Downtown Baseball Stadium

[DColeKC]

Why would they be presenting this stadium if they haven’t figured out how to pay for it? 300 to 350 million will be generated from the tax extension.

As for Sprint Center renderings and what we ended up with. They dropped a few fountains along Grand and that’s about it. We ended up with one of the best arenas in the country and it’s held up very well.

[Chris Stritzel]

Ftr, as of now I'm planning to vote yes on the tax.

I'm sorry if I'm sounding negative. Grid must be happy I'm taking over the abuse.

I agree with what Chris said. The only thing I'll add is fight now because you won't get a second chance.

We need to fight for a better outcome, not just here but across the entire City. This can and should be the spark to get people to do that. We can complain all day, or we can find common ground and advance a cause. My door is open for discussion and I hope enough people are willing to see both sides of this argument to come to a positive conclusion.

[dnweava]

somebody can go ahead and give this to the Royals, I'm designing the stadium for free... You can Easily fit a baseball stadium (this is roughly a 30k seat stadium, using a Royals Urban academy field which has fences that are 8 to 10 feet shorter than the K. Also can fit a soccer field.

Saves a big chunk of the star building which can be used as a main entrance, food hall, hall of fame, etc. Also saves the older buildings along Grand, doesn't close Oak, etc.

Receipts. The royals stole my design I posted last November when I was already on board with the crossroads site before everyone else. (Minus freaking closing Oak, it's not freaking needed, I've been screaming that for months!!!!!)

Same field direction, buildings in the NE corner, squared off rightfield wall, park deck goes over the eastbound Truman...

[DColeKC]

The negativity surrounding this has shown true colors about wanting change across a wide range of folks. Deals of this scale are extremely complex and have tons of factors associated with them that very few of us can even grasp. The decision did not come easily, nor should it have.

The Royals were screwed either way. On one hand, you had Columbus Park people pissed about the stadium in East Village, the affordable housing advocates pissed about what could happen to Paseo West, and the Feds pissed that an East Village stadium would reduce their security buffer for their properties and they'd have to give up the garage they use at 10th and Cherry. On the other hand, you have longtime "urban advocates" pissed that the Crossroads will lose a handful of buildings away from the center of activity, you have other downtown residents saying you'll lose things of great usage when I rarely see anyone patronize these businesses, and you have those who want a denser downtown complaining despite the fact that a large chunk of the site is car infrastructure.

This is a lose-lose station as far as the Royals are concerned. You can't win if you're the Royals.

I've taken the time to walk around this site at all times of day and night, good weather and bad, weekday and weekend, to get a feel for it over the past year. It's something I encourage everyone to do as well. See what's currently there and ask yourself if this is any better than what we'd get. It's an honest question that I have. I'll miss some of the buildings in the development zone, but they can be replicated elsewhere. The existing businesses over there should be offered new homes in the neighborhood as it's the right thing to do (although some I wouldn't provide that courtesy if I were in charge).

It's also clear that the future success of the Crossroads neighborhood will be determined by what's built in the eastern half. 1531 Holmes is the first "big" project to be proposed over there, and certainly not the last. The area is extremely underutilized. It'd an industrial zone with crummy sidewalks and usages that need to be cleared. We have a multi-generational opportunity to use this proposal as a spark to get the city to rewrite policy to encourage smarter development in this area so we're not left with the wasteland we currently have.

I agree with WoodDraw that these are simply pretty pictures. Plans will change between now and the groundbreaking. I encourage everyone to use the comment form on the Ballpark District website to submit your comments. My comments were...
- Shift the buildings on Oak back a bit to create a cut-through.
- Either remove the pedestrian bridge over the park or incorporate a potion of the Buck ONeil bridge.
- Feature lush landscaping around the stadium.

Cities are meant to evolve and change. There were decisions made a century ago that people were pissed at, yet now we look back on them as being unimaginable to live without or to imagine the city without. A project like this is our time's equivalent. Are people really going to stand in the way over something like this?

I understand that East Village will be left undeveloped, for now. VanTrust will likely spin the land off soon and we'll see it start to be developed. If I can play a role in that, I will. But for now, my work elsewhere calls me for full attention.

