Kansas City Votes for Royals Stadium, $1.9B Project

0:00Kansas City just took a big swing toward a new royal stadium south of downtown near Union Station in Washington Square Park. The City Council voted 11-1 on Thursday to greenlight up to $600 million from the city for a $1.9 billion. Ballpark Project. One council member abstained and it only commits $25,000 right now for early planning work. This ordinance lays out a road map but doesn't lock in the cash yet. City leaders now got a hammer out deals with the royals on funding splits, a 30-year lease where the city owns the stadium and community perks. Like jobs and local investments, they'll also push for callback rules if promises fall short. Reactions were mixed with some council members like Jonathan Duncan flipping to yes after adding review clauses for benefits agreements. Critics, including dozens of residents, slammed it as risking city services for a billionaire owner's playground, especially after Jackson County. Voters shot down a similar sales tax plan last year.

1:01Next up, the city dives into tax increment financing to redirect local sales taxes for bonds over 30 years plus applying for state cash through. The Show Me Sports Investment Act may be half the cost in up to $50 million in tax credits. Public input sessions are promised before final votes. All this has to clear more council hurdles on bonds, leases, and development before shovels hit dirt, which could take up to four years. With the royals currently ending in 2031, the clock's ticking on this downtown Homer. That's the story for today. Kansas News Today, driven by AI. I'm Corey with the story.