Downtown Baseball Stadium

[Metro]

The Chiefs are staying their stadium can be renovated to last another 25 years. Built at the same time as the Royals Stadium, built by the same contractor, designed by the same architect, used the same materials, and so on. And yet the Royals need a new stadium because their current stadium has deteriorated to the point that the cost is too high to renovate. Interesting. This can't help the Royals in the discussion of a need for a new stadium.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/ch ... 7286&ei=27
"Speaking after his team’s first full training camp practice on Sunday, Chiefs owner and CEO Clark Hunt expressed optimism that the team could renovate Arrowhead, rather than build a new stadium.
“We do feel optimistic about that,” Hunt told reporters at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph. “We spent a couple [of] years studying the structural integrity of the stadium — and earlier this year, we preliminarily concluded that Arrowhead could be renovated and extend the life for up to another 25 years.”

Wouldn't renovations cost as much as a new stadium? Seems dumb for 25 years after about 10 it will show its age. Ideally Royals move out of Truman Sports Complex Chiefs build a new stadium where Kaffmaun is

Obviously you missed the Hunts comments where they mention that they LIKE Arrowhead, and that there's NO reason to move. No structural issues, etc. Concrete structures can last indefinitely if properly cared for.

Obviously

[FangKC]

City Manager on Ballpark: East Village or NKC, Downtown Wins Either Way

City Manager Brian Platt has been on the job almost three years, enough time to get to know the city while still tapping into an outsider’s perspective from his government experience in Jersey City, outside New York.

That’s why getting together with him over coffee last weekend was a good opportunity to get his take on the biggest civic endeavor currently underway, the Royals quest for a new ballpark, and the city’s thorniest problem, public safety.

...
Has the proposed East Village site been fully assembled?

There’s maybe one or two more parcels, but for the most part, yes. And the core stadium area, yes. They’ve got this vision to do ancillary development around the stadium and potentially east of 71 and they don’t own or control all of that land.
...
Will new garages have to be part of the development?

I think so, there’s going to have to be some. and maybe park and rides, maybe a streetcar extension or some other type of transit extension.
...
The frustrating challenge we have is, we’ve said to them we need to know these things now so we can plan for it and determine how we can participate. We’re not interested in writing a check for $250 million.
...

https://cityscenekc.com/city-manager-o ... YtEudVrBb4

[Rusty Irish]

This seems to have been made public today although it's from May.

[moderne]

The owner of the property on the NE corner of 10th and Charlotte has repeatedly turned down offers to buy. He put a lot into customizing the building for his business and can walk a few blocks to where he lives. It's going to take a lot of $$ to get him to sell. Since this lot would not be the ball park, but the surrounding district, could the building be taken by eminent domain.?

[im2kull]

The owner of the property on the NE corner of 10th and Charlotte has repeatedly turned down offers to buy. He put a lot into customizing the building for his business and can walk a few blocks to where he lives. It's going to take a lot of $$ to get him to sell. Since this lot would not be the ball park, but the surrounding district, could the building be taken by eminent domain.?

Are his buildings blighted?

No?

Then stop acting socialist and don't be a Commie.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

The owner of the property on the NE corner of 10th and Charlotte has repeatedly turned down offers to buy. He put a lot into customizing the building for his business and can walk a few blocks to where he lives. It's going to take a lot of $$ to get him to sell. Since this lot would not be the ball park, but the surrounding district, could the building be taken by eminent domain.?

Are his buildings blighted?

No?

Then stop acting socialist and don't be a Commie.

Actually here for this kind of attitude. Surface parking lots? Detrimental and arguable blight. Functional building that’s well maintained and not on the exact site of a partially tax payer funded stadium? Yeah, nah, we can encourage sale, but shouldn’t seize by force.

[TheLastGentleman]

Wasn’t p&l created by imminent domain? Bunch of commies over there at The Cordish Companies i guess

[im2kull]

Wasn’t p&l created by imminent domain? Bunch of commies over there at The Cordish Companies i guess

The properties seized were blighted and extremely unkempt. Completely different scenario here.

[Sani]

Ah yes, the famous addendum to the Communist Manifesto, Kelo v. City of New London

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Fwiw, I think we could all argue that this was in fact blight.

[Jblanco]

That letter makes Frank White look stupid.
I think it is poorly written and only negative.
The Royals have said nothing about breaking their lease.
They have been discussing a new stadium and ballpark district.
And 99% of their communication has been about a downtown (Jackson Cty) location.

