Kauffman Stadium renovations

[Ez Street]

Amphitheater cut from Kauffman Stadium plans

By KEVIN MURPHY

The Kansas City Star

The Kansas City Royals and Jackson County officials today unveiled final design plans for the renovated Kauffman Stadium that eliminate a proposed 9,500-seat amphitheater beyond left field, while adding more features for fans.

The $250 million project is to begin when the season ends in October and be completed by spring 2010.

Jackson County voters approved the renovation last year by increasing the sales tax by 3/8 of a cent. There?s no major change in the scope of the original plan, but there will be wider concourses in some sections, a kids? play area beyond left field, and more restrooms, concessions and food outlets, and gates.

The team and Jackson County said feedback from fan focus groups indicated little support for the amphitheater, which was to be used for concerts and other events and as an overflow area for fans.

The Royals also announced they had agreed to pay the $900,000 cost of hardware, software and a control room for a video coaching system aimed at improving performance.

PHASING DETAILS

October 2007

Start of construction

Opening Day 2008

Completed areas:

New Bullpens

Expanded dugout seating

Expanded crown seating

Expanded vomitories to field level concourse

Opening Day 2009

Complete areas:

Dugout concourse

Expanded plaza level concourse

Expanded view level concourse

Hall of Fame

Expanded view level concourse & food court

Outfield plaza and walk of fame

Fountain view seas and terraces

Box office

Team Store

New scoreboard

New press facilities

Opening Day 2010

Completed areas:

Diamond Club

Crown Club

Home plate suites

Stadium Club

View level canopy

Administration building

FEATURES

39,000 seats

New high definition scoreboard and control room

Fountain view terraces

Outfield concourse

Kids' area

Taste of KC

Right field restaurant

Left field hall of fame and conference center

New group sales areas

Wide 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

[BigMac12]

I like the renderings.

[DEAD!]

I like the placements for the bullpens and the seats at outfield in front of the fountains. I wonder if there's really going to be a plane that says "Welcome to Kaufmann Stadium"

[BRUINSFAN]

Now all KC needs is a team that will draw the fans to the "New K"!

[EatSleepJeep]

Now all KC needs is a team that will draw the fans to the "New K"!

They already have a team that does that.

They're called the Twins.

[marlinfan]

Maybe someone who goes to Kauffman on a regular basis can address this but won't people in the fountain seats get wet? I've seen a lot of games on TV and some days you can't see home plate from the centerfield cam because the wind is blowing tons of mist around.

[NJTank]

That may be fun on a hot Kansas City Summer Day

[Ez Street]

Well generally the wind blows from the south in the summer. So it would blow the mist outfield.

[Milo Meningocele]

Opening Day 2008

Completed areas:

New Bullpens

Expanded dugout seating

Expanded crown seating

Expanded vomitories to field level concourse

Not being an architecture major, I had to look that one up. For the record, it's the third or fourth entry down the list in each of the sources I checked: One of the tunnellike passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway.

[Ez Street]

Opening Day 2008

Completed areas:

New Bullpens

Expanded dugout seating

Expanded crown seating

Expanded vomitories to field level concourse

Not being an architecture major, I had to look that one up. For the record, it's the third or fourth entry down the list in each of the sources I checked: One of the tunnellike passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway.

Yeah, likewise. I had to read it a couple of times.

[MadmanLA]

I'm not the biggest supporter of corporate welfare, when it comes to sports, but I hope the good folks of Kansas City get their money's worth. With that said...those are excellent pictures, already to one of the nicest (and to me, most underrated) ballparks in the country. Now, like a couple posters already commented...let's hope Glass can spend his Wal-Mart money to put a winner back in that stadium.

Also, kinda thinking out loud here...I'm wondering what a renovated Arrowhead Stadium would look like. I know the Chiefs and Royals are still probably bummed out that they didn't get their "rolling roof".

[leopard88]

I like the placements for the bullpens and the seats at outfield in front of the fountains. I wonder if there's really going to be a plane that says "Welcome to Kaufmann Stadium"

If there is, I hope it doesn't fly in the crazy pattern that would be needed to make the banner trail like that. In my experience, if the plane is flying straight, the banner will generally remain straight too, so that pilot must be all over the place.

All in all, nice upgrades to an already nice park. Maybe the KC fans won't have to use the vomitories to express their opinions regarding the quality of play.

[aside] They're what? Passageways or tunnels? Never mind. [aside]

[BBTV]

Opening Day 2008

Completed areas:

New Bullpens

Expanded dugout seating

Expanded crown seating

Expanded vomitories to field level concourse

Not being an architecture major, I had to look that one up. For the record, it's the third or fourth entry down the list in each of the sources I checked: One of the tunnellike passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway.

Yeah, likewise. I had to read it a couple of times.

When I first became an usher, I couldn't help but chuckle every time I heard that word. Now it (as well as the abbreviated version "vom") is part of my vocabulary. (unfortunately.)

[Ez Street]

I hope it doesn't fly in the crazy pattern that would be needed to make the banner trail like that. In my experience, if the plane is flying straight, the banner will generally remain straight too, so that pilot must be all over the place.

Too much Boulevard Beer perhaps?

Maybe the KC fans won't have to use the vomitories to express their opinions regarding the quality of play.

Refer to the previous statement.

[McCall]

I've never really enjoyed Kaufman in the 8-10 games I've seen there, and I'm obviously not the biggest Royals fan. I would've rather seen them get a new stadium instead. But, having seen these new renderings, while I guess I can't remember exactly how it looks now, these do seem to make an improvement, and once it's finished, I may even try to go to some more games up there (Go Twins! ). I just hope they are able to field a competitive and exciting team to go along with the improvements. (and I really do mean that.) Because, regardless of me being a Cardinals fan and my numerous cracks about Royals baseball, they are still a Missouri team and as a proud Missourian, I'd like to see them succeed.

[Moser316]

Opening Day 2008

Completed areas:

New Bullpens

Expanded dugout seating

Expanded crown seating

Expanded vomitories to field level concourse

Not being an architecture major, I had to look that one up. For the record, it's the third or fourth entry down the list in each of the sources I checked: One of the tunnellike passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway.

I am an architecture major (who did an indoor sports arena as his thesis project, BTW), and I've never heard the word "vomitory" before.

[DDR]

I wonder if Jackson County voters would have been more or less likely to approve that sales tax increase if the money were to be earmarked for a payroll increase.

[Mings]

Opening Day 2008

Completed areas:

New Bullpens

Expanded dugout seating

Expanded crown seating

Expanded vomitories to field level concourse

Not being an architecture major, I had to look that one up. For the record, it's the third or fourth entry down the list in each of the sources I checked: One of the tunnellike passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway.

I am an architecture major (who did an indoor sports arena as his thesis project, BTW), and I've never heard the word "vomitory" before.

Mark me down as the second architecture major who hasn't heard of the word vomitory before.

[BB61]

Opening Day 2008

Completed areas:

New Bullpens

Expanded dugout seating

Expanded crown seating

Expanded vomitories to field level concourse

Not being an architecture major, I had to look that one up. For the record, it's the third or fourth entry down the list in each of the sources I checked: One of the tunnellike passages of an amphitheater or stadium between the seats and the outside wall or passageway.

I am an architecture major (who did an indoor sports arena as his thesis project, BTW), and I've never heard the word "vomitory" before.

Mark me down as the second architecture major who hasn't heard of the word vomitory before.

Mark me down as one who thought that it was a special area in a plane for those who got airsick.

[leopard88]

Mark me down as one who thought that it was a special area in a plane for those who got airsick.

Why would you need a special area? They put those little bags in the seatback pockets for that.