By MATT PIKE
The Kansas City Royals and The Crown, are officially moving to downtown Kansas City after the organization announced a new partnership with Hallmark Cards early Wednesday morning.
The landmark project is described as a “first-of-its-kind development,” featuring an 85-acre mixed-use development ballpark district, a new stadium and a Royals headquarters. The $1.9 billion stadium will be built at the site of the original Hallmark headquarters, located at 2501 McGee Street, and will include a mixed-use development area, equating to a total investment of $3 billion in the Crown Center area.
According to the team, the ballpark district is also expected to include parts of Washington Square Park, an originally proposed site for a new stadium in downtown. Additionally, the downtown stadium and baseball district will introduce a new era of transportation and accessibility to the region, giving fans access to the ballpark via the KC Streetcar route. It will also include approximately 9,000 parking spots within a 10-minute walk from the stadium.
Fans can expect a park-like central square and fountains, fitting for the metro’s famous nickname: “The City of Fountains.” The construction phase alone will create more than 20,000 jobs, lifting Kansas City’s national profile and helping to bring more tourism to the metro area. According to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, the new stadium is expected to be ready for opening day in 2030. The Royals’ current lease for Kauffman Stadium is set to expire in 2031.
The Hallmark headquarters is expected to move to a new building, Hallmark Cards Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors Don Hall Jr. announced during a ceremony today that was attended by several, including Hall Jr, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Royals owner John Sherman, and Lucas, among others.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.