A streetcar ride away: UMKC students talk possible downtown Royals stadium

  The Kansas City Royals, one of UMKC’s higher education partners, confirmed on Jan. 27, that the Aspiria campus in Overland Park is off the table for their potential stadium relocation.

  Aspiria campus, formerly known as the Sprint campus, was a heavily discussed candidate for a new ballpark as it is under Royals ownership. As the team’s choices for relocation seem to narrow, UMKC students weigh in on whether the Royals should stay put or move downtown, much closer to campus.

“Having a downtown stadium would be awesome,” said Mitch Rivard, a junior communications student.“Royals’ stadium downtown would increase their revenue and make Kansas City even larger than it is.” 

  Rivard said a stadium he could take the streetcar to would absolutely get him to more games, as he currently makes it out to Kauffman Stadium about 10 times a season.

 “I could catch a game after school,” said Rivard. He also added that a stadium closer to campus would create many more fans at UMKC. 

  Isaac Peña, a junior biology student, said moving downtown would for sure get him to more baseball games.

 “New scenery for the Royals would be nice,” Peña said the move would “bring energy to downtown,” along with the team’s fanbase.

  William Edwards, a fourth-year dental student, noted his logistical concerns, “The question is if they go downtown, how will it impact traffic and how much is it going to cost?” Edwards said, “I’m from St. Louis, their stadium is downtown, and it does impact traffic.” 

  Bearing the traffic in mind, Edwards views his hometown stadium as adding to the overall experience of a downtown, despite regular congestion: “If you want to make Kansas City more fun, build a stadium.”

  Pierce Johnson, senior finance major, cited his fondness for Wrigley Field and the charm of a downtown game. “I love the idea aesthetically,” Johnson said. Conceptualizing the move in Kansas City isn’t as simple for Johnson.

 “Parking downtown is already overwhelmingly bad,” said Johnson. “At the end of the day, I would support them, trusting they would find a way to make it work efficiently.”

 “It would ultimately benefit Kansas City as a whole,” Johnson said. “It would bring life back to the Royals.”

[email protected]