTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE’RE MAKING ARE REASONABLE HOUR AND, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATIVE AND PROTECTING, YOU KNOW, TAXPAYERS AND ALL THE FUNDS THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU BRING DIRECTLY TO THE ROYALS AND SAY, HEY, WE JUST NEED PROTECTION ON THIS. THEY THEY KNOW, I MEAN, THEY, THEY KNOW THAT. AND TO THEIR CREDIT, I MEAN, THEY ARE NOT ALSO, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO LET US GO INTO A BAD DEAL EITHER. SO IF THEY IF THEY DON’T FEEL THAT WE HAVE A GOOD FINANCING PACKAGE IN PLACE, IF THEY THINK THEIR INVESTMENT IS AT RISK, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO PULL THE TRIGGER EITHER. THE COUNTY WAS NOTICEABLY ABSENT FROM LAST WEEK’S ANNOUNCEMENT. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WAS NOT ON THE STAGE. I KNOW THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF BAD BLOOD WITH THE ROYALS, CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO. YOU HAVE TO WORK ON FUNDING. DO YOU WORK WITH THE COUNTY IN ANY WAY ON THIS, AND WHAT’S YOUR PLAN WORKING WITH JACKSON COUNTY? WELL, I THINK OUR PLAN IS TO WORK WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE ARE JUST DIFFERENT LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT THAT CAN THAT CAN HELP US WITH THIS PROJECT. YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR AND THE STATE OF MISSOURI, OF COURSE, ARE BIG PLAYERS. THEY’RE THEY’RE THE FOLKS THAT ALLOWED THIS TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE SHOW-ME SPORTS INVESTMENT ACT. THERE ARE THERE’S POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY WITH FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE MIGHT NEED FOR SOME ROADWAY WORK THAT WE DON’T. THERE’S DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS, BUT WE’RE WORKING THROUGH THAT. THE COUNTY CAN BE A PARTNER. I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW. HAVE YOU TALKED TO THEM? WE HAVE TALKED TO THEM. WE’VE TALKED. WE’VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS. NOTHING IS NOTHING THAT FINAL AT THIS POINT. SO BUT I THINK WE WE INTEND TO BE A PARTNER IF IF THE NEED ARISES
Kansas City manager outlines plan to bring Royals to Crown Center
Mario Vasquez, city manager of Kansas City, MO, joins Heart of the Matter to break down the city’s goals and timeline for the Royals’ move to Crown Center
Updated: 10:46 AM CDT Apr 26, 2026