Kansas City Approves $600M Financing for Royals Stadium
The approximately $1.9 billion ballpark will serve as the centerpiece of a larger mixed-use district in the city's downtown.
The Kansas City Council has approved a $600 million financing package for the Kansas City Royals’ proposed stadium at the Crown Center mixed-use district. The approximately $1.9 billion project is scheduled to break ground next year.
The financing package includes up to $537 million for the design, acquisition, construction and equipping of the stadium, team offices and supporting infrastructure. The rest will cover capitalized interest, issuance costs and other bond-related expenses.
The city also approved the Downtown Stadium Tax Increment Financing Plan and established a stadium impact area. Under the structure, portions of future tax revenue growth generated within the district will be directed toward servicing the stadium debt over the next 30 years, according to KCUR.
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The broader ballpark district is expected to represent roughly $3 billion in investment. Completion is expected in time for the 2030 MLB season. Royals currently plays at Kauffman Stadium, where its lease runs through 2030.
Crown Center district moves forward
The planned open-air stadium will encompass approximately 1.3 million square feet and include about 34,000 fixed seats. Populous is designing the ballpark, while a joint venture between Mortenson and McCownGordon will serve as construction manager at risk. Kansas City-based Parson + Associates will provide community engagement services, while JE Dunn will work on the surrounding mixed-use district.
The stadium will anchor a broader 85-acre redevelopment at Crown Center constructed by the Royals and Hallmark Cards. Plans call for a mixed-use neighborhood incorporating residential, entertainment, hospitality, retail and public spaces. Hallmark is also expected to relocate its corporate headquarters elsewhere within Crown Center to accommodate the development.
Under a framework approved earlier this year, the Royals would lease the new facility for at least 30 years. The team would be responsible for operations, utilities, maintenance and repairs, while the city would receive a share of net profits from non-baseball events.
Sports districts spur mixed-use growth
The Crown Center project reflects a growing shift toward sports-anchored districts, as teams and developers increasingly use stadiums to spur year-round activity beyond game days. These projects are also part of broader mixed-use design trends that combine residential, retail, hotel and office uses. Similar developments include Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Riverfront around Nationals Park and the large-scale entertainment district now underway in Raleigh, N.C.
Kansas City is also embracing a similar sports-led development strategy along its riverfront. Current Landing, a $1 billion, 40-acre mixed-use district adjacent to CPKC Stadium, is planned with residential, retail, hospitality and public spaces. Developers accelerated the project’s first phase ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underscoring how major sports venues are increasingly being used to anchor broader CRE investment.
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