On Feb. 12, 2024, the Kansas City Royals announced that they would be moving away from Kauffman Stadium and into the East Crossroads district. The implications of a new stadium could bring small businesses currently located at the crossroads into hard times.
The stadium is currently expected to be finished before the 2028 season, occupying the space where the abandoned Kansas City Star printing press is currently located in downtown Kansas City. Jackson County is taking out a loan for the stadium’s funding that will be repaid through sales tax revenue, with residents contributing partially through increased taxes over the next few years.
The Royals have been playing at their current stadium, Kauffman Stadium, named after the original owner Ewing Kauffman, since April 10, 1973. A new stadium means a new era of baseball in Kansas City. Kansas City won the World Series, twice at Kauffman, once in 1985 and 30 years later in 2015.
Junior baseball player Jackson Morton said the new stadium will bring higher attendance to Royals games. Having been a Royals fan for most of his life, Morton remembers when he and his family had season tickets during the 2014 season. One year before the Royals brought the World Series back to Kansas City for the first time in 30 years. During the 2014 season, however, the Royals made it to the World Series before falling to the Madison Bumgarner-led San Francisco Giants. Morton said he attended seven to eight games last year, and that the attendance during the weekends was good, however, during the work week the attendance was dull, and not excited about the game.
Regarding the location, Morton said, “The new stadium will probably attract some people.”
Currently, Kauffman Stadium and GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium are on the same grounds and share a parking lot.
“I think that it’s just like trying to cram two things in,” Morton said. He is happy to see the Royals “branch out and be adventurous.”
Junior Cal Hauser, offered a slightly different perspective about the new stadium. Hauser likes the look of the new stadium but doesn’t like that the stadium is leaving its current location. He is sad to see Kauffman go.
“I do like Kaufman, mainly just because of the atmosphere there when it’s usually packed,” Hauser said. “I mean, there’s a lot of traditions there. You always do the wave in the sixth inning, and then like the seventh inning stretch.”
Hauser is excited to see and visit the new stadium when it opens but wishes it would have stayed in the same area.
Overall, both students think that the new stadium is exciting and are ready for the new era of baseball being brought to Kansas City. However, still have differing views on the location of the stadium.
