Final Royals stadium hurdles cleared, Mayor Lucas says
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City Council moved the downtown Royals stadium forward with three new ordinances that addressed financing and zoning for its Crown Center site.
The big picture: The stadium was the hottest issue at Thursday's meeting, but that's not all that happened.
🏟️ Royals clear big hurdles
The Council approved rezoning about 68 acres around Crown Center for the ballpark district.
- Members also approved bonds that would cover up to $537 million in costs for the stadium, team offices and nearby infrastructure, plus a tax increment financing plan to help pay down the debt over around 30 years with tax revenue the area generates.
- If those funds fall short, the city still has to cover the payments.
The other side: Councilmembers Johnathan Duncan and Nathan Willett voted no to the financing ordinances, saying the planned use of $20 million in General Obligation bonds to fund stadium roadway improvements pulls funds from other projects around town.
What they're saying: "With this week's approvals, the city has completed the legislative steps necessary to activate the development," Mayor Quinton Lucas tells Axios.
What's next: The plan calls for groundbreaking in May 2027 and a home opener in March 2030.
🍺 3am bar rules relax
New businesses that want to sell alcohol till 3am no longer have to show $125,000 in annual gross sales to qualify, increasing their window for sales their first year and making "sure small businesses can compete," Lucas said at the meeting.
- Changing ownership no longer requires a process that notifies neighbors.
🏘️ New houses, questionable land
Two hundred new homes on about 87 acres across from Staley High School that the Kansas City Star reported used to be a plantation are moving forward with an approved development plan.
- Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw acknowledged concerns that former enslaved people could be buried on the site, saying the developer must first undergo a historic evaluation of the land.