KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Businesses within the Stadium Impact Area are split on the plans for the downtown Royals ballpark.
Last week, Kansas City Council the approved the rezoning and tax increment financing ordinances to pay for the project.
Estimated at $1.4 billion paid back over 30 years, the bonds would help fund the construction of the ballpark and surrounding area.
To pay it off, the council approved a Stadium Impact Area, more than four square miles surrounding the ballpark site, where some extra tax revenue from things like dining, hotels, game-day parking, and utilities would help pay back the loans.
Any existing tax revenue will continue to be used for city revenue. But additional tax revenue, including increases in prices, changes for inflation, or new businesses, would help pay for the new stadium.
Some businesses in the Crossroads are excited for the new site, like City Barrel Brewing. The restaurant and bar is about a 15-20 minute walk from Crown Center.
“It’s a wonderful arts district, a place for people to come and gather; we get a lot of tourists in this area,” Manager Cat Brown-Koenig said.
Brown-Koenig said the visitors to the stadium and Kansas City will be good for nearby businesses.
“We’re hoping, you know, local Kansas City fans will come out and explore our neighborhood as well as out-of-towners, you know, people from the opposing teams coming and visiting and seeing what Kansas City has to offer,” Brown-Koenig said.
But other local businesses, like Arizona Trading Company, say they didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“I don’t think it’s okay that we didn’t have a say in it at all. And I think that it’s horrible that local businesses have to take the brunt of that,” Co-owner Venus Nichols said.
Nichols said she moved her business, a vintage resale shop, to the Crossroads because of its vibrant arts and culture community.
“Nobody wants to pay that extra tax,” Nichols said.
The district expands to Stateline Road to the west, east to 71 Highway and Prospect Ave, north to I-670 and south to roughly 31st Street. That includes the Crossroads, Union Hill, and a portion of the West Bottoms neighborhoods.
The Royals hope to construct and finish the downtown ballpark by opening day of 2030.