1 Clay County commissioner pulls back from Royals talks; Discussions continue with KCMO mayor

KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.

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Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington posted on Facebook Wednesday that he is done negotiating with the Kansas City Royals regarding the construction of a stadium in the county.

It has been more than three years since the Royals announced the team would leave Kauffman Stadium in 2031. Where the team will sign a new lease has been a conversation ever since.

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In his post, Withington said the Royals missed a deadline set by the commission for Thursday, Jan. 8, to be on the April ballot.

Chappell's Restaurant & Sports Museum in North Kansas City houses Royals history.

John Batten/KSHB

It's where George Gardner, a business owner in Clay County, stopped for lunch on Thursday. He thinks the Royals could have a good future in Clay County.

“Saw that the Clay County commissioner said that they aren’t talking with the Royals anymore, which is kind of disheartening," Gardner said.

Withington clarified in a comment on his post on Wednesday that he was solely speaking for himself, not the rest of the commission.

A spokesperson for North Kansas City declined to comment on whether the city is finished negotiating with the Royals.

The Royals also declined to comment on Withington's post, but added, "... conversations remain ongoing toward the best solution for the team, fans and community."

As for Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas, he's still working with the Royals.

“We’re going to have a deal that is responsible for taxpayers that truly is generated from the stadium itself and surrounding development, not an entire county, not a gigantic footprint, but I think in terms of the site, we’ll keep working with them on the best possible site in downtown Kansas City," Lucas said.

KSHB 41 News reached out to several contacts with Clay County about where the rest of the commission stands in negotiating with the Royals. We have not yet heard back.

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