Lastly, a lot of people already had their minds made up over whether to support this ever since the whispers of the Crossroads site came into the picture. No amount of campaigning will change this fact. I'm set on voting yes because I want Downtown to evolve (as it should), I want the Chiefs to get necessary upgrades at Arrowhead, and I want the Royals to double-down and commit to Downtown for decades to come. I already pay the sales tax and so does every single other person who lives, works, and visits in Jackson County.

Well put.

[GRID]

Grid must be happy I'm taking over the abuse.

You can be negative and positive at the same time. That's how I am, but people just see the negative.

I totally get what you are saying and see your point of view and don't consider what you are saying as being negative at all.

I have already posted what I think are faults with the CR site, but I still love the location. It will take a lot more "negative" posts to try and help make sure it's all developed in the best way possible.

This has the potential to completely transform downtown KC. Regardless of what the Royals are able to build, I think the crossroads district is going to absolutely explode now.

I do think the city needs to consider building a garage behind the arena though. Just something to reduce the chance of needing more close parking to the stadium.

But, this combined with the 670 is a game changer for Downtown KC, it really is.

[WoodDraw]

Why would they be presenting this stadium if they haven’t figured out how to pay for it? 300 to 350 million will be generated from the tax extension.

As for Sprint Center renderings and what we ended up with. They dropped a few fountains along Grand and that’s about it. We ended up with one of the best arenas in the country and it’s held up very well.

This doesn't belong in this thread, but there was an architecture competition, and all the KC firms came together and created a spaceship (that looked nothing like this)

If anyone cares, Google. You'll be amazed at the competition.

[DColeKC]

somebody can go ahead and give this to the Royals, I'm designing the stadium for free... You can Easily fit a baseball stadium (this is roughly a 30k seat stadium, using a Royals Urban academy field which has fences that are 8 to 10 feet shorter than the K. Also can fit a soccer field.

Saves a big chunk of the star building which can be used as a main entrance, food hall, hall of fame, etc. Also saves the older buildings along Grand, doesn't close Oak, etc.

Receipts. The royals stole my design I posted last November when I was already on board with the crossroads site before everyone else. (Minus freaking closing Oak, it's not freaking needed, I've been screaming that for months!!!!!)

Same field direction, buildings in the NE corner, squared off rightfield wall, park deck goes over the eastbound Truman...

Sorry, but I’ve been talking about this location for 2 years now and saw a version of what they released today in October of 2023.

[dnweava]

somebody can go ahead and give this to the Royals, I'm designing the stadium for free... You can Easily fit a baseball stadium (this is roughly a 30k seat stadium, using a Royals Urban academy field which has fences that are 8 to 10 feet shorter than the K. Also can fit a soccer field.

Saves a big chunk of the star building which can be used as a main entrance, food hall, hall of fame, etc. Also saves the older buildings along Grand, doesn't close Oak, etc.

Receipts. The royals stole my design I posted last November when I was already on board with the crossroads site before everyone else. (Minus freaking closing Oak, it's not freaking needed, I've been screaming that for months!!!!!)

Same field direction, buildings in the NE corner, squared off rightfield wall, park deck goes over the eastbound Truman...

Sorry, but I’ve been talking about this location for 2 years now and saw a version of what they released today in October of 2023.

I mean I was obviously joking that they stole my design but I did get a few things correct. I also meant I feel like I was the first one on board with the crossroads site that wasn't you.

[DColeKC]

Receipts. The royals stole my design I posted last November when I was already on board with the crossroads site before everyone else. (Minus freaking closing Oak, it's not freaking needed, I've been screaming that for months!!!!!)

Same field direction, buildings in the NE corner, squared off rightfield wall, park deck goes over the eastbound Truman...

Sorry, but I’ve been talking about this location for 2 years now and saw a version of what they released today in October of 2023.

I mean I was obviously joking that they stole my design but I did get a few things correct. I also meant I feel like I was the first one on board with the crossroads site that wasn't you.

You did get it right. You did better than that Tony guy who had renderings done!

