Downtown Baseball Stadium

[DColeKC]

Let me just provide a word of caution about this whole situation: St. Louis Soccer Fans were positive that the sales tax vote to fund the original MLS2STL stadium plan in Downtown West would pass in April 2017. It was defeated 53-47. However, that was not an existing sales tax and was a measure that would've redirected the new 1/2-cent sales tax money ($50 Million) that would've been created for the North-South MetroLink (which was approved with 60% of the vote on the same night).
...
Most voters will continue to remain "on the fence" about voting to renew the sales tax without specific information being publicly available. I believe fully that the Chiefs and Royals know this and are going to work faster towards getting their plans out there so that the public has more time to review, ask questions, and make an informed decision.
https://www.stlpr.org/government-politi ... um-funding

Everyone is putting the cart before the horse here. There is still a great deal of sentiment for keeping the stadiums where they are, and so it's very possible voters will not vote to extend the tax for a new stadium downtown. Go read the comments on the joint Chiefs/Royals statement, and the post the Royals made on their Facebook page "Let your voice be heard." I don't see a lot of people there clamoring for a new downtown baseball stadium.

Kansas City Royals
·
Let your voice be heard.
jacksongov.org/Government/County-Legislature

https://www.facebook.com/Royals

I don’t take much stock in the online comments sections. They always tend to be 9 to 1 negative. Not saying this is a slam dunk because it’s not at all. I’m not overly confident it will pass at this point. The marketing campaign has to be excellent. They need to tell fans that staying at the K isn’t an option. It’s just not. It’s not a wise investment and won’t help the product on the field.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Let me just provide a word of caution about this whole situation: St. Louis Soccer Fans were positive that the sales tax vote to fund the original MLS2STL stadium plan in Downtown West would pass in April 2017. It was defeated 53-47. However, that was not an existing sales tax and was a measure that would've redirected the new 1/2-cent sales tax money ($50 Million) that would've been created for the North-South MetroLink (which was approved with 60% of the vote on the same night).
...
Most voters will continue to remain "on the fence" about voting to renew the sales tax without specific information being publicly available. I believe fully that the Chiefs and Royals know this and are going to work faster towards getting their plans out there so that the public has more time to review, ask questions, and make an informed decision.
https://www.stlpr.org/government-politi ... um-funding

Everyone is putting the cart before the horse here. There is still a great deal of sentiment for keeping the stadiums where they are, and so it's very possible voters will not vote to extend the tax for a new stadium downtown. Go read the comments on the joint Chiefs/Royals statement, and the post the Royals made on their Facebook page "Let your voice be heard." I don't see a lot of people there clamoring for a new downtown baseball stadium.

Kansas City Royals
·
Let your voice be heard.
jacksongov.org/Government/County-Legislature

https://www.facebook.com/Royals

I don’t take much stock in the online comments sections. They always tend to be 9 to 1 negative. Not saying this is a slam dunk because it’s not at all. I’m not overly confident it will pass at this point. The marketing campaign has to be excellent. They need to tell fans that staying at the K isn’t an option. It’s just not. It’s not a wise investment and won’t help the product on the field.

This is my assessment as well. 71% of the County is of voting age, meaning over 500,000 people are able to vote on this issue. I’ve not seen a comments section with over 200 comments on the matter. Even if every one of those were individual people making comments in opposition, that’s still less than .0004% of the entire County’s voting pool. Even if it’s an obscenely low turnout election, I have faith that the people who see Chiefs on the ballot would carry it through no questions asked.

[Chris Stritzel]

It should also be said that some of the commenters opposed to a new stadium don’t live in Jackson County, or even the KC region. That doesn’t mean this will be an easy win at the ballot box. If anything, I expect it to either be a blowout loss or barely a win. Depends on who gets out to vote

[TheUrbanRoo]

Once the Chiefs get more involved this thing will pass. It’s just been too much about the Royals so far.

[KCPowercat]

Yes once chiefs take an active role this will be a layup to mix sports metaphors

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Yes once chiefs take an active role this will be a layup to mix sports metaphors

I’d say more so a hole in one

[KCPowercat]

Slum dunk!

[Anthony_Hugo98]

Slum dunk!

Ah ha I see what you did there

[WoodDraw]

I'll be in KC in February. I'm going to make sure and spend a lot of time in this vibrant urban neighborhood centered around 16th and McGee.

Since it's so vibrant now, any recommendations on where to park? I mean, I know hard it's is to park in areas like that.

