Proposal for Royals stadium site doesn't need to come before June 30

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Two more leaders in Kansas City say they can help build a ballpark for the Royals without a public vote.

Republican Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed legislation aimed at keeping both the Chiefs and the Royals in the Show-Me State earlier in the month. It required a local component though.

Councilman and Port KC Vice Chair Kevin O'Neill says architects have done their due diligence, and the footprint of a ballpark can fit at Washington Square Park, east of Union Station.

O'Neill believes the city can redirect a lot of taxes like the state can do with the Show-Me Sports Investment Act. O'Neill says Port KC can issue bonds.

"We believe that we can do that without any problems, to be honest," O'Neill said in an interview with FOX4 Monday, next to Bough.

Bough chairs the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC) Board. She believes that the June 30 date of the Royals picking where they want to build was set by the state of Kansas. That is a date that the Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond package could expire. It was enacted to try to attract the Chiefs and the Royals to the west side of State Line. Kansas state leaders through the Legislative Coordinating Council can extend the date the package ends though.

"It's not the city's decision that we have to have a proposal by June 30," Bough said Monday. "You know, we want to be prepared, and we think that we are prepared. We have the team in place that's necessary to respond when the Royals do make a determination on where they're going to go."

Washington Square Park is owned by Kansas City Parks & Recreation, so that board would need to approve something dealing with the stadium.

"Quickly," O'Neill said when asked when he envisioned that board considering an agenda item regarding a Royals stadium. "We need the parks to approve moving rights over to Port or EDC to negotiate this project, and that should happen fairly soon."

O'Neill says the Royals need to tell the city where they want to go, and when they do, they need entities like the EDCKC and Port KC to work together because they both might be involved.

He also said a Parks Board special meeting could have an item on it delivering those negotiation rights to a development agency like Port KC or the EDCKC. The Royals would not comment on our story Monday.