KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
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Sources told KSHB 41 the Kansas City Royals are reportedly considering the Crown Center area for their new stadium, shifting focus away from Washington Square Park.
While a specific location in the Crown Center district hasn't been announced, the potential move is generating mixed reactions from residents and workers in the area.
Parking and traffic are the primary concerns for those opposed to the idea, especially with hospitals and medical schools neighboring Crown Center.
"A lot of traffic and noise with the hospitals and stuff being down here. So, I think that it might not be the best of ideas," Francesa Anderson said.
Frencesa Anderson and her friend Isabel Guevera are dental students at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The dental school is located in the Crown Center district.
"Here at the dental school, we have a lot of parking here from our patients, and I think that if that were to be displaced by baseball fans trying to go and make the stadium or the same thing in the Crown Center area, I think that would also probably be a big issue," Guevera said.
Both did say they could see positives in the plans as well, but they'd need to wait until they got more information.
Jennifer Harper expressed concerns about the location and parking availability.
"I think it's an awful idea," Harper said. "I don't think they're gonna have enough parking right now."
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Harper referenced other stadiums the city's built and the parking situations she noticed there.
"They don't understand that if you build a stadium, you need to build parking. Like, even the KC Current stadium, there's no parking garage there," Harper said.
She also wasn't confident that downtown was the right fit, wanting an open space in KC for the stadium.
"If you're gonna stick it down here, it's like it's just gonna be shoved in with everything else, and it's not going to be that special thing that it always was," Harper said.
However, other residents are optimistic about the potential new build.
"Crown Center has been a nice asset to Kansas City," Jeff Jones said. "I look forward to it."
Jones is not concerned about the parking situation, saying he's experienced the magnitude of spaces in downtown.
"Kansas City has a love affair with parking lots. There’s so much parking downtown," Jones said. "It works in other cities. It will work here."
He's hopeful the city will embrace a downtown location and build up around it, similar to stadiums in St. Louis and San Diego.
"You know, it'll also look great on TV when you see the outfield, and you see the skyline of Kansas City," Jones said.
Kansas City Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas will host a news conference at 10 a.m. at The American restaurant in Crown Center.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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