KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are moving from their longtime home at Kauffman Stadium to the downtown Crown Center area, partnering with Hallmark Cards on a $3 billion project that includes a mixed-used development with a new ballpark as its centerpiece.
Royals owner John Sherman was joined by Hallmark chairman Don Hall Jr., Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, along with other local and state dignitaries, in making the announcement Wednesday near Hallmark headquarters.
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Coaches for the Kansas City Royals stand for the national anthem at Kauffman Stadium before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Baltimore Orioles' Taylor Ward, left, and Gunnar Henderson (2) warm up on deck before a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals' Carter Jensen, right, celebrates with Jac Caglianone (14) after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
People gather under storm clouds in a parking lot outside Kauffman Stadium after a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. throws to first for the double play hit into by Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
While the finalized master plan has yet to be complete, Sherman said the $1.9 billion stadium would break ground next year in the middle of Crown Center as part of the first phase of an 85-acre project. Two-thirds of the funding will come from private sources and the remaining one-third from public partners, including money earmarked by the state for stadium projects.
“This is a partnership between two treasured Kansas City institutions,” Sherman said. “We are committed to creating a vision which honors our history, the rich past of both organizations, while reinvigorating and reimagining what our future can be together.”
The announcement came about a week after Kansas City officials passed an ordinance authorizing City Manager Mario Vasquez to negotiate a $600 million deal to help the Royals move downtown. Most believed the stadium would sit on Washington Square Park, which is next to Union Station, but it will instead be located just south of it, with the park featured in the development.
Hallmark intends to build a new headquarters in the area, which is connected by a streetcar to the Power & Light District, where the T-Mobile Center serves as its anchor. That part of downtown Kansas City will provide the backdrop beyond the outfield fence.
Officials touted the availability of public parking already in the area and convenient traffic flow from nearby highways.
Missouri's contribution comes from a law enacted last year that authorized bonds covering up to 50% of the cost of new or renovated stadiums in the state, plus up to $50 million of tax credits for each stadium and unspecified aid from local governments.
“We think it's a great investment for our Missouri taxpayers, because this does not affect existing programs,” Kehoe said. “The ripple effect from this facility will truly be far-reaching into rural Missouri and other parts of the state.”
The Royals have insisted they would leave Kauffman Stadium when their lease expires at the Truman Sports Complex in 2031, and the intention of Sherman ever since purchasing the club in 2019 was to build a downtown ballpark as its replacement.
Yet reaching Wednesday's announcement did not come without plenty of pitfalls.
The biggest stumbling block came in April 2024, when the Chiefs joined the Royals in a plan to renovate Arrowhead Stadium and replace Kauffman Stadium. The plan hinged on the extension of a sales tax that had been paying for stadium upkeep, and voters in Jackson County, Missouri, overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, forcing the franchises to go their own way.
The legislature in neighboring Kansas aggressively pursued the Chiefs, committing last December to issuing $2.4 billion in bonds to cover 60% of the cost of a new $3 billion domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. The NFL franchise ultimately decided to move across the state line, where it also will build a new training facility in the nearby suburb of Olathe, Kansas.
Officials in Kansas briefly pursued the Royals, too, but their interest in the MLB franchise had always been lukewarm.
The Royals had been weighing several options in recent months. But they ultimately rejected an option in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas, and allowed a deadline to pass for a site north of downtown and across the Missouri River in Clay County, Missouri.
Economists have long concluded that subsidizing stadiums isn’t worth the cost for communities because the venues pull economic activity away from other parts of the area, rather than expanding the overall economy. Yet states and cities continually provide money to renovate stadiums or build new ones — 49 of the 60 used by MLB or NFL teams are publicly owned or sit on public land.
One of the stadiums that Sherman has cited as an example of what's possible in Kansas City is Truist Park in Atlanta.
The stadium was a public-private partnership in which the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority issued up to $397 million in bonds, the county raised millions more from transportation taxes and businesses added millions in cash. The Braves contributed the remaining money for the park and The Battery, a mixed-used development, with a total cost of more than $1.1 billion.
“There are many great ballpark neighborhoods in Major League Baseball,” Sherman said, “but this is a bigger project with more land in downtown and in the heart of the city. We are bringing a modern, state-of-the-art ballpark experience to our fans, closer to our public transportation and where more people work and live.”
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Coaches for the Kansas City Royals stand for the national anthem at Kauffman Stadium before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Baltimore Orioles' Taylor Ward, left, and Gunnar Henderson (2) warm up on deck before a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals' Carter Jensen, right, celebrates with Jac Caglianone (14) after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Michael Massey during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
People gather under storm clouds in a parking lot outside Kauffman Stadium after a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. throws to first for the double play hit into by Baltimore Orioles' Colton Cowser during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
BATA, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — Pope Leo XIV told inmates at one of Equatorial Guinea’s notorious prisons on Wednesday that they are not alone, as he delivered a message of hope during a visit that drew attention to prison conditions, human rights abuses and injustices that campaigners have denounced for years here.
Leo’s visit to the prison in the Central African port city of Bata followed in the tradition of Pope Francis, who frequently met with inmates on his foreign visits to give them a message of hope.
But Leo’s stop, at the end of his four-nation African tour, took on added significance after it emerged that Equatorial Guinea was one of several African nations that have been paid millions of dollars in controversial deals with the Trump administration to receive migrants deported from the U.S. to countries other than their own.