I'm kidding kind of...

It's been a while since I have been there I guess. Last time I was in that area (few months ago), 90% of the street parking was empty, the busiest street and very wide (Grand) had a vehicle count lower than most residential collector streets (hardly any cars at all) and pedestrians and cyclists were pretty non existent.

If this is a vibrant neighborhood in KC then the bar is just way too low there. That area of downtown desperately needs density and if the Royals build a more urban/vertical ballpark district there, I think you could have something that is actually pretty rare in downtown KC, a built up area with people walking around all the time, even with a stadium.

I just don't think you are going to get that in EV. You have a chance to build a stadium into the urban fabric and create a very dense area with apartments etc that has a location that will create synergy to central crossroads, crown center and the CBD. It's amazing how much of a difference a few blocks makes here.

I may be very disappointed in what the Royals come up with I guess. I'm envisioning something that has basically never been done before. Something like a combination of Camden Yards with the old warehouse and PetCo, only better. I want the seating bowl of the stadium to be nearly invisible at street level as if you didn't know there was a stadium there when walking down the street. Very little areas of huge blank walls. The stadium should just flow into the 670 park to the northwest and the other sides should be street level retail with even midrise and high rise hotel/office and residential built into it.

Grid I don't know why you're doing this bs. You know as much as anyone that the concern is about what happens to the surrounding area.

What good is a stadium if you level everything for parking surrounding it?

It's so sad to see people that know better fall into this.

[DaveKCMO]

re: "facadectomies"... I don't think I've ever seen one done in KC. The places that do them usually have requirements. Regardless, the facades are not the issue, it's the displacement.

[DColeKC]

I'll be in KC in February. I'm going to make sure and spend a lot of time in this vibrant urban neighborhood centered around 16th and McGee.

Since it's so vibrant now, any recommendations on where to park? I mean, I know hard it's is to park in areas like that.

I'm kidding kind of...

It's been a while since I have been there I guess. Last time I was in that area (few months ago), 90% of the street parking was empty, the busiest street and very wide (Grand) had a vehicle count lower than most residential collector streets (hardly any cars at all) and pedestrians and cyclists were pretty non existent.

If this is a vibrant neighborhood in KC then the bar is just way too low there. That area of downtown desperately needs density and if the Royals build a more urban/vertical ballpark district there, I think you could have something that is actually pretty rare in downtown KC, a built up area with people walking around all the time, even with a stadium.

I just don't think you are going to get that in EV. You have a chance to build a stadium into the urban fabric and create a very dense area with apartments etc that has a location that will create synergy to central crossroads, crown center and the CBD. It's amazing how much of a difference a few blocks makes here.

I may be very disappointed in what the Royals come up with I guess. I'm envisioning something that has basically never been done before. Something like a combination of Camden Yards with the old warehouse and PetCo, only better. I want the seating bowl of the stadium to be nearly invisible at street level as if you didn't know there was a stadium there when walking down the street. Very little areas of huge blank walls. The stadium should just flow into the 670 park to the northwest and the other sides should be street level retail with even midrise and high rise hotel/office and residential built into it.

Grid I don't know why you're doing this bs. You know as much as anyone that the concern is about what happens to the surrounding area.

What good is a stadium if you level everything for parking surrounding it?

It's so sad to see people that know better fall into this.

It’s sad to see people hold up development due to their unsubstantiated fears and concerns. “Let’s not build that because this could, possibly, might happen”.

There are so many current surface lots in and around this area already, the idea that we will see rampant demolition in order to create more parking is not only hypothetical but highly unlikely.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

I'll be in KC in February. I'm going to make sure and spend a lot of time in this vibrant urban neighborhood centered around 16th and McGee.

Since it's so vibrant now, any recommendations on where to park? I mean, I know hard it's is to park in areas like that.

I'm kidding kind of...

It's been a while since I have been there I guess. Last time I was in that area (few months ago), 90% of the street parking was empty, the busiest street and very wide (Grand) had a vehicle count lower than most residential collector streets (hardly any cars at all) and pedestrians and cyclists were pretty non existent.

If this is a vibrant neighborhood in KC then the bar is just way too low there. That area of downtown desperately needs density and if the Royals build a more urban/vertical ballpark district there, I think you could have something that is actually pretty rare in downtown KC, a built up area with people walking around all the time, even with a stadium.

I just don't think you are going to get that in EV. You have a chance to build a stadium into the urban fabric and create a very dense area with apartments etc that has a location that will create synergy to central crossroads, crown center and the CBD. It's amazing how much of a difference a few blocks makes here.

