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Royals President of Real Estate and Development Brooks Sherman and Populous Senior Principal and Founder Earl Santee shared new insights and updates on the design of the Kansas City Royals new downtown ballpark.
The renderings show there will be four decks of seating at the new stadium, with approximately 34,000 seats and about 3,000 standing-room-only options.
Populous said the new development will be authentic to Kansas City and a once-in-a-generation site.
Royals/Populous
The West Plaza, the gate fans will enter from if they take the streetcar or if they park to the south of the ballpark, was inspired by architecture around Kansas City. It will feature a limestone base with terracotta and metal cladding.
The home plate entrance will be bring fans in at the top of the upper deck.
In an effort to connect the stadium to the city, downtown buildings will be a key feature in the view from behind home plate.
Royals/Populous
“It’s also going to be a more intimate ballpark with all fans at all levels being closer to the field. There will be more club and premium spaces, greater circulation around the ballpark and more,” said Brooks Sherman, Royals president of real estate and development. “Player development facilities will also be greatly improved and expanded”
Leaders called this one of MLB’s most unique ballparks because it straddles downtown and the Longfellow neighborhood.
Santee said his goal in designing the stadium was to make it seem like the stadium had been in place forever.
“It will enhance a lot of the existing assets we have in this area,” Santee explained. “It’ll enhance Crown Center, Union Station, the Crossroads Arts District, Liberty Memorial and enhance the neighborhoods so they feel like this building belongs in this place.”
Royals/Populous
The new stadium will lean on the nostalgia of Kauffman Stadium. Royals CEO and Chairman John Sherman said the team incorporated feedback from fans who said they wanted CrownVision and fountains in the new stadium.
“CrownVision will be here, but in a bigger and better way,” Sherman said. “You said you wanted fountains, fountains will be a signature feature of this ballpark.”
Those traditional pieces are music to Ciara Slater’s ears. She loves Kauffman Stadium.
Royals reveal plans for new downtown KCMO ballpark; baseball fans react
She likes the renderings the team released Thursday, but isn’t quite ready to face the facts the Royals will leave Kauffman.
“Looking at the pictures, it’s going to be nice, it’s going to be worth it. If I can get over my feelings on the history, I think I can approve,” she admitted.
The stadium will cost $1.2 billion dollars. A new team headquarters and infrastructure improvements will round out the total stadium project costs to about $1.9 billion.
Kansas City, Missouri, has agreed to pay $600 million of that cost. The team is also asking the state of Missouri to contribute more than $500 million in the public private partnership.
RELATED | KCMO City Council approves rezoning, financing details for new Royals stadium downtown
Separately, the team will invest another $1 billion in improvements Crown Center, Westin, Sheraton and an entertainment district around the stadium.
Even Cardinals fan Dave Thein, who works near the stadium site at roughly 25th Street and Gillham Road, approves of the renderings.
“I’m all for it, but I don’t know where everybody is going to park,” he said.
Santee and Brooks Sherman reassured there is enough existing parking around the stadium. They also expect fans to walk, bike and ride the streetcar to the stadium.
The team plans to keep Washington Square Park as green space to add to the neighborhood feel of the stadium.
The Royals are targeting a June 2027 groundbreaking on the mixed-use development, which is to include the stadium, entertainment district, housing and retail.
The hope is to have the stadium ready for the 2030 season.
The name for the new Royals stadium was not revealed Thursday.
A news conference was held Thursday. You can watch it in the video player below.
First look at new Royals stadium renderings
Here are some of the other renderings the club and Populous released on Thursday.:
Royals/Populous
Royals/Populous
Royals/Populous
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