KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas said Tuesday the city has offered more than $1 billion to the Royals to help the team build a new downtown stadium or renovate Kauffman Stadium.
“We do have, I think, a very robust offer that combines state and local incentives,” Lucas said. “It’s my view that gets you to a $1.2 to $1.4 billion range with no tax increase. It doesn’t calculate or include the current Jackson County sales tax.”
The county currently collects a 3/8th-cent tax on retail sales to fund the Truman Sports Complex. It expires in 2031.
“It allows the Royals to either go downtown or stay at Kauffman Stadium,” the mayor explained.
Lucas didn’t say exactly when he hopes to hear back from the Royals. He will be at the team’s season-opener Thursday at Kauffman Stadium where further conversations might occur.
The owners of a rumored potential location for the Royals in Kansas said Tuesday they are not in discussions with the team.
Occidental Management said Overland Park’s Aspiria Campus, formerly the headquarters of Sprint, will move forward as a mixed-use development.
The group We Love KC Baseball is rallying public support for the Royals to build a stadium at Washington Square Park near Pershing and Main streets in downtown Kansas City.
“I think it’s important we continue to make the case for a downtown stadium and show how much of an asset it can be from the business side, but also from community, economic development side,” explained Nicholas Grunauer, owner of Austrian-German restaurant Grunauer.
Grunauer supports a downtown stadium.
“While it might not be the easiest, maybe it’s the more complicated decision, it’s really going to pay off long-term if we can make this site happen,” he said.
Other baseball fans are split on downtown baseball in Kansas City.
“I like the Truman Sports Complex; it’s great. Being downtown would be good, so long as there is easy access and good parking options,” said fan Patrick Nagolski.
“It’s perfect where it’s at,” said John Nemitz, Royals supporter. “It’s central, it’s there. Everybody can get to it.”
The Royals said they are exploring all their options. The team’s Chairman and CEO John Sherman said in February he hoped to make an announcement mid-year.
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