Royals Downtown Stadium: Council Vote Looms

0:00It's April 14th. This is Kansas News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. Kansas City Royals fans got some good news this week on that long-awaited downtown ballpark. Tuesday afternoon, a key financing ordinance cleared the finance, governance, and public safety committee with a strong recommendation to pass. It heads to the full City Council on Thursday, April 16th, setting up negotiations for a new stadium in the Washington Square Park area near. Union Station and Crown Center. The committee made just a few small tweaks to the ordinance. Nothing major holding things up. This move directs the city manager to hammer out a lease and development deal directly with the royals, keeping the momentum going after years of back and forth. Royals owner John Sherman has been vocal about wanting out of aging Kaufman Stadium since 2021, chasing a $2 billion stadium and entertainment district. Voter shot down sales tax plans last year, and rival bids from Kansas and other counties

1:01fizzled, leaving downtown Kansas City, Missouri as the prime spot now. Earlier this year, Sherman hinted they were zeroing in on a downtown opportunity right before the home opener. The royals even nixed other sites like the Asperia campus in Johnson County, sharpening focus here. With the council vote looming, this could lock in the framework for the team's future right in the heart of the city, finally bringing that new home. Plate vision closer to reality.