KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the Kansas City Royals continued work Monday from their Spring Training home in Arizona, the club’s owner offered the latest thoughts on a timeline for the team’s new home back in Kansas City.
Speaking with reporters following Monday’s workouts, Royals CEO and Chairman John Sherman said the club has “a great sense of urgency on this.”
Sherman noted that after the Kansas City Chiefs announced their move to build a stadium and team headquarters on the Kansas side of the state line, he sensed a “new wave of enthusiasm” from leaders on the Missouri side.
“I don’t mean they weren’t working hard, but from the governor on down, there’s a lot of effort being put forth,” Sherman said Monday. “We’re still evaluating Kansas, and we're still evaluating multiple locations in Missouri, but I do appreciate the effort that’s being put forth, not only by the mayor, but by the governor.”
In his State of the City speech last week, Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas addressed efforts to keep the Royals in KCMO.
“As part of our growth, our retention of the Kansas City Royals in the only home they’ve ever known, Kansas City, is a must,” Lucas said. “Retaining the Royals is not about sports, it’s about economic development for our city, retaining thousands of union jobs in Kansas City, enhancing activity in our urban center and ensuring downtown Kansas City is forever a place people, businesses and visitors want to be and want to invest.”
“We will get a deal done in 2026 that’s fair and transparent for our taxpayers, our future and our team,” Lucas continued.
Two days after his speech, Lucas took to social media with a photo post of an area near Washington Square Park next to Crown Center. The Washington Square Park location is one of the Missouri-side locations the Royals are considering.
Good morning, Kansas City and surrounds! Have a great Friday. pic.twitter.com/A8SJYgEtuI
— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) February 13, 2026
Another Missouri-side location in North Kansas City seemingly took a hit last month when officials in Clay County and North Kansas City expressed hesitation in continuing to negotiate with the club.
Earlier this year, the club announced it would not move forward with stadium plans for a site near West 115th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park at Aspiria. The path to work with Kansas legislators could also be more difficult after a Dec. 31 deadline to apply for STAR bond financing, though legislators could revisit the topic during the ongoing legislative session in Topeka.
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