Overview
- Clay County said the Royals did not accept its proposal by the Jan. 8 deadline, so no stadium funding measure will appear on the April ballot.
- The county emphasized it will not enter a bidding competition and will prioritize taxpayer protections as talks could continue on a later timeline.
- The Royals confirmed they have dropped the Aspiria site in Overland Park and said they are still evaluating options across the metro ahead of their post-2030 move.
- Attention is increasingly focused on a downtown Kansas City option at Washington Square Park, which has drawn support from Mayor Quinton Lucas and some nearby businesses.
- Kansas subsidy avenues lapsed at the end of 2025, and any downtown deal would need Kansas City Council approval, with Jackson County leaders expressing confidence the team can be kept in the county.