Summary

Committee advances downtown stadium negotiations; KCPD settlement funding held for review

Kansas CityApr 14, 20262 min read

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The Finance, Governance & Public Safety Committee advanced an ordinance to continue negotiations with the Kansas City Royals for a proposed downtown stadium (Washington Square Park/Crown Center), directing staff to negotiate term sheets/leases, apply for a $250,000 TIF for pre-development, and pursue incentives; the project is estimated at $1.9 billion with potential City participation up to $600 million. The committee recommended advancing a $5.9 million transfer from the Legal Expense Fund to KCPD for settlement expenses but the item was held in committee amid requests for greater transparency. A separate ordinance addressing prevailing wage, MBE/WBE waivers, and an affordable housing PILOT adjustment was held until April 21, 2026. Public testimony both for and against the stadium was entered into the record.

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Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee

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Key decisions

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Advanced as committee substitute Ordinance 260339 to continue good-faith negotiations with the Kansas City Royals for a new downtown stadium; directed the City Manager to negotiate and execute term sheet, lease, and development agreement; authorized application for a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan and appropriated $250,000 for pre-development professional services.
Committee members expressed general support for the stadium negotiations; amendments by CW Melissa Patterson‑Hazley (Sections 4C, 4E, 4G) were upheld in committee and will be forwarded to full Council.
Ordinance 260340 (transfer of $5,900,000 from the Legal Expense Fund to the Kansas City Police Department for legal settlement expenses) received a committee recommendation of “Advance and Do Pass” but was held in committee pending additional transparency and possible closed-session discussion.
Ordinance 260286 (amendments to prevailing wage rules, MBE/WBE waiver process, and Payment in Lieu fee for affordable housing) was held until April 21, 2026.
Public testimony (in person and online) both supporting and opposing the stadium project was received and entered into the official record; the presentation is on file with the City Clerk’s Office.

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Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee

Apr 14, 2026, 12:00 AM26th Floor, Council Chamberscheduled

Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84530222968

Agenda

PUBLIC OBSERVANCE OF MEETINGS Members of the City Council may attend this meeting via videoconference. Any closed session may be held via teleconference. The public can observe this meeting at the links provided below. Applicants and citizens wishing to participate have the option of attending each meeting or they may do so through the videoconference platform ZOOM, using this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84530222968 ***Public Testimony is Limited to 2 Minutes***
HELD IN COMMITTEE
Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE Amending Chapter 3, Code of Ordinances, by repealing Section 3-622, Prevailing wage application to incentive plans, and enacting in lieu thereof a new Section 3-622, and enacting a new Section 3-623, Prevailing Wage application to incentive Plans (2026),for the purpose of enlarging the establishing applicable prevailing wage policies for certain types of categories of incentive projects, amending Chapter 3, Code of Ordinances by repealing Section 3-437, Waiver of MBE/WBE goals, for the purpose of greater alignment and efficiency among city incentive agencies, and amending Chapter 74, Code of Ordinances, by repealing Section 74-11, Affordable housing set aside, and enacting in lieu thereof a new Section 74-11, for the purpose of right-sizing the Payment in Lieu fee to better reflect amount in subsidies provided per unit of affordable housing, directing the City Manager to issue a Request for Proposals for a nexus study to evaluate the affordability offset value and implementation of linkage fees on development within the City for the purposes of funding workforce and affordable housing and to evaluate and develop a development linkage fee program within the City and to report back to City Council on the same within 6 months. Finance Committee recommends “Do Pass as a Committee Substitute.”
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
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Adjournment
Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE Reaffirming the intent of the City Council to continue good-faith negotiations with the Kansas City Royals for the retention of the team in Kansas City; directing the City Manager to negotiate and execute a term sheet, lease, and development agreement with the Kansas City Royals or an affiliated entity for design, construction, and operations of a new stadium, team offices, and supporting infrastructure (the “Project”) in the Washington Square Park/Crown Center area; authorizing the execution of additional cooperative agreements in connection with the term sheet, lease, and development agreement; directing the City Manager to apply for a Tax Increment Financing Plan for the Project; appropriating $250,000.00 from the Development Services Fund and authorizing the use of previously appropriated funds for the purpose of executing certain professional services agreements in furtherance of the objectives of this ordinance; finding that the Project is a public benefit to the City and the State of Missouri; directing the City Manager to apply for various financial and tax incentives through state agencies; directing the City Manager to negotiate intergovernmental cooperative agreements with the State of Missouri and related entities; authorizing the execution of additional agreements as necessary to comply with the directives of this ordinance; waiving the contract solicitation and Article IV, Chapter 3, requirements otherwise set out in the Code of Ordinances as to the agreements authorized in this Ordinance; directing the City Manager to conduct public engagement related to the lease and development agreement; declaring the intent of the City Council to reimburse itself from bond proceeds for certain expenditures; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date. Finance Committee recommends “Advance and Do Pass as a Committee Substitute
Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas Reducing appropriations in the amount of $5,900,000.00 from the Legal Expense Fund; appropriating $5,900,000.00 from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the Legal Expense Fund as a transfer to the Kansas City Police Department for legal settlement expenses; designating requisitioning authority; and establishing an effective date. Finance Committee recommends “Advance and Do Pass.”

Committee advances downtown stadium negotiations; KCPD settlement funding held for review

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Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee

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