Kansas City Royals to Relocate to New Downtown Stadium

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman announced Wednesday that the team will relocate from its longtime home at Kauffman Stadium to a new ballpark in downtown Kansas City's Crown Center area, part of a $3 billion mixed-use development in partnership with Hallmark Cards.

The project centers on a $1.9 billion stadium set to break ground next year as the first phase of an 85-acre initiative. Sherman, joined by Hallmark chairman Don Hall Jr., Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas and other officials, made the reveal near Hallmark's headquarters. The development will include new headquarters for both the Royals and Hallmark, along with retail, residential and entertainment spaces. The stadium site lies just south of Washington Square Park, which will remain a featured green space, with views toward the Power and Light District and T-Mobile Center beyond the outfield.

Funding splits two-thirds from private sources, including the Royals and Hallmark, and one-third from public contributions. Kansas City officials recently authorized up to $600 million in bonds, while Missouri's Show-Me Sports Investment Act provides bonds covering up to 50 percent of costs, $50...