KANSAS CITY, MO. — The Kansas City Royals and Hallmark Cards announced a partnership to build a new $1.9 billion ballpark at Crown Center in downtown Kansas City, with groundbreaking scheduled for next year. The stadium will anchor an 85-acre mixed-use development that organizers said would represent the largest private investment in Kansas City history.

The announcement was made by Royals owner John Sherman, Hallmark executive chairman Don Hall Jr., Governor Mike Kehoe and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas near Hallmark headquarters. The project is part of a $3 billion downtown Kansas City redevelopment effort, with expected private investment for the 85-acre site totaling $2 billion or more.

The development will include reimagined headquarters for both the Royals and Hallmark Cards Inc., a park-like central square with fountains, and Washington Square Park, which sits just north of the planned stadium site. Hallmark intends to build a new headquarters in the development area, connected by streetcar to the Power & Light District, where the T-Mobile Center serves as an anchor. Organizers estimated the project would create more than 20,000 construction jobs.

The relocation will move the Royals out of Kauffman Stadium. By shifting downtown, the team would move from the bottom 10 into the top 10 for walkability among Major League Baseball stadiums. Officials said existing public parking and traffic flow from nearby highways would serve the site, though a finalized master plan has not been completed.

Two-thirds of the stadium funding will come from private sources and one-third from public partners, including funds from the City of Kansas City and Missouri's Show-Me Sports Investment Act. The state law authorizes bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums and up to $50 million in tax credits per stadium. About a week before the announcement, Kansas City officials passed an ordinance authorizing City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate a $600 million deal to help the Royals move downtown.

"Our founder Ewing Kauffman wanted the Royals to be Kansas City's forever, and he wanted the team to benefit his hometown as much as possible," Sherman said. "Joining Hallmark with this project achieves both and extends the Hall family's critical legacy of helping Kansas City grow."

Sherman and Hall have known each other and worked together for decades through their families' civic and philanthropic efforts. "When the new Royals stadium opens at Crown Center, something proud will come full circle," Hall said. "The iconic Royals crown that Hallmark created will return to the very neighborhood where it was conceived."

Kehoe said the project reflected a broader commitment to the state. "This decision by the Royals to invest in our state is more than just a commitment to Kansas City, it is a commitment to communities and fans across Missouri," he said.