Royals change stadium plan to keep Oak Street open to traffic, but fate of businesses is uncertain

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter.

The Royals announced the team is reworking its proposed Crossroads ballpark district to keep Oak Street open after pressure from Mayor Quinton Lucas, other city officials and the Crossroads community.

The Royals said they will alter their ballpark plan to keep Oak Street open to traffic. The team plans to continue with their development plans for that part of the stadium district — including a hotel, entertainment venue, and corporate offices. With Oak Street staying open, the fate of the pictured small businesses in the footprint remains uncertain; photo by Carlos Moreno, KCUR

The original stadium district design stretched east to west between Locust Street and Grand Boulevard and north to south from Truman Road to 17th Street.

In a statement, team owner John Sherman said the team made the decision in response to Lucas’ advocacy and conversations with city council to keep the thoroughfare open and “improve the ballpark district impact.”

“We acknowledge Oak Street is an integral part of the downtown experience, and therefore we agree to change the ballpark district design to keep Oak Street open,” Sherman said.

In a separate statement to KCUR, the Royals said the team wants to keep Oak Street accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.

“We have said all along that we are meeting with and listening to members of the Crossroads community, and this is an example of that work,” the team said. “We have always viewed our project as connecting downtown neighborhoods, and keeping this important artery open is consistent with that priority.”

For those wondering, even with a yes vote on and