The Kansas City Royals announced Thursday the selection of Legends Global as the owner’s representative for the Royals’ new downtown ballpark in the heart of Kansas City.
The approximately 34,000-seat, open-air ballpark anchors a $3 billion, 85-acre mixed-use development in partnership with Hallmark Cards that will bring transformative economic activity and millions of new visitors to the Crown Center site.
“Legends is the best in the business with baseball stadium expertise and diligence that will help provide our fans the world-class experience they deserve,” Royals president of real estate and development Brooks Sherman said. “There is no precedent for a sports-anchored project of this size in any city’s downtown, and we’re thrilled to have Legends on our side to maximize what this project can do for Kansas City.”
Legends Global is the premier partner to the world’s greatest live events, venues and brands. As part of the partnership, Legends Global’s owner’s representation team will act as an advocate for the Royals throughout the project, protecting the team’s interests in ballpark budgeting, construction schedules, quality and risk control, while serving as a liaison to the project’s builders, architects and design partners.
“Legends Global is honored to partner with the Royals on a project that will reshape downtown Kansas City,” Legends Global president of owner’s representation Chris Nations said. “Our team will serve as the Royals trusted advocate from design through closeout, helping deliver a world class ballpark that fans and the community can be proud of for generations.”
The selection follows a series of recent milestones for the project, including the Kansas City Council’s approval of a tax increment financing plan and bonds to support the City’s $600 million commitment. The majority privately funded project is expected to bring new investment, thousands of jobs and year-round activity to downtown Kansas City, with groundbreaking targeted for 2027.
An expert in venue development and commercialization, Legends Global currently serves as owner’s representative on new venue projects in professional sports for the Tampa Bay Rays, the Dallas Mavericks, the recently opened Buffalo Bills’ Highmark Stadium, the multi-year renovation of the Toronto Blue Jays’ Rogers Centre, as well as the Starlight Theater in Kansas City and David Booth Memorial Stadium at the University of Kansas.