Royals owner aiming to have new ballpark in 2027 or 2028

Kansas City Royals owner John Sherman told local media that he's hoping a new stadium would be built by either the 2027 or 2028 Major League Baseball season.

In a meeting with the press on Thursday morning, Sherman explained that the team is hoping to pick a site for a new venue by the end of the summer. The preferred location is near downtown Kansas City, aligned with the T-Mobile Center as part of a revitalization project that would keep the team in Jackson County. Yet a second bid being considered from North Kansas City in adjacent Clay County that proposes more space for a "ballpark village" similar to what the Atlanta Braves have surrounding Truist Park in suburban Cobb County.

Recalling his open letter to fans in 2022, Sherman reiterated the desire to keep the Royals in Jackson County. Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN):

"We've always said 'downtown or near downtown,'" said Sherman, who purchased the club in November 2019 from the late David Glass. "It's a highly motivated and creative bunch [in Clay County], but we've been partners with Jackson County and in Kansas City for 52 years. We value that relationship. We want them to give us their best shot, and we're going to give them our best shot to do it there. But I think we should be clear that there is certainly an alternative to that area."

As expected, finances play a role in which of the two options wins out. Sherman has said that the team will put up $1 billion in private investment toward the construction of the new stadium, but decisions tend to be made based on how much public money gets allocated. Next April, voters will decide if they want to maintain the 3/8 cent sales tax that goes toward improvements to both Kaufmann Stadium and the Chiefs' GEHA Field (formerly Arrowhead Stadium).

The Royals have played in Kaufmann Stadium since 1973, a stadium that was built solely for baseball during a time when multipurpose stadiums were erected across the country. Long considered one of the more picturesque stadiums in the league, crumbling concrete and the lack of amenities that compare to other teams have led to the push for a new venue. 

Even with the proposed private investment, cost overruns are quite common in stadium construction, and they generally end up falling on to taxpayers through special taxes, municipal bonds and more. Sherman may pick a site before the end of the current season, but the sales tax vote can have an outsized impact on which community will be the next home to Royals baseball.