Overview
- City leaders, who meet Tuesday, will use back‑to‑back sessions to shape the path for a downtown Royals ballpark at Washington Square Park, setting groundwork rather than approving construction.
- An ordinance before the Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee would direct lease and development talks with the Royals and allow applications for Missouri’s Show‑Me Sports Investment Act incentives and tax increment financing.
- A Parks and Recreation Board resolution would let the city manager assemble a lease of park land with requirements that include at least 30,000 seats plus public park space and recreational amenities.
- The proposal carries up to $600 million in potential city support, while Councilman Jonathan Duncan is discussing a petition for a public vote that he says would need about 2,200 signatures.
- If the measure advances, the full council could take it up as early as Thursday, a pace driven by a 4‑ to 5‑year stadium build and the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium lease that runs through 2031.