Kauffman Stadium - Renovations

Renovations

On April 4, 2006, Jackson County, Missouri voters approved a 0.375-percentage point sales tax increase to fund plans to renovate the Truman Sports Complex. The construction began with a ceremonial groundbreaking inside Kauffman Stadium on October 3, 2007, with completion of Kauffman Stadium in time for Opening Day in 2009, and full renovation of the complex (including nearby Arrowhead Stadium) by 2010, depending upon cost overruns. The team committed to a lease that will keep them in Kansas City until 2030, an extension of their current lease expiration of 2015. The improvements to Kauffman Stadium included the following:

• Reducing capacity to 37,903
• New high definition scoreboard, dubbed "Crown Vision" and control room
• Fountain view terraces
• Outfield concourse
• Kids' area
• Taste of KC
• Right field sports bar-themed restaurant
• Left field hall of fame and conference center
• New group sales areas
• Wider concourses
• New and upgraded concession and toilet amenities on all concourses
• Enhanced vertical circulation to all levels
• Four new entry ticket gates
• New press facilities

The new high-definition scoreboard from Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota was one of the first features to be installed. It replaced both the old matrix board in the shape of the Royals logo that had been in the park since its opening, along with the video board that had been installed in 1989. The new scoreboard was ready for Opening Day 2008. It is 84 ft. wide and 105 ft. tall, and was, at the time it entered service, the largest high-definition LED display in the world. The display was assembled in 55 separate segments, including an active bottom taper to resemble the shield in the Royals logo. The video scoreboard alone cost $8.3 million, and the control room that operates it is staffed with 17 people on game days. It was adorned with a crown during the 2008 offseason. Strobe lights atop the scoreboard flash after every Royals home run.

Also, since this measure passed, MLB has announced that Kauffman Stadium will host the MLB All-Star Game in 2012. As part of this measure, every Jackson County residential address will receive vouchers good for 50% off two tickets at Royals games on certain nights.

A second proposal on the April 2006 ballot would have installed a rolling roof at the Truman Sports Complex. The roof could have been moved to cover either Kauffman Stadium or Arrowhead Stadium when needed. The measure failed at the polls.