Royals Unveil Design for Downtown Crown Center Ballpark

The Kansas City Royals revealed renderings for a 34,000-seat open-air stadium at Crown Center, which would replace Kauffman Stadium.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Baseball

Photo-realistic view of an empty open-air baseball park with stone and brick facade set into a sloping bluff, under overcast daylight. — The Kansas City Royals unveiled renderings Tuesday for a 34,000-seat open-air ballpark at Crown Center, part of a $3 billion project that would replace Kauffman Stadium. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Kansas City Royals unveiled renderings for a 34,000-seat open-air ballpark at Crown Center, part of a $3 billion stadium and mixed-use development. The project is being developed in partnership with Hallmark Cards and would replace Kauffman Stadium, the team's home since 1973.

Why it matters

The project would reshape more than 85 acres of Crown Center and move the franchise's home into the downtown core of Kansas City. It is the product of a lengthy process to find a new home for the team.

The 1.25-million-square-foot, four-deck stadium would seat 34,000 within a $3 billion development, against Crown Center's roughly 9,000 existing parking spaces. The team has not yet detailed how the remaining public and private financing will be structured.

The players

Kansas City Royals

The Major League Baseball franchise that has played at Kauffman Stadium since 1973 and is proposing the Crown Center ballpark.

Hallmark Cards

The Kansas City-based greeting card company whose current corporate headquarters sits on the proposed stadium site and which is partnering on the project.

The details

The four-deck stadium would be built roughly 90 feet into the ground, fitted into the site's existing limestone bluff, with Populous as architect of record. Construction would be led by a joint venture between Mortenson and McCownGordon, and the design draws on Kansas City landmarks including Municipal Auditorium, Union Station and the Liberty Memorial.

2027: The Royals intend to break ground on the new stadium.

Season Trajectory

The project would mark the first replacement of the Royals' home since Kauffman Stadium opened in 1973, ending a more than five-decade run at the suburban-style venue. It positions the franchise for a downtown ballpark in the same vein as recent urban stadium developments across Major League Baseball.

The new ballpark would change where Royals games are played and how fans reach them, with Crown Center offering about 9,000 parking spaces nearby. Ticket and access details will depend on the stadium's final design and opening date, which have not been set.

The takeaway

The proposed Crown Center stadium signals a shift toward downtown ballparks tied to mixed-use development rather than standalone suburban venues. Fans tracking the Royals should watch for financing decisions and the 2027 groundbreaking target.