Municipal leaders in Kansas City, Missouri have unveiled plans to finance $600 million through bond issuance for a brand new downtown baseball facility, hoping to prevent the Royals from following the Chiefs’ recent departure to Kansas.
On Thursday, Mayor Quinton Lucas joined nine City Council members in presenting legislation that would authorize the city manager to enter stadium negotiations with the Royals. The proposed venue would be constructed close to Union Station and the World War I museum, roughly six miles northwest from their existing home at Kauffman Stadium.
Officials estimate the total construction cost at $1.9 billion. Missouri passed legislation last year committing the state to fund half that amount at $950 million. With Kansas City’s proposed bond contribution, the Royals organization would be responsible for securing $350 million through private financing.
Both the Royals and Chiefs have called the Truman Sports Complex home since 1973, where Kauffman Stadium sits adjacent to Arrowhead Stadium on Jackson County-owned property. Current lease agreements end in 2031, and county residents voted down a tax extension in April 2024 that would have funded renovations for both facilities.
Team officials are also evaluating an alternative location approximately five miles north in North Kansas City.
Kansas lawmakers, who would need to authorize any deal to attract the Royals, appear reluctant after the state approved $2.4 billion in bonds this past December to fund 60% of a new $3 billion domed facility for the Chiefs in Kansas City, Kansas. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Republican, and Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Democrat, released a joint Friday statement congratulating Missouri and stating they were “looking forward to what’s ahead.”
The Kansas City Council may vote on the ordinance as soon as this Thursday, though City Manager Mario Vasquez emphasized that efforts to retain the team are “just beginning.”
In a Friday statement, the Royals expressed appreciation, saying: “We are grateful for their engagement in this process, as well as for the critical work of the State of Missouri, and look forward to more detailed conversations as we consider solutions that are best for our team, our fans, and our community.”
Sports economists have consistently found over decades that public stadium subsidies fail to justify their costs, as these facilities typically redirect economic activity rather than generate new regional growth. Despite this research, municipalities and states continue funding stadium construction and renovation projects.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe characterized the Royals as “a key economic catalyst” for the state.
“The State of Missouri is committed to continue working alongside the Kansas City Royals organization and the City of Kansas City to ensure the Royals remain in Missouri — where they belong,” Kehoe stated.
Among the 60 facilities housing MLB and NFL franchises, 49 operate under public ownership or on government-owned land.
Recent examples include New York state and Erie County contributing $850 million, representing 40% of the Buffalo Bills’ new $2.1 billion stadium cost. In Ohio, state and local authorities have committed $1.2 billion to cover half the expenses for a new Cleveland Browns facility, though litigation has delayed the state’s contribution.
Kansas officials have labeled the Chiefs’ stadium project as their state’s most significant economic development initiative ever. The franchise also intends to develop a surrounding retail complex and construct a new training facility in Olathe, Kansas.
