An interesting letter to the editor from the general manager of the Holiday Inn Select over the weekend. Peter Berman pointed out that it wasn’t fair for the city to subsidize a competitor — the new owners of the Broadview want $25 million in aid from the city — with what are essentially his tax dollars.
His letter underscores the problem that occurs whenever the city gets into the corporate aid business: The playing field is no longer level. That’s part of what brought objections from Bill Warren when the City Council was interested in spending millions of dollars on an entertainment venue in Cowtown (Warren later dropped his objections and the city later delayed its plans for a theater).
The city has a legitimate interest in seeing the Broadview succeed. It needs another convention-quality hotel for downtown. But at what point does its interest unfairly unburden other businesses?
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It is not possible to get new businesses to locate in the area without significant financial consideration from government. Yet, that consideration is definitely unfair to other existing businesses. Aircraft parts manufacturer Lopresti got $40 million just for its location. Piper Aircraft got $35 million to remain in its location. If government wants the businesses and therefore the jobs and tax revenue, it must pay. Said another way, your job may only exist because your government bought it. Sure it is unfair to existing businesses, but what else do you do? How about some ideas?
The great old Broadview Hotel was opened for business in 1921. Builder and, I believe owner for a time, was George Siedhoff, a contractor who built some of Wichita’s best buildings back in the 1920’s and 30’s. Coming from Kansas City and eventually retiring in Emporia, downtown Wichita would be a lot less than it is now without his contribution. Unfortunately most of his buildings are now reaching “old age” and need to be renovated before its too late.
On the west side of the Broadview Hotel, between the hotel and the Arkansas river, was the headquarters of the Arkansas Valley Interurban lines that extended throughout the Wichita metropolitan area to places like Newton, Halstead, Hutchinson and presumably south as well.
Also the famous “island” in the Arkansas River which contained the baseball park that later burned down. The Lawrence-Dumont Stadium was built in 1936 to take its place. A government WPA project wiped out all traces of the old island.
During the middle 1920’s, headquarters of Travel Aire airplane manufacturing company was located on Douglas just west of the Arkansas River. It was on the south side of Douglas just west of today’s Metropolitan Baptist Church. The Baptist Church is on a site of the old Midland railroad station.
Oops, I almost forgot too mention, in the mid-twenties, Travel Aire was owned by Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech and Lloyd Stearman. Prior to WWII, Boeing from Seattle bought the Stearman airplane manufacturing company. Wichita’s Walter Innes and a Pratt banker (Peoples Bank of Pratt) were said to have assisted these air pioneers with financing at meetings in the old abandoned house on the Ninnescah River bluff five miles east of Pratt.
Under the Broadview, it was said a “speakeasy” existed in a former large restaurant during prohibition days but does anyone alive today actually remember this?
I’ve been told a coffee cup sign hung along the south exterior wall of the hotel marking the entrance to the hotel coffee shop probably in the 1940’s or 1950’s. However, I can’t find a photograph that shows the cup sign.
The Koch engineering company was located in a rather nondescript building on the south side of Douglas from the Broadview Hotel until the 1960’s then they moved up north to make way for Century II. The original Fred Koch had officed in the present day Boathouse at Lewis and the Arkansas River for some 15 years before moving his company to the building across Douglas from the Broadview Hotel.
Presumably the Broadview Hotel coffee shop got a lot of usage from the Koch entourage across the street.
And some people tell about dancing the night away in the old rooftop gardens on top of the Broadview Hotel. Glenn Miller orchestra anyone?
It seems the Broadview Hotel represents the icon of Wichita business history. Much more there than the bricks and mortar of a regular hotel building.
Is there any question the Broadview should be renovated and returned to its former days of glory?
Warren’s complaints ring hollow when you consider the subsidies he and the rest of the over-priced businesses in Old Town get.
Thank you JWINK….and…..the first wooden propellor was made by George Siedhoff the first at The Broadview Hotel…and there’s more stories that go with that too!