KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It didn't take long for visions of a Royals Ball Park in Kansas to be released.
David Manica, with Manica Architecture, released the renderings on Wednesday.
Manica is part of the firm behind the Kansas City Chiefs stadium concept renderings released in late April.
Manica envisions the stadium near the West Bottoms and Kansas River, adjacent to Interstate 670 and State Line Road. The site would overlook the downtown area in Kansas City, Missouri.
The conceputal renderings are just bold and ambitious concepts, but they come from a local company that has made things like the stadium projects into reality.
KSHB 41 News reporter Megan Abundis sat down with Manica’s owner and president, who jumped at the opportunity to design something intended for a place he calls home.
“I remember going to Kauffman with my dad and watching all the old Royals: Amos Otis, Cookie Rojas, George Brett, and all those guys. Those were my heroes at the time,” David Manica said.
Manica designs sports and entertainment buildings around the world.
So the chance to design one in the West Bottoms was special to him.
“Born and raised in KC, I always say I’m really lucky to come home to KC, to do something in our hometown is really special,” he said.
He says the site is on both sides of the state line.
According to his rendering, the stadium would sit in Kansas and the entertainment district near the stadium would be in Missouri.
“You could actually hit a home run out of Kansas into Missouri, so an out-of-state home run,” he said.
The city's skyline is the backdrop.
“It picks up on the history of the West Bottom, Plaza, things like Stockyard Plaza and Stockyard Lofts with living, work, play, entertainment,” he said.
Manica made a point to say all decisions on the renderings are up to the Royals, but Manica used the same outfield dimensions used at Kauffman Stadium.
“We wanted the metrics, and the analytics, and history of Royals to carry over,” he said.
Manica said the land sale site has been “buttoned up.”
He says the whole development and parking fits on that site.
Amigoni Urban Winery would be across the street.
“The feeling of excitement," said Kerry Amigoni, Amigoni Urban Winery owner. "We’ve been down here for many years, and it’s been a very slow evolution. And to see something this dramatic would be really exciting for the whole neighborhood. I think you have the attraction of what’s already here: us, Voltaire, The Golden Ox, Campground, that people with families, kind of a Wrigley Village where things are already established. We will become part of that fabric.”
The nearby area is part of David Haley’s Kansas Senate district.
“It’s located a little south of where the primary opportunity would be,” he said.
He’d like to see it completely in Kansas.
“STAR bonds are speculators who buy the bonds based on what the anticipated return of sales tax revenue will be,” he said. “So, if the current drawing is being considered, the site of the stadium is in Kansas, but the benefit district is across the state line in Missouri, where much of the revenue would be derived. Many of the investors we need, who want their return in 20-30 years, would probably be less likely to because all the sales tax revenue, or the majority of it, would be going to Missouri and not to Kansas.”
Manca understands the two-state situation.
"These things are always really contentious," he said. "Some people are going to be excited about this opportunity and some people will be angry," Manica said. "I’m excited to be a part of this discussion. I think what we need to do as a city is to put our hands together and figure out a way to solve this problem for both teams."
