Kansas City Royals, Hallmark Cards announce plan to build downtown stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KQTV) -- The Kansas City Royals announced Wednesday morning a plan to build a downtown stadium in Kansas City.

The Royals, with Hallmark Cards, plan to build a "world-class ballpark, surrounding mixed-use development and reimagined headquarters for both iconic institutions at Crown Center."

According to a release by the team, this multi-billion dollar plan will create 20,000 jobs in the construction phase. The 85-acre development is expected to have $2 billion in private investment.

"Our founder Ewing Kauffman wanted the Royals to be Kansas City’s forever, and he wanted the team to benefit his hometown as much as possible,” Royals CEO and Chairman John Sherman said. “Joining Hallmark with this project achieves both and extends the Hall family’s critical legacy of helping Kansas City grow."

The total project is expected to be funded by the Royals and other private investors with public funding from the City of Kansas City and Missouri's Show-Me Sports Investment.

Royals' leadership, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, and Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas will speak later today about the new plan for downtown baseball.