TheUrbanRoo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:53 am
The overlooked point in all this is that southern JoCo would actually be a phenomenal place to put Chiefs stadium but for some reason we’re only allowed to have the Royals go there or something.
Losing the sole remaining NFL team in Missouri to Kansas would be a catastrophe. The Chiefs have a 50 year history in KCMO and a history of success, not to mention dynasty status as we speak.
They’re staying at Arrowhead and Missouri should chip in to help them out.
As for the Royals, where are all the liberal activists at? They’re ok with demolishing buildings that were tax subsidized and aren’t even 30 years old? You want to talk about a picture perfect adaptive reuse project! The sprint campus is begging to be converted into mixed use residential. It has hiking trails, biking trails, athletic fields, a small amphitheater and tons of green space. This is a developers dream and it would be a pathetic waste for a baseball stadium to takes it place.
All that said, that location for the Royals goes against the entire philosophy of wanting to get out of TSC. They literally might as well build a new K next to the existing one if they can’t improve on location.
KC_JAYHAWK wrote: ↑Fri Jan 10, 2025 8:52 am
Moving to old Sprint/T-Mobile campus site would be a terrible idea. This also assumes the owner of the campus would be willing to sell it, probably in excess of $200M, then the cost to tear all those buildings down would be astronomical. And just the waste of resources that end up in a landfill. The campus itself is nice, and the buildings are what, 20+ years old? I worked on the campus when it first opened from 2000-2006. I know that's been over 20 years, but the buildings weren't built cheap, meaning they are all brick and stone. I just don't see it happening there, much prefer the WSP area or even the East Village if that is even on the table.
This is a point I think far too many people, both on this forum and outside, are glossing over.
The purchase price alone will be a huge hurdle to that site working, as well as onerous demolition costs, for a questionable return on investment. Yeah sure, star bonds and gambling revenue help, but only so much.
Long term viability is going to remain lower in the burbs, it achieves none of the stated goals of the ownership sans keeping the team in the region, and actively ostracizes a huge portion of the fan base that has been rather vocal about their disdain for the “border war” politics and their reluctance to follow the team over state lines.
Do I think that all those factors mean it’s a completely unworkable site? Not in the slightest.
We have to recognize it for what it is though, a piece of leverage to achieve what the team ownership ACTUALLY wants.
I have a significant level of hope about this, sure, but I’m willing to bet that cooler head prevail, and the only way a JOCO site happens is if every door is closed on Downtown by either elected officials or massive public pressure and backlash. Neither seem too likely an impediment IMO.
I have read that the site in consideration is not the Aspiria Campus but the undeveloped land on the SE corner of the campus on the corner of 119th and Nall. As you drive by, it looks terribly small. But a comparison with Royals Stadium on Google Maps shows that the stadium would easily fit on the undeveloped land with a lot of room left for parking. The Royals would probably only need to acquire the sand volleyball facility a little to the west of the undeveloped land. Here is a google image that shows the site I am referring to:
DaveKCMO wrote: ↑Mon Jan 13, 2025 8:51 pm
Occidental owns that land, as Sprint did before it. I would definitely call that part of the campus.
Right. I was referring the idea that part or all of the existing campus would have be to torn down ("Moving to old Sprint/T-Mobile campus site would be a terrible idea. This also assumes the owner of the campus would be willing to sell it, probably in excess of $200M, then the cost to tear all those buildings down would be astronomical"). That is not the case. Only the SW part of the campus - which is undeveloped - is in play. At least that is what I read in a local publication a couple of months ago.
So they would just slap MLB stadium into the NW corner of 119th and Nall and leave the Sprint Campus in tact? So the stadium would be across six lane streets from a strip mall and a hospital. The parking for the stadium would be strung out over like 15 parking garages that could be a mile walk and not a very fun walk at that.
This would be total and complete joke. Even if they build some stupid little "ballpark" village next to the stadium, it would be more like the tbones park in KCK than a MLB stadium. What a joke and what an embarrassment to KC's baseball heritage. Just let the team leave the metro if this is the option.
Honestly the more I've been thinking about it I wonder if this entire JoCo leak in general is a giant smoke screen so they can get all the ducks in a row for WSP without fighting or opposition from the usuals. Then just pop put and announce it all in one clean hit before anyone can mobilize against it.
Because if you wanted to do this with no vote and avoid opposition mobilizing, the smart tactic would be to throw the bone in the other direction.
GRID wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:27 pm
So they would just slap MLB stadium into the NW corner of 119th and Nall and leave the Sprint Campus in tact? So the stadium would be across six lane streets from a strip mall and a hospital. The parking for the stadium would be strung out over like 15 parking garages that could be a mile walk and not a very fun walk at that.
This would be total and complete joke. Even if they build some stupid little "ballpark" village next to the stadium, it would be more like the tbones park in KCK than a MLB stadium. What a joke and what an embarrassment to KC's baseball heritage. Just let the team leave the metro if this is the option.
I just cannot imagine that it would be built without some serious resistance from the surrounding neighborhoods. The businesses and offices in the area bring people in but those are beneficial to the neighborhoods. Something like a stadium that brings a lot of people into the area from all corners of the metro for a few hours at a time would be far less welcome. I don't think this just happens without serious opposition. I think it will be more organized and more intense than the opposition to the Crossroads stadium (minus the large Save Kaufman voting bloc who will be without a voice in this one).
