Leawood mayor says city opposes Royals move to Overland Park
The mayor issued a statement on behalf of the city as the Royals consider a move to Johnson County, Kansas
Updated: 5:38 AM CST Dec 16, 2025
Leawood’s mayor said the city opposes a potential move by the Kansas City Royals into Overland Park.Earlier this year, a Royals affiliate purchased the mortgage on the Aspiria campus in Overland Park, in the area of 119th Street and Nall Avenue as a possible location for a potential new stadium.Team owners have been exploring locations in both Kansas and Missouri as sites for a future baseball stadium after their lease at Kauffman Stadium expires in 2031.Leawood Mayor Marc Elkins issued a statement Tuesday on behalf of the city saying in part, “The City of Leawood supports keeping the Kansas City Royals in our region, however, the City Council and I cannot, at this time, support the Overland Park Aspiria campus as an appropriate location for a Major League Baseball stadium. While Aspiria is in Overland Park, it is located directly across Nall Avenue from Leawood. Based on media reports and direct feedback from our residents, we share serious concerns about the potential impacts on Leawood and its citizens should a stadium be built on this property. These concerns include traffic congestion, noise and lighting, public safety and emergency access, parking in residential neighborhoods, infrastructure capacity, and impacts on nearby schools, medical facilities, senior living communities, and established single-family residential areas.”Elkins also said, “We are further troubled by public statements from T-Mobile and the Jewish Community Centers Association, two institutions that are vital to the economic and cultural fabric of this area. Their expressed concerns about the proximity of a stadium and the negative impacts they anticipate underscore the broader risks associated with this location.”Last week T-Mobile said it would leave its location in Overland Park if the Royals build a stadium in the area. T-Mobile employs more than 3,500 people at that location. T-Mobile’s lease runs through mid-2029, but said its request for an extension was denied.A national affiliate of the local Jewish Community Center also put out a statement in opposition to the Overland Park location that said, “The long-term impact of more than 80 home games annually would create sustained pressures on infrastructure, safety, security and the JCC’s ability to function.”Royals officials said they continue to evaluate multiple sites.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
Leawood’s mayor said the city opposes a potential move by the Kansas City Royals into Overland Park.
Earlier this year, a Royals affiliate purchased the mortgage on the Aspiria campus in Overland Park, in the area of 119th Street and Nall Avenue as a possible location for a potential new stadium.
Team owners have been exploring locations in both Kansas and Missouri as sites for a future baseball stadium after their lease at Kauffman Stadium expires in 2031.
Leawood Mayor Marc Elkins issued a statement Tuesday on behalf of the city saying in part, “The City of Leawood supports keeping the Kansas City Royals in our region, however, the City Council and I cannot, at this time, support the Overland Park Aspiria campus as an appropriate location for a Major League Baseball stadium. While Aspiria is in Overland Park, it is located directly across Nall Avenue from Leawood. Based on media reports and direct feedback from our residents, we share serious concerns about the potential impacts on Leawood and its citizens should a stadium be built on this property. These concerns include traffic congestion, noise and lighting, public safety and emergency access, parking in residential neighborhoods, infrastructure capacity, and impacts on nearby schools, medical facilities, senior living communities, and established single-family residential areas.”
Elkins also said, “We are further troubled by public statements from T-Mobile and the Jewish Community Centers Association, two institutions that are vital to the economic and cultural fabric of this area. Their expressed concerns about the proximity of a stadium and the negative impacts they anticipate underscore the broader risks associated with this location.”
Last week T-Mobile said it would leave its location in Overland Park if the Royals build a stadium in the area. T-Mobile employs more than 3,500 people at that location. T-Mobile’s lease runs through mid-2029, but said its request for an extension was denied.
A national affiliate of the local Jewish Community Center also put out a statement in opposition to the Overland Park location that said, “The long-term impact of more than 80 home games annually would create sustained pressures on infrastructure, safety, security and the JCC’s ability to function.”
Royals officials said they continue to evaluate multiple sites.