Royals officials "will add some pricier new seats
behind home plate," according to Charles Crumpley of the
K.C. STAR. The seats "are just the first phase of more
dramatic upgrades" Royals officials are contemplating that
could cost $70-80M. Those improvements could include
enclosing the middle level of seats to create some luxury
suites. Jackson County Sports Complex Authority Chair John
Bondon said that discussions "so far" have centered on
asking voters to approve a bond issue or asking for more
money from the city, the county and the state. Installing
the premium seats behind home plate would cost $10-13M. The
new section would be constructed after the season. It is
undecided how many seats would be in it or whether any
existing seats would be torn out (K.C. STAR, 5/1).
BRETT, HUNT OR BOTH? Noting the group led by George and
Bobby Brett and the joint effort by Lamar Hunt and Western
Resources that are bidding for the Royals, columnist Jerry
Heaster writes, "The Brett group is a worthy candidate to
buy the Royals, but ... the team of Hunt and Western
Resources is preferable for a compelling reason. It has a
more clear-cut and seemingly ironclad commitment to local
economic and civic interests" (K.C. STAR, 5/1). But
columnist Jeffrey Flanagan, under the header "Don't Count
Out Brett-Hunt Partnership," reports that two sources "close
to the situation" said that the two groups "agreed to
continue discussions about a possible joint involvement
after the Royals' board of directors has selected a winning
bid" (Jeffrey Flanagan, K.C. STAR, 5/1).