[DColeKC]

Why would they be presenting this stadium if they haven’t figured out how to pay for it? 300 to 350 million will be generated from the tax extension.

As for Sprint Center renderings and what we ended up with. They dropped a few fountains along Grand and that’s about it. We ended up with one of the best arenas in the country and it’s held up very well.

This doesn't belong in this thread, but there was an architecture competition, and all the KC firms came together and created a spaceship (that looked nothing like this)

If anyone cares, Google. You'll be amazed at the competition.

I only put this in here because you’re saying what we ended up with for the arena was nothing like the renderings. This was the wining design and the final product came out dang close. I think the final product of the ballpark and district will morph a bit but the the renderings we saw today are not fiction.

Sure, the fountains outside of the stadium could go away as someone previously mentioned but we’ve seen the core plan today.

[grovester]

That is it? Absolutely disgusting. Vote this bullshit down.

I don’t get this. What’s the problem? It seems pretty minimally disruptive, compliments and expands the South Loop cap, doesn’t create an additional restaurant district to compete with the Crossroads, melds into the existing parking infrastructure with no added waste, and looks to have a hell of a view with the skyline looming behind the stadium.

Agreed on all points. Better than I expected. Get it done. The alternative is no downtown stadium and another 50 years at TSC (or no team at all).

I don't buy this for a minute. This is an opening gambit.

[WoodDraw]

Lol go find the spaceship. You missed the early years. That's where we are now

Someone must have the original rendering of Sprint center? I'm avoiding saying who we went against to not draw this off.

[Jblanco]

Love these renderings and I'm totally on board with this location now.

Grand and Truman are the perfect gateway for the stadium.
This will make Grand great again!


This is real critical mass and finally we see how this ties in so well with PnL, the streetcar and 18th Street. And I see this location exploding with new residential much, much faster than EV would have.

https://scontent.fmkc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=65D0917F

[mean]

I'm not in love with it, but it's fine I guess. I generally don't vote yes on stuff like this, but I could probably be persuaded.

But to think that we've been having this discussion in this thread since 2007 and it's finally apparently happening is insane, holy crap.

[DColeKC]

Lol go find the spaceship. You missed the early years. That's where we are now

Someone must have the original rendering of Sprint center? I'm avoiding saying who we went against to not draw this off.

I have all the original renderings and concepts. I was here for the early days. The spaceship was one design presented before a final design was chosen. Today’s announcement and renderings are not one of a few designs being considered. It is the core design.

[DColeKC]

I'm not in love with it, but it's fine I guess. I generally don't vote yes on stuff like this, but I could probably be persuaded.

But to think that we've been having this discussion in this thread since 2007 and it's finally apparently happening is insane, holy crap.

Would a steak dinner secure your vote?

[WoodDraw]

Lol go find the spaceship. You missed the early years. That's where we are now

Someone must have the original rendering of Sprint center? I'm avoiding saying who we went against to not draw this off.

I have all the original renderings and concepts. I was here for the early days. The spaceship was one design presented before a final design was chosen. Today’s announcement and renderings are not one of a few designs being considered. It is the core design.

I figured you did. I was just saying that what is presented to the public is not what you always see built. We're at the rendering stage with no budget.

[Rabble]

The only more pretentious name for a neighborhood than the Crossroads Arts District is the Crossroads East. I hope the new Royals ballpark will redesignate downtown as everywhere between the river and 31st street.

[alejandro46]

Just cap that atrocious highway. East loop still will need work even if not in the east village. Imagine northland traffic exiting onto 670 merging across all lanes on to one flyover. We don’t need more lanes, just better exits and reduce choke points.

[dukuboy1]

Looking to seeing final design renderings. Really need to have crown scoreboard & fountains in the OF some sort. There are very few architecturally distinct features in MLB stadiums. The Royals are lucky to have 2 iconic ones that immediately say The K & KC. You wouldn’t remove the ivy at Wrigley Field, you wouldn’t replace the scoreboard on the Green Monster with a video one. So let’s not mess with out icons to baseball parks and make sure those 2 things are in the new park