Star Press Pavilion owner shows new ballpark drawing west of Oak Street
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The owner of the old Kansas City Star Press Pavilion, Tony Privitera, has shared new video of what he envisions a ballpark looking like in the East Crossroads.
The ballpark goes directly south of the T-Mobile Center, from Grand on the west to Oak on the east, Truman Road on the north to 17th Street on the south. This idea is separate from the plan he pitched to FOX4 earlier this month of the stadium potentially going east of Oak Street.
“It’s time to build them a new diamond, a jewel in KC’s crown,” a narrator says of the Royals in the video Privitera had made.
No Missouri money for Chiefs and Royals stadium projects right now
FOX4 obtained it on January 21. On Sunday, January 28, Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, announced a groundbreaking for their expansion project in the East Crossroads.
Despite the pitch from Privitera to get the Kansas City Royals to build their new ballpark either around or in place of his pavilion, Resurrection’s going ahead with their expansion plans.
Monday, January 29, crews from McCownGordon Construction were seen putting up fencing around the Resurrection parking lot. Resurrection’s located on 16th Street in between Grand and McGee.
The church isn’t commenting on camera about their expansion project. A news release from them Friday, January 26, said the expansion will be 3,900 square feet and cost about $2.8 million.
“Or I would,” Privitera said when asked if the Royals would have to buy the church out if they were serious about building their ballpark west of Oak Street. “So we’re talking to them right now.”
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“Yes, Yes,” he replied when asked if they could still be bought out even though they just announced an expansion project. “But our approach toward this isn’t anything more than overpaying and giving people not just fair market value, but what’s right for this specific situation.”
The Kansas City Royals aren’t commenting on the Resurrection’s expansion project, nor are they commenting on Privitera’s latest video.
FOX4 showed Resurrection’s news release to Chartreuse Saloon owner Jill Cockson Monday. Cockson’s business is at 17th and Oak, just east of Privitera’s building. It’s about two blocks east of the Resurrection. Cockson believes their expansion project means the team’s new stadium may still go in the East Village, the only downtown stadium location the Royals discussed publicly during a news conference at Kauffman Stadium in August.
“But then we hear other things, and we hear conversations continuing about this location,” Cockson said of the East Crossroads, whether that stadium be east of Oak or west of it. “So, on one hand, this would be consistent with somebody having inside knowledge that it’s not going here.”
As part of the letter of intent the Royals signed prior to the Jackson County Legislature overriding County Executive Frank White’s veto, the Royals are supposed to announce where they intend to build their new ballpark by February 29 of this year. The county wide special election for sales tax money continuing to go to the Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs takes place Tuesday, April 2.
If passed, money generated from that would go to the Royals for their new ballpark and the Chiefs for their renovation at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
