Chapter 1: What updates did Mayor Lucas provide about the stadium proposal?
Fourth quarter of the program begins right now as we finish strong here on a Tuesday. Still to come, Michael Swain handles the Kansas beat for 24-7. We'll talk about how they're doing in the portal, how they're doing in recruiting. Coming up here in a little bit, I'm going to try to catch up with Stephen St. John. He's talking with people down at the Park and Rec's.
where they have now passed the stadium proposal as well. So now it's on to Thursday's city council meeting. If it passes then, then they just got to get it done with the Royals, get the state money worked out, which would seem like they have checked a lot of the boxes already on that with one having the local financing, the local money involved.
So it looks like the path to Washington Square Park slash Crown Center area for the Royals is taking shape just a little bit ago. The mayor, Quentin Lucas, came out of the meeting And here's the Q&A. Can you speak to the day? I think it's a great day for Kansas City.
What you saw today, unanimous approval out of a city council committee, unanimous approval out of the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners.
Chapter 2: How is Kansas City preparing for the city council vote on the stadium?
And the amazing thing that came out of it is that you had real discussion, real discussion about what community benefits really mean. I think that you heard good answers. I think that this is going to be a collaborative project that our public, that our community can be very proud of. But I think you also saw very strong energy for the Kansas City Royals.
There are differences on how you do stadium deals. Frankly, I know that there are There's a share of our public that say we shouldn't invest in them at all. What I would say is this, that I think we've answered a lot of those questions.
I think that we are doing the work right now to share how this is something that is fiscally responsible as a measure for the city, largely generated from revenues that currently exist at Kauffman Stadium that if the Royals left would not exist. So it's not a taking of funds that are going anywhere else. It's actually something that helps us invest. But, look, I'm happy.
You know, I'm in some ways almost elated, but I know that there is another step, certainly on Thursday. I appreciate the presence of the Kansas City Royals at both of our meetings today. I think that shows the fact that they are partners in connection with all of this, and we hope to have more to say ahead.
Chapter 3: What are the implications of the Kansas Hoops transfer portal activity?
Can you take us through what the next step is and what the hurdles are that you still need to clear? Yep. On Thursday, there will be a full city council vote in connection with the ordinance that was approved this morning. Obviously, there are a super majority of co-sponsors on that, so we have 10 out of 13. That suggests that they will have a favorable treatment there.
After that point, it's off to the races to really just final negotiations. And so, you know, I think what you are seeing in this transaction, as I suggested before, was that, you know, we did a lot of the work. We did a lot of the work publicly. And, you know, I hope that shows people that this will continue to be an important public discussion.
But after that, it's in final financial terms, issuing some bonds, really helping to deliver that timeline that I suggested before, groundbreaking late 26 or early 2027.
There was a lengthy closed-door discussion, obviously, during this Parks Board meeting. What was your role in that discussion?
You know, all I have is information. I respect my commissioners. They're independent appointees, and I think they had a lot of questions and ideas, and I think you saw that in the amendments that we saw, particularly relating to distribution of community benefits.
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Chapter 4: Who are the key players leaving Kansas basketball this season?
I think you saw their discussion as to how do they make sure that they continue to be an important part in this process and how it can be good for the people of our city long term. I'm proud of, I think, the thought that they gave to it. I think, yeah, it took time. I think they truly reviewed what could be best for our entire park system.
The important thing about parks, which is special, is they're in every corner of the city. They work with every population in our city. So this is something that can really send benefit to folks of all walks of life in Kansas City, even if they never go to a new Royal Stadium.
On the note of the bonds real quick, it was noted during this morning's committee meeting that the city would be responsible for any debt service shortfalls. Is there anything that requires the city and not the Royals to do that? And it was also mentioned kind of the past feasibility studies, third-party analyses with power and light. How will this one be different? Yeah, a few things.
First of all, the way we do stadiums in Missouri is typically that you will have public entity ownership. That is part of it. It's different tax treatment long term.
Chapter 5: What are the reasons behind Kansas's decision not to retain certain players?
And so you get better value for your investment long term in connection with it. That is the why. Theoretically, any private party absolutely could. issue such things, but I think we recognize that for the hundreds of millions of dollars in cost savings over the life of the project, that allows us to deliver a better project and faster, particularly using those same revenues as a pledge.
How is this different than the Power and Light District? I think Kansas City is in a fundamentally different position. And, you know, I... don't necessarily need to speak to the decisions of the mid-2000s when I was in college, in high school. But what I think I will say is this, that we have been very responsible.
You heard the finance department talk about how they have looked at a very conservative type of bond offering. This is not us just swinging at the fences and saying, here's $3 billion, good luck, go. Instead, I think what you have, and you can You kind of pull up some of the things.
