KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City committee has unanimously passed a plan to sell a local developer land that could one day become the Royals new stadium.

The Kansas City Transportation, Infrastructure and Operations Committee unanimously passed an ordinance Wednesday that will allow VanTrust Real Estate to buy city-owned lots at 12th and Cherry streets in the East Village for $4.2 million.

The East Village has long been discussed as the site for a new downtown ballpark for the Kansas City Royals, but neither developers nor the team have confirmed plans to build the stadium there yet.

VanTrust and Block 66 LLC already own multiple pieces of land to the north, east and south of the city-owned lots. Now VanTrust representatives said they want to acquire another piece and prepare the area for redevelopment.

The proposal will now advance to the full Kansas City Council on Thursday for consideration.

The Royals have previously confirmed they’ve narrowed 14 potential sites down to five. The team said one of those is the East Village.

“I think the East Village, it’s been talked about. We’ve probably done the most work on that site,” Royals Chairman and CEO John Sherman said last month. 

But Sherman and other team representatives have also acknowledged proposals at the former Kansas City Star building and in the Northland.

The Royals CEO said he envisions the team playing in their new home by 2027 or 2028.

They’re also discussing the ballot language for when they’ll ask for an extension of the 3/8ths cent sales tax.

As to when the Royals could ask for that extension to be put on a ballot, Sherman said that could be anywhere between August 2023 and April 2024.