Kansas City is one step closer to approving a plan to move the Royals to a new downtown stadium.
The proposal would contribute up to $600 million in city funding to the downtown ballpark, primarily using taxes on new economic activity around the site. The new stadium would be located in what's now Washington Square Park, just east of Union Station and north of Crown Center.
The city council's Finance Committee approved the plan on Tuesday, and it now goes to the full city council for a vote. Mayor Quinton Lucas and nine of the 12 city council members have endorsed it as co-sponsors.
Council member Wes Rogers said the city's investment will have big returns for more jobs and housing.
"This is something that if we do right and we do it well, it will change our city for a generation," he said. "Now that said, we've got a lot of work to do."
The proposed ordinance passed out of committee on Tuesday directs the city manager to:
- Negotiate a terms sheet, lease and development agreement with the Royals.
- Apply for a tax increment financing plan and financial and tax incentives through state agencies.
- Negotiate intergovernmental cooperative agreements with the state of Missouri and additional agreements as necessary.
- Conduct public engagement related to the lease and development agreement.
If passed, the ordinance will appropriate $250,000 for development expenses. It also would allow the city council to reimburse itself for certain expenses with bond proceeds.
The project would cost an estimated $1.9 billion and could include tax incentives from the state of Missouri.
Council members weigh in
Council member Crispin Rea, who is also one of the ordinance's sponsors, said he wants to ensure the project's funding only relies on new revenue generated by the stadium and not from the city's budget.
Others on Tuesday pushed for more benefits from the new stadium for constituents in their districts. Council members Melissa Patterson Hazley and Melissa Robinson noted the financial impact of relocating the stadium from its current spot in the city's 3rd District.
Council members Nathan Willett and Johnathan Duncan have both argued voters deserve a chance to weigh in after they struck down a proposal two years ago to extend a sales tax to help pay for a new stadium in the Crossroads Arts District.
Willett, who is running for Congress as a Republican, said he was concerned how the deal would impact police and fire budgets and other basic city services — but doesn't want to see it turned into a solution for all the city's problems.
"We don't need to solve child care with a new stadium. We don't need to solve crime building a new stadium," Willett said. "But I believe it should be up to the people on this."
Response from the community
Dozens of residents poured into city hall on Tuesday to speak on the proposal. Many echoed similar concerns that city leaders are undermining their vote against a downtown stadium, and that taxpayers' money could be better spent on city services like schools, transportation and affordable housing.
Mellanie Gray, an organizer with KC Tenants, said people were struggling to afford basic needs when she was knocking on doors ahead of the stadium vote two years ago. She noted the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, which operates the city's buses, is facing a deficit.
"When this council decides to put public dollars to tourist attractions and billionaires, they are making a strong and clear statement that the people's needs do not matter," Gray said.
Many business leaders and union members spoke in support of the plan, saying it will create more jobs and bring more economic development to the area.
Gib Kerr, a board officer with the Downtown Council of Kansas City, said the move would attract business, tourists and new generations of talent to Kansas City. He said the stadium vote will be the most important decision council members make in their careers.
"I've heard some talk about the risk associated with this, but there's risk in everything, and sometimes there's greater risk in doing nothing," Kerr said. "When you do nothing, you risk losing a team. When you risk losing a team… I don't even want to think about the jobs, the businesses that we could lose if we don't do this today."
There are still questions before the downtown ballpark gets off the ground. The Royals haven't officially endorsed the plan, and the city council must still approve a tax increment financing plan and other funding agreements.
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