Kansas City Council Advances $600M Downtown Royals Stadium Plan

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — Kansas City Council members advanced a $600 million taxpayer-backed financing plan for a new downtown Kansas City Royals stadium on Tuesday, two years after Jackson County voters rejected a similar sales-tax-funded proposal.

The Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee unanimously approved an ordinance directing City Manager Mario Vasquez to submit an application for a tax-increment financing deal. The plan would use new sales and earnings tax revenue from a yet-to-be-defined stadium district to pay off city-backed bonds supporting the $1.9 billion ballpark project.

Strong Council Support Expected

Nine of the 13 City Council members have co-sponsored the ordinance, making passage likely when it comes before the full council. The Royals would finance the remaining $1.3 billion along with the state of Missouri.

“We think we have a great project that will ultimately come to pass,” Brooks Sherman, the Royals president of real estate and development, told reporters on Tuesday. “We are very appreciative of this process and we will maintain our work in it.”

The current proposal represents Kansas City’s effort to retain the team as both the Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium and Jackson County’s supporting sales tax expire in 2031.

Opposition Groups Mobilize

The financing plan faces strong opposition from several advocacy organizations that also campaigned against the 2024 Jackson County ballot measure. KC Tenants, the citywide tenants union, along with the Missouri Workers Center and Stand Up KC, have organized against the taxpayer subsidy.

City Councilmember Johnathan Duncan and other opponents have suggested they may gather petition signatures to force a citywide referendum on the stadium funding. Duncan represents one of the four council members who have not co-sponsored the ordinance.

The debate over taxpayer-subsidized stadiums has intensified as city leaders seek to keep the Major League Baseball team within city limits.

Process Still in Early Stages

Tuesday’s committee vote does not represent a final decision on the stadium subsidy. City officials must still determine key details before presenting a complete plan to the Tax Increment Financing Commission.

State law requires the TIF Commission to provide 45 days of public notice before holding hearings on such proposals, ensuring additional opportunities for public input on the downtown ballpark financing.

The Kansas City Finance Department’s presentation marks the latest development in ongoing negotiations to secure a new home for the Royals, who have played at Kauffman Stadium for decades with support from Jackson County’s sales tax revenue.