Kansas City Approves Royals Stadium, $1.9B Project

0:00It's April 17. Welcome in. This is Kansas News today, where local news meets AI. Kansas City Council just greenland negotiations for a new Royals ballpark in Washington Square Park, right by Crown Center and Union Station. They pass ordinance 26-03-39 on April 26, committing the city to $600 million from stadium generated. Revenue's only, no dip into the general fund. That brings the total project to $1.9 billion, split with Royals owners and Missouri state incentives. This comes after a failed push last year for a cross-road stadium, where voters rejected it by a 16-point margin. Committees like governance and public safety gave it unanimous nods earlier this month, signaling smooth sailing ahead of the full vote. Protesters packed the chambers, waving signs about the prior sales tax flop, and demanding cash for buses, roads, and affordable housing instead. Organizers from the Missouri Worker Center called it a billionaire bailout, with folks

1:01like Terrence Wise firing up the crowd over misplaced priorities. The vote was nearly unanimous, only one no from Councilman Willett, and an abstain from Crispin Raya. They also okayed moving a Korean war memorial, with visibility intact, and added an amendment ensuring Council signs off on future steps. Now the city manager and Royals brass hammer out details, while protesters plan a May 1st rally at the park site to keep the pressure on.