The Kansas City Royals have selected the construction companies that will build the team's proposed new downtown ballpark and the surrounding mixed-use development at Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo.
The Royals announced Sept. 14, 2026 that a joint venture of Mortenson and Kansas City-based McCownGordon will serve as construction manager at risk for the new ballpark. Kansas City-based JE Dunn will work on the surrounding 85-acre Baseball District.
According to a press release from McCownGordon, the new ballpark and infrastructure represent a $1.9 billion investment within a broader $3 billion redevelopment that includes the surrounding mixed-use district.
The open-air stadium will encompass approximately 1.25 million sq. ft. and have approximately 34,000 fixed seats, according to the Royals. The project is being developed through a partnership between the Royals and Hallmark Cards.
The ballpark is planned as the anchor of a larger district combining sports, entertainment, retail, hospitality, residential and public spaces.
Construction Team
Mortenson and McCownGordon will form the joint venture responsible for construction of the ballpark.
According to the Royals, Mortenson brings extensive experience constructing Major League Baseball facilities and other major sports venues. Its Kansas City portfolio includes T-Mobile Center and Science City at Union Station.
The company also has worked on several MLB stadiums, including Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, according to the Royals.
McCownGordon, founded in Kansas City, will bring its local construction experience to the joint venture.
JE Dunn will work on the broader Baseball District surrounding the stadium. According to the Royals, the Kansas City-based company brings experience with complex, large-scale developments and will help shape a district connecting the ballpark with retail, hospitality, residential and entertainment uses.
Infrastructure, Development
Populous rendering
The ballpark will be part of an approximately 85-acre redevelopment at Crown Center.
According to the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, the redevelopment plan includes streets, utilities, pedestrian paths, public plazas, highway access, streetcar-stop upgrades and green infrastructure.
The agency said in a Sept. 14 announcement that the infrastructure improvements associated with the first redevelopment area are estimated at approximately $422.7 million.
The stadium and surrounding development are expected to generate significant construction activity. According to the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, construction is expected to create approximately 16,000 jobs and $1.1 billion in labor income.
The project also includes workforce-development efforts. According to the Royals, the team has committed to the Missouri Works Initiative, which is intended to expand access to construction-industry jobs and provide entry points into the trades.
The overall project is expected to be primarily privately funded, according to the Royals. Kansas City also is considering public financing for the stadium and related infrastructure.
On Sept. 9, the city's Tax Increment Financing Commission voted to recommend a downtown stadium tax-increment-financing plan, according to the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City. The Kansas City City Council will consider final approval.
The plan calls for approximately $600 million in city funding, including $510 million for the stadium and related facilities and $90 million for infrastructure, according to the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City.
Downtown Ballpark
The Crown Center project represents the latest effort by the Royals to move from the Truman Sports Complex to a downtown location.
The team announced in April that it had selected Crown Center for the new ballpark in partnership with Hallmark Cards. According to the Royals, the stadium will be constructed at the site of Hallmark's current headquarters, with Hallmark planning to relocate its headquarters within the Crown Center area.
The stadium is intended to serve as the central component of a year-round mixed-use district rather than a stand-alone sports facility.
The Royals and Hallmark have described the development as a way to bring baseball, entertainment, housing, retail and hospitality together in a single downtown district.
The project is expected to move into construction following final approvals. According to the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, groundbreaking is expected in May 2027 if the City Council approves the financing plan.
The agency said the project is expected to be substantially completed by December 2029, with the Royals potentially playing their first home game in the new ballpark in March 2030.
According to McCownGordon, the ballpark and infrastructure portion of the development is expected to be completed in time for Opening Day 2030.