While none of those migrants are being held at Bata, the visit put the spotlight on Equatorial Guinea’s overall human rights record and its judiciary, which rights campaigners have criticized for its lack of independence, arbitrary detentions and other abuses.
“You are not alone. Your families love you and are waiting for you. Many people outside these walls are praying for you,” Leo told the inmates in Spanish. “If any of you fear being abandoned by everyone, know that God will never abandon you, and that the Church will stand by your side.”
The inmates, all dressed in new neon orange and beige uniforms, had gathered in a central courtyard of the prison, which appeared to have been recently painted salmon pink. As soon as he started speaking, a huge rainstorm opened, drenching the inmates.
In his remarks, Leo also reminded authorities that justice is meant to protect society, but that incarceration is not meant to be punishment alone.
“To be effective, it must always promote the dignity and potential of every person,” he said. “True justice seeks not so much to punish as to help rebuild the lives of victims, offenders and communities wounded by evil.”
After Leo left, the drenched inmates broke into a raucous dance party in the courtyard as the rain continued to pour, shouting “Libertad! Libertad! Libertad!” (Freedom, freedom, freedom).
Leo began the day with Mass in Mongomo, an eastern city on the border with Gabon that has experienced major development since Equatorial Guinea’s oil boom in the 1990s.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has been accused of widespread corruption and authoritarianism in his four-decade rule, comes from Mongomo and the city has benefited from government investment and infrastructure, even though no official institutions are located here.
While more than half of Equatorial Guinea’s population lives in poverty, Mongomo boasts opulent buildings, curated gardens behind gilt-tipped gates, an 18-hole golf course and is the starting point of the lone highway in the country, linking the city to Bata on the west coast.
Obiang and his wife were on hand for Leo’s Mass, as was their son, Teodoro “Teddy” Nguema Obiang, the country’s vice president who was convicted of embezzling millions of euros by a French court, which handed him a three-year suspended sentence, a 30 million euro ($35.2 million) fine and ordered the seizure of his luxury homes and cars in France worth tens of millions of euros. The country has protested the seizures at the International Court of Justice.
Last year, the United States gave the younger Obiang a temporary waiver on U.S. corruption sanctions so he could travel to a U.N. gathering and visit other American cities. Obiang also met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
The Vatican said an estimated 100,000 people attended the Mass, most standing in the grand entryway to Mongomo’s Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The monumental church was consecrated in 2011 and is modeled on St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
In his homily, Leo urged all citizens to work together to build a society “capable of engendering a new sense of justice,” where there is “greater room for freedom” and where “the dignity of the human person always may be safeguarded.”
He urged everyone, according to their roles, to work to “serve the common good rather than private interests, bridging the gap between the privileged and the disadvantaged.”
“My thoughts go to the poorest, to families experiencing difficulty and to prisoners who are often forced to live in troubling hygienic and sanitary conditions,” he said.
Equatorial Guinea’s prisons and justice system have been repeatedly faulted by the United Nations and condemned by human rights groups and the U.S. State Department.
In its 2023 report on the country, the U.S. listed a host of abuses, including arbitrary or unlawful killings and arrests, political detentions, torture, life-threatening prison conditions and “serious problems” with the judiciary’s independence.
Speaking to journalists at the Bata prison, Equatorial Guinea Justice Minister Reginaldo Biyogo Ndong denied the rights abuses and said the country’s prison and justice systems respect international human rights laws. He said the country's justice system features an “enviable” infrastructure and that it's “ready to guarantee human rights, fundamental rights.”
On the eve of his prison visit, 70 human rights organizations published an open letter to Leo, urging him to speak out especially about the U.S. deportation of migrants here and encourage African nations to not be complicit.
“These practices circumvent humanitarian protections, expose refugees to detention and coercion, and subject individuals to refoulement, in direct contravention of international law,” they wrote.
In the run-up to Leo’s arrival, the government released nearly 100 people who had been arrested in a 2022 crackdown on street violence, according to a local lawyer, who requested anonymity given the country’s human rights record.
The lawyer termed the releases one “positive outcome” of the visit but also noted that the government still hasn’t taken action on releasing jailed activists and politicians.
EG Justice, a rights group which has repeatedly denounced the detention of political prisoners in Equatorial Guinea, urged Leo to use his moral authority to speak out about abuses and the detention of activists and politicians especially.
“There are individuals — prisoners of conscience, and human rights activists — in detention whose cases raise serious humanitarian and due process concerns,” said Tutu Alicante, a U.S.-based activist who runs the EG Justice group.
Monika Pronczuk contributed to this report from Malabo.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Pope Leo XIV arrives at Estadio de Bata Stadium in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, on the 10th day of an 11-day pastoral tour of Africa, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV visits the Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Leo XIV visits the Bata Prison, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Inmates of the Bata Prison meet with Pope Leo XIV during his visit to Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa, in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception on the 10th day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV blesses the faithful at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV, delivers a speech during his meeting with the staff and patients of the "Jean Pierre Olie" Psychiatric Hospital in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of his meeting with representatives of the world of culture in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, on the ninth day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV waves to the faithful prior to the start of a meeting with representatives of the world of culture in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, on the ninth day of his 11-day pastoral visit to Africa. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Faithful wait for the arrival of Pope Leo XIV at the airport in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
Pope Leo XIV, flanked by Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, right, is welcomed by Archbishop Juan Nsue Edjang Mayé, left, and Juan Domingo-Beka Esono Ayang upon his arrival at Malabo International Airport in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
