Kansas City Royals announce new stadium plans with help from Hallmark Cards

[RandySF]

The Royals have secured $2 billion in private investment to build a new ballpark in downtown Kansas City, the team announced Wednesday.

The 85-acre Crown Center project includes a park-like central square with fountains and keeps the club in Missouri. The Royals are teaming up with Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards on the new project, which includes the ballpark along with new headquarters for both companies and surrounding mixed-use development.

“Our founder Ewing Kauffman wanted the Royals to be Kansas City’s forever, and he wanted the team to benefit his hometown as much as possible,” Royals CEO and Chairman John Sherman said. “Joining Hallmark with this project achieves both and extends the Hall family’s critical legacy of helping Kansas City grow.”

The Royals have been playing at the 40,000-seat Kauffman Stadium, formerly known as Royals Stadium, since the 1973 season.




https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals-new-stadium-hallmark-cards-rcna341432

[buzzycrumbhunger]

1. Ahhhh...

So this is why greeting cards now cost 10 bucks a pop? *eyeroll*

I get that KC wants them to stay and Hallmark is a big player there, but… kinda gobsmacked that with everything going on in this country lately, that’s a priority.

But what do I know—if we were talking Chicago and Cubbies, I’d be all for it, I suppose.

[Dr. T]

2. The new stadium might be more enticing

if the team could occasionally win a game.

[Danmel]

3. We are from the NYC metro area

And saw a Yankees-Royals game at Kauffman Stadium in 2012. I thought it was a very nice park. They gave out mini George Brett pine tar bats. It was pretty funny.

[WestMichRad]

4. In a way, we should celebrate this.

At least, they don’t (on the surface) appear to be trying to coerce or blackmail city and state governments for taxpayer money for the project. For now. Apparently.
Which would make it far different from most stadium proposals around the country.

And that is, of course, aside from the price gouging issues. And taxpayers of course won’t be totally untapped, because surrounding infrastructure projects are always part of the grand plan.

[RandySF]

6. The state is also chipping in

from some kind of sports/entertainment fund.

[slightlv]

5. When the Royals Stadium opened

They sponsored a band day... marching bands from all around the region were invited to participate. My high school, Atchison High was one of those... so I got to play at the opening...