KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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T-Mobile said it's considering relocating from its Overland Park headquarters if the Kansas City Royals decide to build their new stadium at the Aspiria campus.
T-Mobile said it cannot accommodate both its 3,500-person workforce and a potential stadium at the same location. T-Mobile's lease at Aspiria, formerly known as the Sprint Campus, expires in mid-2029, and the company's request for an extension was denied.
"We love Kansas City and have been proud to call Overland Park home for nearly four decades," T-Mobile said in a statement. "Our campus supports over 3,500 T-Mobile employees, with plans for growth, and cannot accommodate both our workforce and a stadium. With our lease running through mid-2029 and our extension request denied, we'll explore new locations, preferably within the city and state, if the Royals proceed while continuing to work with the City and community leaders on a solution."
The Royals' ownership group acquired the mortgage for the Aspiria property last spring. The team has been searching for a new stadium location for more than three years after announcing plans to build a new downtown stadium in November 2022.
Aspiria, located at West 119th Street and Nall Avenue, is one of three locations the Royals continue to explore. The other sites include Washington Square Park in Kansas City, Missouri, and a section of North Kansas City in Clay County.
The Royals' lease at Kauffman Stadium runs through the 2030 season, but the team has made clear its intention to leave the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, which it has shared with the Chiefs since Kauffman Stadium opened in 1973.
Local business owner sees opportunity
Robert Duensing, co-owner of Best Regards Bakery in Overland Park, views the potential changes as an opportunity for growth.
"Change is inevitable," Duensing said. "Moving here to Overland Park, I think, would be a tremendous win for everybody."
His bakery sits across the street from the Aspiria campus. He says he remembers the promise of the former Sprint Campus, and the infrastructure in place to support it.
"They were expecting 20 to 30,000 employees, five days a week to work there, with potential for more in the surrounding areas," he said. "So they had traffic set up for that, they had parking set up for that, and that didn't materialize."
He views a Royals stadium in his neighborhood as a win for everyone.
"Growth is an opportunity for everybody," Duensing said.
Residents express concerns about transparency
Overland Park resident Amanda Palan said she has more questions than answers surrounding the potential stadium development.
"Our primary concern is the lack of transparency about any work that's been done," Palan said. "We have not seen any plans or traffic studies or heard about any collaboration that's potentially underway with the school district, with any of the local senior centers, or even the hospitals."
Palan said she worries the uncertainty about the stadium's future will continue to impact safety, traffic, surrounding companies, and jobs.
Economist weighs in on development
Economist Chris Kuehl said the Royals are covering their bases as they explore options.
"I think that the economic development, if they're going to get any return, they have to make sure that all the other stuff comes along with it," Kuehl said.
When asked if people in the area should be concerned, Kuehl noted the uncertainty is typical for real estate developments.
"There's a lot of uncertainty as far as transparency is concerned. That's kind of the way things happen with real estate. Nobody really wants to commit to anything until they're ready to commit to something," Kuehl said.
A source told KSHB 41 that the Royals-affiliated group that acquired the mortgage is not in charge of lease negotiations at the property.
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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