New ordinance outlines from where Kansas City could get $600 million it promised to Royals stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan has covered stadium relocation news for KSHB since 2023. Share your story idea with Charlie.

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The Kansas City City Council introduced several ordinances Thursday outlining how the city will collect about $600 million for its portion of the Kansas City Royals' new stadium.

The stadium is planned to replace Hallmark's headquarters near Crown Center in time for the 2030 season.

WATCH | KC Council introduces plan to fund $600M Royals stadium share

First, Ordinance 260889 allows the city to issue up to $560 million in bonds. These are essentially loans. The city would then use tax dollars to pay it off.

Ordinance 260888 outlines several pockets of funding the city will use to pay back the bonds. For the first time, the proposal outlines a potential "stadium impact area." This is the boundary from where the city would redirect incremental tax revenue after the stadium opens.

The area is described as roughly Truman Road on the north, 31st Street on the south, State Line Road on the west and Brooklyn Avenue on the east.

Using a tool called tax increment financing, or a TIF plan, the city would redirect new revenues from parking, economic activity taxes, hotel and tourism taxes, restaurant taxes, the earnings tax, the parks sales tax, and others to the bonds.

“For people who say, ‘Where do you get the money?’ Well, the money isn’t actually here right now. The money is to be generated in the future by activity in that impact area," Mayor Quinton Lucas said Thursday.

Jake Weller/KSHB

The city's TIF commission approved this concept at a meeting earlier in the month with an estimation that the stadium impact area could generate $710,332,089 over 30 years for the stadium project. The full city council must now approve the plan.

Both ordinances, and a third related one, will go to a public hearing Tuesday, September 29 at 10:30 a.m. in front of the city's Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee.

The city is also considering whether to create a community improvement district, which would allow for a new tax within the stadium impact area to help fund the project.

Lucas also responded to concerns that revenue projections may be too optimistic.

"It is based largely on economic activity around the Crown Center area now and what's generated at Kauffman Stadium today," Lucas said.

A viewer reached out to KSHB 41 News asking what happens if the plan does not generate enough money to pay off the bonds. If that occurs, Kansas City would be responsible for finding other taxes to cover the remaining balance.

"I feel like our tax dollars could go to a lot better things," Kansas City resident Kiersten Gardner said. "I am a teacher. We’ve got lots of schools that could use our help. I’d rather the money go to something like that.”

Jake Weller/KSHB

Others expressed more support for the project.

"That sounds good to me. A lot of things like concerts are down here in the heart of the city of Kansas City. Those who travel down here can see what Kansas City’s really about,” casual Royals fan Moe Washington said.

Jake Weller/KSHB

A proposal to rezone the area around Crown Center for a stadium is also pending before the city council.

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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