Kansas City Royals rep affirms effort to study downtown stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals continue to study the prospect of moving to a stadium location in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

Brooks Sherman, senior vice president and chief operating officer with the club, spoke at the Downtown Council’s Annual Luncheon Friday at the Loews Hotel.

During remarks, Sherman spoke about the success of downtown stadiums in San Diego, St. Louis, Cleveland and Houston among others, as one of the reasons the team continues to study relocating downtown.

“We continue our evaluation of the possibility of moving downtown,” Sherman told those in attendance.

Sherman said the club believes a downtown stadium done correctly could increase jobs, create safer and more walkable neighborhoods and further incorporate public transportation.

“We think it benefits the community - that’s first for us,” Sherman said, adding that the effort has to benefit the entire community, including under-represented and under served communities.

“When you look around the county at cities that have invested in downtown stadiums, there’s not a single one of them that regrets putting that stadium downtown,” he said.

Kansas City Chiefs President Mark Donovan also spoke at Friday’s luncheon, in which he said he personally supported a downtown stadium and that a downtown ballpark could provide additional benefits for the Chiefs and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

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