Kansas City to Review Proposed Lease Agreement for Royals, Crown Center Ballpark

Posted August 18, 2026

Kansas City has released the funding and leasing agreements for the new Royals stadium project at Crown Center.

The Kansas City Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee will meet to review and discuss the agreement Tuesday morning. In April, the Royals and Hallmark Cards announced their plans for a new baseball stadium at Crown Center, replacing Hallmark’s headquarters at 2501 McGee St. The preliminary site plan for the ballpark district was submitted in June.

The cost of the project is estimated to be $1.9 billion. As outlined in the funding agreement, public funding will cover 60% of the cost of the project — approximately $1.14 billion — and private sources will fund 40% — approximately $760 million — based on the estimated total cost.

The City of Kansas City has also agreed to provide $600 million. Up to $90 million of these City funds will go toward constructing specific infrastructure within the development.

State funding through the Show-Me-Sports Act would also fund the project, providing an annual source of $15.3 million. Moreover, $50 million in Missouri Development Finance Board Tax Credits would be provided for in the Show-Me Sports Act.

Other sources, including restaurant tax, gaming revenues, parking revenues, approved state TIF, and any other legally available sources of revenue identified by the City, could also help fund the project.

The leasing agreement states that the Royals will pay a basic rent of just $1 per year. Kansas City would receive 5% of net profits from all non-baseball events. Kansas City is entitled to use the stadium for eight events in the years and be granted 30 free tickets for every home game.

The Royals’ lease would run for 30 years, with a start date of Feb. 1, 2026. The Royals would also have rights to any naming, sponsorship, advertising and gambling, in addition to retailing all generated revenue from these.

The Royals have said it wishes to begin construction of the new ballpark stadium sometime in 2026, with completion in 2031.