I may be very disappointed in what the Royals come up with I guess. I'm envisioning something that has basically never been done before. Something like a combination of Camden Yards with the old warehouse and PetCo, only better. I want the seating bowl of the stadium to be nearly invisible at street level as if you didn't know there was a stadium there when walking down the street. Very little areas of huge blank walls. The stadium should just flow into the 670 park to the northwest and the other sides should be street level retail with even midrise and high rise hotel/office and residential built into it.

Grid I don't know why you're doing this bs. You know as much as anyone that the concern is about what happens to the surrounding area.

What good is a stadium if you level everything for parking surrounding it?

It's so sad to see people that know better fall into this.

It’s sad to see people hold up development due to their unsubstantiated fears and concerns. “Let’s not build that because this could, possibly, might happen”.

There are so many current surface lots in and around this area already, the idea that we will see rampant demolition in order to create more parking is not only hypothetical but highly unlikely.

Why is it highly unlikely?

[daGOAT]

If they can build the stadium and keep the buildings on Grand Blvd I 100 percent think East Crossroads is the cities best option. It's reasonably close to 18th, the streetcar, Troost MAX, highway, and my own personal goal of creating a higher density along Truman and giving it a makeover with LRT or BRT. It could be a game changer and it's closer to existing hotels as well as the south loop link.

[WoodDraw]

I can't stress again how much this is being led by like three developers. I know you can make the same case for ev.

I just hope people know what they're supporting. It's for sure not development.

[TheUrbanRoo]

The anti-Crossroads people are acting no different than suburban NIMBY's. Not my area! Go elsewhere!

Even though it's ultimately the *best* option for the city downtown.

[WoodDraw]

The anti-Crossroads people are acting no different than suburban NIMBY's. Not my area! Go elsewhere!

Even though it's ultimately the *best* option for the city downtown.

I live in the crossroads and I think I can strongly say I have never been apart of any nimby group here.

[DColeKC]

Grid I don't know why you're doing this bs. You know as much as anyone that the concern is about what happens to the surrounding area.

What good is a stadium if you level everything for parking surrounding it?

It's so sad to see people that know better fall into this.

It’s sad to see people hold up development due to their unsubstantiated fears and concerns. “Let’s not build that because this could, possibly, might happen”.

There are so many current surface lots in and around this area already, the idea that we will see rampant demolition in order to create more parking is not only hypothetical but highly unlikely.

Why is it highly unlikely?

Plenty of surface parking lots already exist and I have no doubt the Royals will build some parking garages nearby, but I feel it's being implied that valuable, high-use and vibrant buildings will be torn down in order to make room for a sea of parking garages. The area directly adjacent to the stadium will be more valuable to the Royals for residential and mixed use. If the city is going to help pay for these parking garages, they already own some property where a garage makes sense.

I take issue with the comment, "What good is a stadium if you level everything for parking surround it?"

[DColeKC]

I can't stress again how much this is being led by like three developers. I know you can make the same case for ev.

I just hope people know what they're supporting. It's for sure not development.

Being led by three "developers" but it's not about "development". That confuses me.

There's only one developer actually involved in the project, the other two I assume you're referring to are investors. They've bought up property that nobody else wanted knowing that at some point in time, they'd get a chance to profit. Now is their time.

Nothing seems to get done if developers with the means to go from paper to structure don't get involved.

[TheSmokinPun]

The anti-Crossroads people are acting no different than suburban NIMBY's. Not my area! Go elsewhere!

Even though it's ultimately the *best* option for the city downtown.

I'm not an art person and it would actually be much easier with current transit for me to get to the CR site but I still prefer the EV. You can cry out NIMBY all you want but it's the real NIMBY answer compared to the please god build something here anything site that the EV has been. A blank canvas full of potential, you'd think you'd want to fill in that area of the map that people in other towns have mocked us over.

I'm so disappointed too that only one side of the argument keeps jumping in and being negative towards people that have other opinions that might differ than your own. Supporting the East Village site is my belief and I'm allowed to have it.

[TheBigChuckbowski]

The anti-Crossroads people are acting no different than suburban NIMBY's. Not my area! Go elsewhere!

Even though it's ultimately the *best* option for the city downtown.

I don't live in the Crossroads and I deeply disagree with it being the best for downtown. In fact, I think the EC people have become blinded by what's best for downtown, instead favoring the gameday experience as the ultimate criteria.