To our dedicated Royals fans and the Kansas City community: In an era where team owners expect a ballpark to generate revenue outside of game days and baseball teams are becoming de facto real-estate developers (i.e., The Battery and Wrigleyville), Sherman positioning the idea of a new downtown Kansas City ballpark as an economic proposal is something he’s been discussing for months. Kauffman Stadium is a beloved ballpark, and while it looks like there will be homages to the K in the new ballpark (the renderings show a curved grandstand a la Kauffman), we’re guessing it won’t be a copy of Kauffman as much as a homage. Plus, a new ballpark would yield up some new revenue strands–like naming rights. This is no surprise: Sherman has openly talked about the need for a new ballpark: renovating Kauffman Stadium for use for a modern game-day experience would likely cost more than a new open-air ballpark, and any money spent toward a new downtown Kansas City ballpark would yield far more economic spinoff than the Truman Sports Complex would. This is the long-term plan, to be sure: the team’s lease at the K ends at the end of the decade, so even taking into account three years for building the ballpark, the team is leaving plenty of time to work out a financing plan and solicit input from the community. The plan, as unveiled by owner John Sherman in a letter to fans, would have the Royals committing to a downtown location instead of committing to long-term renovations at the team’s long-time home, Kauffman Stadium. It’s a model that has worked in other markets: The Kansas City Royals are proposing a new downtown Kansas City ballpark as part of a $2 billion development. By Kevin Reichard on Novemin Major-League Baseball, News
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