It’s official — this episode of House Hunters: Royals Edition has come to a close.
The ballclub announced their intention to build a “neighborhood ballpark” in the Crossroads, an ~18 acre site positioned with Grand Blvd. to the west, Locust St. to the east, Truman Rd. to the north + E. 17th St. to the south.
Discussions with property owners are already underway, but the real test for the new site will come in April when Jackson County voters decide to approve or deny the stadium sales tax extension that the project hinges on.
If the project gets the go ahead, plans are already in motion for an April 2028 opening. Here’s the highlight reel of yesterday’s major play from the Royals:
34,000+ seat stadium
The new ballpark will sit 34,000+ screaming fans from field level to nosebleeds. The team hopes to “seamlessly engage this building” with the city, featuring the downtown skyline alongside its apartment, hotel, and office partnerships.
Easy access + plenty of parking
Populous, the local sports architecture firm heading the project, says there’s no need to alter existing infrastructure. There are 22 unique ways to get to the new arena, meaning no major highway work needed.
There will also be no need to build additional parking structures: “We can park all 9000 cars with existing lots... In downtown there’s 40,000 spaces within a 10 minute walk,” Earl Santee said, a senior principal at Populous.
“KC’s next great park”
Featured heavily in renderings is the proposed I-670 cap project, which would cover the highway threading through downtown with green space + a walkway connecting the new ballpark with the T-Mobile Center.
Need a refresher on how we got here? See what other sites the Royals passed over before landing in the Crossroads.
