Hallmark Has Message for Crown Center Tenants Ahead of Royals Ballpark

The only building the Kansas City Royals have said will come down for their new ballpark so far is Hallmark's corporate headquarters, which is set to be torn down in June 2027, while the shops and attractions around Crown Center are still waiting to learn what happens to them.

Brooks Sherman, the Royals' president of real estate and development, gave that June 2027 date for the Hallmark headquarters, and he said the ballpark itself will sit between 25th and 26th Streets, Grand and Gillham.

Sherman spoke on Thursday, the same day the Royals and Populous showed six new renderings of the roughly 34,000-seat, open-air park, and he said the club is in the process of hiring a master planner.

He explained that the master plan is when the team will look at the rest of the district, such as an entertainment venue, retail and food and beverage, and he said no decisions have been made about tearing down any other building.

He also said Crown Center has a lot of great tenants and the Royals want to keep all of them.

Some fans are more worried about the places they already visit, like the Hallmark-owned Kaleidoscope art space for kids.

A teacher from the Olathe school district told Fox4 on Friday that she would love to see Royals games but hoped the team would leave Kaleidoscope alone, because it is a free activity for kids.

Hallmark said the project will reimagine Crown Center, though a spokesperson added that the company is still early in the process.

"We remain in the early phases of planning the district beyond the ballpark. We are committed to maintaining open communication with our tenants and business partners as plans progress."

I like that the Royals are not promising more than they know right now, since one wrong rumor about a favorite family spot could turn people against this project in a hurry.

Once the master planner is in place, though, the team and Hallmark owe tenants and fans real answers about what stays and what goes.

The money side is further along.

The city council approved a tax increment financing plan and bond authorization on Oct. 8 to help pay for the city's $600 million share of the $1.9 billion project, and the Royals still plan to be in the new park by March 2030, with Kauffman Stadium still available that season if they need it.

None of this changes how fans feel about a long and rough season that ended at 69-93, with Kansas City fifth in the American League Central and 16 games behind Cleveland.

Chairman and CEO John Sherman has called the bullpen a top priority this winter, along with steadying the starting rotation, and the lineup could use more help in the outfield as well.

A new park downtown will not mean much if the team inside it keeps losing, and I think the best path for a club like this one is drafting and developing its own players while adding a few real arms this winter.