Got views on putting Royals ballpark in Crossroads? County legislators want to hear them
Residents and people who own businesses and real estate that would be affected by the proposed construction of a new Royals ballpark in the East Crossroads area will have a chance to speak out Monday afternoon at the regular weekly meeting of the Jackson County Legislature.
The hearing scheduled to begin shortly after the legislature convenes at 3 p.m. would also provide a forum for anyone to comment on the proposed 40-year sales tax that, if passed on April 2, would help pay for the ballpark and renovations to Arrowhead Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex.
Legislators Jeanie Lauer and Megan Marshall, this year’s chair and vice chair of the legislature, announced the hearing Thursday, which will occur in the same chambers on the second floor of the downtown county courthouse where the legislature voted 7-2 to override County Exeuctive Frank White Jr..’s veto and put the stadiums tax measure on the ballot.
Lauer and Marshall cast the only no votes. They objected to putting the tax on the ballot before the county had negotiated new leases with the team detailing stadium financing, the responsibilities of all parties and a location for the new ballpark.
The Crossroads site wasn’t announced until Feb. 13, which was met with controversy because of the number of existing buildings that would need to be demolished in the six-block area for the ballpark, team offices and new commercial development.
Lauer and Marshall explained their reasoning for holding the hearing in a news release sent out Thursday morning:
“The Royals’ announcement of their intention to construct a new stadium complex, complete with team offices, a hotel, residential units and entertainment venues, alongside infrastructure improvements, has ignited a mix of excitement and concern among community members. The potential displacement of businesses and residents in the Crossroads Arts District has prompted calls for careful consideration and open discussion of the project’s implications.”
County Executive Frank White Jr. applauded the decision to hold the hearing. He has been largely shut out of any negotiations with the teams since the veto override.
White, a former Gold Glove second basement for the Royals who was a co-chair of the 2006 Save Our Stadiums sales tax campaign committee, was against putting the sales tax up for a vote this time without having signed leases and other details known, such as where the Royals wanted to build a ballpark.
“I only wish that we had been made aware sooner of the Royals’ plans, which involve displacing people and businesses from the Crossroads,” he said in a prepared statement as part of the news release. “It’s crucial that we take these concerns into account as we move forward.”
On Wednesday, he and Marshall shot a game of pool at the Chartreuse Saloon, 1627 Oak St., and White posted the photos on X, formerly Twitter, noting that the Crossroads bar would be displaced, if the stadium is built there.
“The teams may have a legacy to protect but so do owners of small biz like Chartreuse Saloon in @KCCrossroads,’’ the message began. ”Why should they be forced out on a moments notice?”
