KCMO City Council sends rezoning for Royals ballpark at Crown Center back to committee

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A previous version of this story erroneously said that Ordinance 260705 to rezone the area around Crown Center for the new Royals stadium had passed the full council. It has since been corrected and updated for clarification.

The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council delayed a vote to approve rezoning for a Royals ballpark at Crown Center on Thursday.

Instead, the Council re-referred Ordinance 260705, authorizing the rezoning of about 68 acres from Pershing Road to East 27th Street and Main Street to Gillham Road, back to the Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee.

They are scheduled to take up the measure on September 22.

The Finance Committee had previously sent the measure to the full council with a "do pass, debate" recommendation.

Before reaching the council, the ordinance also first had to pass the City Plan Commission, which unanimously approved the plan in early August.

The Royals need the area around Crown Center rezoned to move their nearly $3 billion development forward.

Just weeks ago, the council approved Ordinance 260704, which authorized City Manager Mario Vasquez to execute previously negotiated lease, development, funding and community benefits agreements with the Royals and the club’s partners.

Brooks Sherman, the Royals' president of real estate and development, sees the project as a win for the team and for Crown Center.

But there are plenty of opponents.

Residents of the San Francisco Tower have sued the club, city and Crown Center to protect their property rights. The next hearing in that case is set for October.

The city's TIF Commission approved a plan Wednesday to pay for the Royals stadium.

However, the plan must wait two weeks before it goes before the city council for approval.

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