[aknowledgeableperson]

"The Royals have said nothing about breaking their lease."

Moving into and playing in another stadium before their lease expires is indeed breaking their lease. Guess they could pay a penalty but that would involve a whole different negotiation.

[Imarealperson]

The Platt and White comments sure look to me like they know it’s going to Clay Co

[smh]

The Platt and White comments sure look to me like they know it’s going to Clay Co

Feeling similarly.

[Chris Stritzel]

I'd love to see how Clay County could afford to pay for this. Certainly would have to be higher than a 3/8 cent tax. Clay has 255,000 residents and Jackson has 716,000. The economic output both both countries varies widely as well. From a tax standpoint, it makes sensate renew and remain in Jackson than go and introduce a new tax in Clay that people might not be too happy about.

I also think it's worth mentioning that Clay County might not be too open to a new tax since they voted for Trump twice, Greitens and Parson, and voted for Eric Schmitt. My point is that they still vote for Republicans, but aren't necessarily full-on conservative. This might complicate a new tax being proposed and passed there. Whereas, a renewal of an existing tax is a much easier sell to Jackson County voters because the tax doesn't change and the Chiefs get upgraded at the same time (likely).

My bets are still on the East Village.

If the Royals choose Clay County over the East Village, then this will be a loss that can be directly attributed to Frank White and County Leadership. White might still be sour over his firing from the team, but that's no excuse to let a once in a generation (or two) investment occur in the heart of the regional economy and in the county that you were elected to represent. City Manager Platt sees the upside to either site, but we all know he, like City of KC leadership, would love to see the stadium in Downtown and are likely working behind the scenes to make that happen despite county government incompetence.

The North KC site is also a bit harder to get to for those traveling from the Kansas suburbs. You have I-29/35 there. Downtown has the Loop and benefits from major thoroughfares converging in, and around, downtown that spin out to all reaches of the region.

[TheSmokinPun]

I agree, the entire Clay County thing feels like nothing. The total amount of money needed to fully redevelop that entire area for the amount of parking/entertainment/bars/restaurants/traffic improvements/etc that would be needed would make that side of the Northland's eyes flare.

Platte has the money, Clay has the people. Just not going to happen.

[TheUrbanRoo]

There is no way they choose Clay first. Not initially. MAYBE if the EV site can't pass a vote then. But they're 100% going to take a swing at EV first and try to work it there before anything else.

[beautyfromashes]

There is no way they choose Clay first. Not initially. MAYBE if the EV site can't pass a vote then. But they're 100% going to take a swing at EV first and try to work it there before anything else.

I’m with this thought. I wonder if they’ve gotten some bad polling on a Jackson vote and are worried they can make it happen. While the Northland might be against a vote for conservative reasons, the city might be against it for different ones with people talking about “tax breaks for billionaires”.

[Rusty Irish]

If the Royals choose Clay County over the East Village, then this will be a loss that can be directly attributed to Frank White and County Leadership. White might still be sour over his firing from the team, but that's no excuse to let a once in a generation (or two) investment occur in the heart of the regional economy and in the county that you were elected to represent.

That letter and it subsequently being leaked reek of him letting his personal feelings get in the way of the bigger picture which is very unprofessional IMO. I'd hate to think it could sour relations and make the Royals stick two middle fingers up and go to Clay.

I thought Clay County was just a ploy initially but I am starting to be concerned its becoming a genuine option. I'd have even said initially there was more of a chance of the Chiefs moving to Kansas than the Royals going to Clay County.

[aknowledgeableperson]

If the Royals choose Clay County over the East Village, then this will be a loss that can be directly attributed to Frank White and County Leadership.

How do you figure? From day 1 of a proposed downtown move there was always the feeling that county leadership wasn't sold on the idea. If Clay County gets a stadium the fault lies with the Royals, or with Clay County having a better proposal. The team was always going to fight a strong headwind to move from TSC no matter what. To a degree I think many JaCo voters see a rejection of them by the team after over 40 years of support by the county. And given the failure of the team these past two seasons many may believe the team owners are more interested in the development side of the proposal instead of putting a winning team on the field.
As a side note the Clay County site has one big advantage over the EV site - the amount of land available to develop, by the team and others. You may not get the taller buildings in Clay County but you can create more of a mixed use community that would have more of a neighborhood feeling to it than downtown.