We don't give all tax proceeds, but basically, if you are looking at sales taxes now, which is the base of what we were looking at, estimating, frankly, fairly small increases over the years, which I think the Royals will likely exceed at a downtown facility. Why?
Chapter 6: How does the Kansas coaching staff view the upcoming recruiting class?
Why? attendance is likely to go up, you are likely to see more ancillary activity necessarily because there is no ancillary activity now, then that's where we have this confidence that this is not like the Power and Light District. But, you know, I won't sugarcoat it, right? If you issue bonds, somebody's got to guarantee them. That's the nature of the law. You don't want to wreck your finances.
I think we can rest assured that these obligations and this arrangement will help satisfy that. One other point. Your ancillary development downtown is your ancillary development is different than what you may see in other sports districts, right?
A lot of sports districts, the idea of ancillary development is you put up one hotel or motel, you put up like a Dave and Buster's, no disrespect to them, and a few other restaurants and some bars, right? In this district, you have commercial office, right, which is actually still fairly robust as a market. So you have that driving revenue to the project. Robust multifamily.
We have seen downtown's population increase tremendously over the last generation. And you also still have the same retail opportunity and some sort of consumer base that is there more regularly.
Chapter 7: What potential impact does Tyron Stokes have on Kansas basketball's future?
than you would get just on the edge of our community in one of the spaces. It hits a lot in terms of strong urban development, a lot in terms of strong sports facility development, and in many ways I think it looks like the battery in Atlanta, but just on steroids in terms of the fact that you're still surrounded by convention activity a whole lot more. This isn't just a...
thrice a week stadium district. This is actually something that every day can generate, and it's not just a mayor sugarcoating it. We're not trying to get somebody to drive 20 minutes outside on the edge of town. We actually have them in the core. So you get through Thursday, and if you're being optimistic, when's the timeline to hear a done deal from both sides?
I think what you'll probably see is if everything gets done on Thursday, probably the next step is a big fancy announcement with all the blue and people wearing all the royal stuff. I think after that, you probably, in terms of when am I done being nervous, the day you issue the bonds and the day you're saying you're breaking ground.
But I think in terms of when do we get to a Chiefs-esque announcement, with the steps that have been taken now, after Thursday, probably any day after we're ready to do that. Can you outline what the district would be? You said largely new revenue. Does that mean some of the existing properties over there would be drawn into this district?
I think it's fair to suggest that when we speak of ground center in Washington Square Park, ground center, as defined, and it sits on a classic Chapter 353 incentive through our Land Clearance and Redevelopment Authority, is a contemplated part of what that district is.
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Chapter 8: What are the expectations for Bill Self's coaching tenure moving forward?
And so go with the whole map contour of what ground center is plus Washington Square Park. What is not included? Not included is some of the other ancillary development opportunities included. that exist out there. And I think, frankly, to many who are saying, well, what's the full community benefit?
There was a discussion at the council meeting from one of my colleagues about what about residential within it for future projects. Those will be independent and distinct projects from what we actually have already discussed now. So for now, it is Crown Center plus Washington Square Park. That's the entirety of what you have.
Mayor Lucas, so the goal was to obviously keep the Chiefs and Royals, but now with the opportunity to keep the Royals, how does that make you feel to keep at least one half of the promise there?
Look, I'm excited. You know, I love both my children a lot. I'm going to talk about, I'm not going to say one's better than the other and all of that.
since 2024 frankly even before 2024 for those who were covering it then I sent a letter to the royals and I think the chiefs and at least the royals that said Kansas City is willing to negotiate with you one-on-one back in the fall of 2023 it was a long winding road to getting us here but you know what it's all great when you get there at the end and so I'm just glad that we have been able to go through kind of this thorough amount of discussion we have a lot more ahead and
But I think after Thursday's passage with the passage of the Parks Board today, which, frankly, resolves the parks issues, you know, we're close to, you know, having it all done and being able to deliver a great ballpark for the future of our community.
When do you think the Royals are going to make an announcement, sir?
You know, I get in trouble if I speak ahead of them. All I'll say is, look, I mean, you're a great reporter, and you can see that Team President or whatever his role is now was there today. You saw their representatives and fairly high-ranking representatives at every hearing today. I think they're excited by what we were able to do.
And so, you know, I think that we're, you know, local government's done its part to make sure that we have a deal that can get done. Thanks, guys. Okay, thank you. Hi, there it is, Mayor Lucas. Just moments ago, addressing the media after the Parks Commission has now approved it. That is part two. The man who's been covering this all day for us.
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