TheUrbanRoo wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:12 pm
Honestly the more I've been thinking about it I wonder if this entire JoCo leak in general is a giant smoke screen so they can get all the ducks in a row for WSP without fighting or opposition from the usuals. Then just pop put and announce it all in one clean hit before anyone can mobilize against it.
Because if you wanted to do this with no vote and avoid opposition mobilizing, the smart tactic would be to throw the bone in the other direction.
Metro wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:24 pm
I know a KS rep that's pretty confident the Royals are going to KS
Rumblings I’ve been hearing say the same. Biggest unknown is what the State of MO can provide, and that’s the only factor really preventing announcement at this point.
The plus side is from the communication of MO reps and the Governor, their priority seems to be keeping both teams.
TheUrbanRoo wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:12 pm
Honestly the more I've been thinking about it I wonder if this entire JoCo leak in general is a giant smoke screen so they can get all the ducks in a row for WSP without fighting or opposition from the usuals. Then just pop put and announce it all in one clean hit before anyone can mobilize against it.
Because if you wanted to do this with no vote and avoid opposition mobilizing, the smart tactic would be to throw the bone in the other direction.
Metro wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:24 pm
I know a KS rep that's pretty confident the Royals are going to KS
Rumblings I’ve been hearing say the same. Biggest unknown is what the State of MO can provide, and that’s the only factor really preventing announcement at this point.
The plus side is from the communication of MO reps and the Governor, their priority seems to be keeping both teams.
If the Royals stated intention has been to move downtown, I wonder why they would at least not pursue a viable location like Washington Park? It doesn't make any sense to just abandon the effort and move to Kansas. Not unless they have some a priori information about that site that makes it not viable or they, after already losing one battle in downtown, just want to seek what they believe is the path of least resistance. They are not, ostensibly at least, showing much determination.
Metro wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:24 pm
I know a KS rep that's pretty confident the Royals are going to KS
Rumblings I’ve been hearing say the same. Biggest unknown is what the State of MO can provide, and that’s the only factor really preventing announcement at this point.
The plus side is from the communication of MO reps and the Governor, their priority seems to be keeping both teams.
If the Royals stated intention has been to move downtown, I wonder why they would at least not pursue a viable location like Washington Park? It doesn't make any sense to just abandon the effort and move to Kansas. Not unless they have some a priori information about that site that makes it not viable or they, after already losing one battle in downtown, just want to seek what they believe is the path of least resistance. They are not, ostensibly at least, showing much determination.
My guess is a more than welcoming state partner with KS, minimally opposed municipal leadership, and a gracious financing package from all parties is tipping the scales.
TheUrbanRoo wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:12 pm
Honestly the more I've been thinking about it I wonder if this entire JoCo leak in general is a giant smoke screen so they can get all the ducks in a row for WSP without fighting or opposition from the usuals. Then just pop put and announce it all in one clean hit before anyone can mobilize against it.
Because if you wanted to do this with no vote and avoid opposition mobilizing, the smart tactic would be to throw the bone in the other direction.
Do whatever makes you feel better. I'm like 80% sure they are going to KS. I'm just hanging on to that other 20% for hope only.
Last edited by GRID on Tue Jan 14, 2025 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
GRID wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 2:27 pm
So they would just slap MLB stadium into the NW corner of 119th and Nall and leave the Sprint Campus in tact? So the stadium would be across six lane streets from a strip mall and a hospital. The parking for the stadium would be strung out over like 15 parking garages that could be a mile walk and not a very fun walk at that.
This would be total and complete joke. Even if they build some stupid little "ballpark" village next to the stadium, it would be more like the tbones park in KCK than a MLB stadium. What a joke and what an embarrassment to KC's baseball heritage. Just let the team leave the metro if this is the option.
I just cannot imagine that it would be built without some serious resistance from the surrounding neighborhoods. The businesses and offices in the area bring people in but those are beneficial to the neighborhoods. Something like a stadium that brings a lot of people into the area from all corners of the metro for a few hours at a time would be far less welcome. I don't think this just happens without serious opposition. I think it will be more organized and more intense than the opposition to the Crossroads stadium (minus the large Save Kaufman voting bloc who will be without a voice in this one).
History says that even when heavily subsidized by the public, KC area residents do not form any sort of major resistance to car orientated suburban development. There will be some moans and groans from local residents but I suspect this will be prove to be futile. Even in a wealthy area like that.
If the Royals go to Kansas then KC has to completely re-think and re-orient the entire future of downtown. Dramatically. You'd have to stop looking at sports/events to be the fix and start looking at making whole new imaginative idea's in the city center to draw people, like many cities do without sports. It'd be either do that or die out.
Highlander wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 4:38 pm
If the Royals stated intention has been to move downtown, I wonder why they would at least not pursue a viable location like Washington Park? It doesn't make any sense to just abandon the effort and move to Kansas. Not unless they have some a priori information about that site that makes it not viable or they, after already losing one battle in downtown, just want to seek what they believe is the path of least resistance. They are not, ostensibly at least, showing much determination.
This is where I'm coming from. I understand the appeal of the potential suitor with capital and enthusiasm across the state line, but a corporate suburban KS ballpark in the areas being discussed is just a completely different animal than all three of the first proposed locations.
Not to mention all of the "Welcome to the City" type rhetoric and stated desire specifically for a downtown ballpark for years now. Also, would be a massive, generational error for the city (most certainly) and the team (likely). Will wait to hear more but this would obviously be an insanely disappointing outcome given what the Royals expressed with their initial plans.
Have to hope there is more to this than a frustrated ownership group takes the path of least resistance towards a subpar outcome for the region.
