City Council passed an ordinance Thursday approving the next steps in finding a permanent home for the Kansas City Royals. However, some residents are asking why there will not be a public vote.
The Kansas City Council voted 11-1-1 to allow City Manager Mario Vasquez to begin negotiating a term sheet, lease and development agreement with the Royals for a new stadium. Councilman Nathan Willett cast the lone “no” vote, and Councilman Crispin Rea abstained.
“Any proposal should be approved by the taxpayers of Kansas City,” Willett wrote on X.
The proposed stadium would be located at Washington Square Park near the Crown Center area, across from Union Station. Royals Review reported the site covers 11.6 acres, compared with 18.8 acres for Kauffman Stadium.
The project is estimated to cost whopping $1.9 billion, with the city covering $600 million through tax increment financing, or TIF. The mechanism uses property and sales tax revenue from a designated area to fund development projects and does not require a public vote. By contrast, a citywide three-eighths-cent sales tax extension proposed in 2024 to fund stadium upgrades for the Royals and Chiefs required voter approval and failed.
Talk show host Pete Mundo asked Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas why the public would not vote on the proposal. Lucas said most Kansas City residents support the project.
“First of all, that’s not what we do every week at City Council; I vote on probably 20 things every week and I vote on 20 things that I’m sure a lot of people have disagreements on.
“But I’m elected to office to make decisions like every level of government is. … we are charged with this power to make important decisions for the people of our community.”
Seats at Thursday’s council meeting were filled with residents hoping to be heard. A video posted by Sports Radio 810 showed many attendees opposed to the proposal.
Views of some crowd opposition at today’s City Council meeting as today’s ordinance for a downtown baseball district is discussed. pic.twitter.com/9IosEIOlbq
— Sports Radio 810 WHB (@SportsRadio810) April 16, 2026
Kansas City resident MacKenzie Fulmer submitted testimony stating: “We’re facing a $100 million deficit in 2027, yet our focus is leveraging $600 million on a new ballpark? It makes no sense.”
Another testimony, submitted by 3D Development, argued Kansas City remains a strong location for the Royals.
“At 3D Development, we support this ordinance because we see every day what downtown Kansas City is capable of – and what it still needs to reach its potential,” Erik Wullschleger wrote on behalf of the company. “A stadium at Washington Square Park isn’t just a baseball venue. It’s a magnetic force.”
Lucas has promoted the stadium on social media, where some commenters urged him to reconsider.
“Why are you afraid of putting it up to a public vote?” one commenter wrote. “KC does not have the parking or the road system to support this.”
“Stop. we the people of K.C. do not want a downtown stadium,” another wrote. “We believe in fiscal spending. We believe in tradition. Kauffman stadium is a work of art. Restore it. Stop tearing down our treasured landmarks.”
The Korean War Memorial sits at Washington Square Park and would need to be relocated if the stadium is built there. On Thursday, the council also passed a resolution introduced by Willett prioritizing a “highly visible, scenic and dignified” new location for the memorial.
“This is not simply about moving a monument – it is about preserving our community’s commitment to remembrance,” Willett wrote on X. “Honoring our veterans is not optional – it is a lasting obligation.”
The Royals’ ownership has said it will not play at Kauffman Stadium after the team’s lease expires in 2031. Vasquez is leading negotiations, and any final agreement will return to the City Council for approval.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who share the Truman Sports Complex with the Royals, announced in December they will move to a new facility in Kansas City, Kansas, for the 2031 season.
