KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals Friday disputed reporting that claimed the price tag associated with a new ballpark district would be billions more than what the club has estimated.
KSHB 41 News obtained a copy of a spreadsheet circulated among members of the Jackson County Legislature this week that estimated the cost of the Royals ballpark and associated district at as much as $6 billion.
While the club has yet to announce a final location for a new ballpark district - it’s deciding between a site in North Kansas City and the East Village in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, it has estimated the project could cost roughly $2 billion, with a public-private partnership in place to cover costs.
On Friday, the club posted on social media that the report the stadium could cost between $4.4 billion and $6.4 billion is “erroneous, misleading and inconsistent with what we’ve shared publicly and in private negotiations.”
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas was among those casting doubt on the purported cost of the new stadium, going so far as implying the lack of good faith negotiations between the county and Royals could have longer term consequences that he believes could affect the county’s ability to retain the Kansas City Chiefs.
Y’all gonna mess around and lose the Chiefs too.
— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) October 27, 2023
In their statement Friday, the Royals said they’ve been clear about asking for “an extension of the existing Jackson County 3/8 cent sales tax.”
“For the Royals, this would result in an approximate $350 million up-front contribution from the County toward the estimated $1 billion construction cost of the stadium,” the Royals post said.
“A successful public-private partnership is critical to secure the future of the Royals and Chiefs for decades to come,” the club wrote.
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