The Kansas City Royals are on the move from the Truman Sports Complex into downtown, but there are still a lot of questions surrounding where a new stadium will be located and who will be responsible for footing the bill.
CityScene KC founder Kevin Collison joins FOX4’s John Holt and Dave Helling of the Kansas City Star on this episode of 4Star Politics with his insights.
The announcement came in the form of a letter from Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman. While there are many unknowns, the letter did mention one detail. The new stadium, and surrounding entertainment Sherman hopes will follow, will likely cost around $2 billion to build. Sherman said in the letter taxpayers will not be asked to pay more than what they are currently paying when it comes to a new stadium.
“What he said pretty much verified what he’d been hinting at almost since he took over ownership. He came from Cleveland which has a downtown ballpark. He wasn’t like David Glass in that he needed anyone to persuade him to go downtown. He just needed to put together a deal that he thinks might be politically savvy, or sellable,” Collison said. “What we do know is that he’s talking about something much more than a ballpark.”
Then from downtown to the suburbs and the booming ‘burb of Lenexa. Outgoing Lenexa Chamber of Commerce President Blake Schreck joins the episode to discuss what he’s seen when it comes to the future of suburban versus urban development, and what it could mean for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs have said they are looking across the metro, including on the Kansas side, when it comes to the future. It’s something Schreck says leaders should take seriously.
“I think they have been serious for decades in making sure that they have done all the recognizance and due diligence they need to find sites all over the region. They have focused on some sites in Kansas, they’re aware of all of their options, and they’re driving that and when the time comes, they’re going to drive the location decision,” Schreck said.
To learn more watch the full episode of 4Star Politics in the video player at the top of the page.
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