Royals take big step forward with key decision on new $3bn stadium project

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The Kansas City Royals have selected the companies charged with building their new, $1.9 billion ballpark.Plans for an ambitious project, to bring baseball back to downtown Kansas City, were released in April.The Royals will build a new ballpark in downtown Kansas CityPopulous/Kansas City RoyalsThe Royals will build a new stadium to sit as the centrepiece of a $3 billion, 85-acre mixed use development in the Crown Center neighborhood.A majority of the project is being privately funded, and sees the MLB team in a joint venture with Hallmark Cards.On Monday, the Royals revealed they are partnering with Mortenson and McCownGordon, as well as JE Dunn, to bring the development to reality.Kansas City Royals reveal construction partners for new ballparkThe Mortenson | McCownGordon joint venture will serve as Construction Manager at Risk for the 1.25-million-square-foot open-air stadium.JE Dunn will partner in shaping the surrounding live-work-play neighborhood across the broader district, which will be the largest sports-anchored downtown development in baseball.Mortenson | McCownGordon brings together two industry leaders with the nation’s most experienced MLB stadium builder with one of Kansas City’s most established construction partners.A release shared on the MLB website suggests their joint venture partnership is ‘uniquely qualified to construct a ballpark that will proudly serve Kansas City for generations.’Mortenson recently landed a contract to construct a new arena for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, according to StadiumDB.The company has also been named in the construction team for a new stadium for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, is working on the future home for the Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as a new stadium for the Athletics in Las Vegas.JE Dunn, meanwhile, is the largest builder in Kansas City and one of the leading builders in the nation. The 102-year-old company was founded, and is still headquartered, in KC.The Royals have appointed two companies to bring their project to lifePopulous/Kansas City RoyalsA new ballpark will be the centrepiece of a mixed-use developmentPopulous / Kansas City Royals“We’re proud to bring these outstanding construction companies together to build a world-class ballpark that will be seamlessly integrated with a best-in-class mixed-use development,” Brooks Sherman, Royals President of Real Estate and Development, said.“We have always said this is about more than a ballpark, and this combination of national pedigree with incomparable local expertise will produce the best possible entertainment destination for our hometown.”Work on the project is set to begin in 2027, and the ballpark is due to open in time for the start of the 2030 MLB season, a year before the Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium expires.Their neighbors, the Kansas City Chiefs, are also set to leave the Truman Sports Complex in a similar time-frame.“We’re honoured to have the opportunity to help build the new home for the Royals and be part of a transformational project that will have a lasting impact on Kansas City,” Logan Gerken, vice-president and general manager at Mortenson Sports + Entertainment, said.“Together with McCownGordon, we bring deep sports construction experience and capacity, forming a partnership with longstanding roots and relationships in this community.”