It’s admittedly early, but development interest near the Intrust Bank Arena appears off to a slow start.
Tuesday’s announcement that the Spaghetti Works building near Douglas and St. Francis is for sale makes two significant multi-level buildings near the arena that need buyers. Union Station, the old Cox Communications headquarters on Douglas, has been on the market for several months, reportedly with limited interest from retailers.
On the surface, that’s surprising as the arena quickly takes shape nearby. But with the financial markets in crisis and disposable incomes dwindling to nothing, a slowdown in hospitality investments doesn’t seem all that shocking.
Plus, arena neighborhoods, I’m told, develop closer to the opening date. Hard to get a lot done, though, when the city and the downtown development group both need new leaders.
So, there’s no cause for alarm yet – but it does seem troubling that the future of two prime arena neighborhood properties is in such doubt.
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This is right in line with what those of us predicted who were and still are opposed to the 1/2 billion dollar white elephant downtown arena.
Not only is the arena vicinity not developing, the threat of the arena’s lack of parking has already chased a lot of good companies out of the central core. I won’t name them because their defense will be they had other more altruistic reasons for moving.
In fact, I have been keeping a list of the arena insiders, the cheerleaders for the albatross, screaming the “little people” of Wichita desperately wanted the arena … WHO HAVE SINCE MOVED OUT OF WICHITA LEAVING THEIR UNPAID ARENA BILLS FOR OTHERS TO PAY.
The skeleton of the arena is being constructed so I’ve been told. Of course, the big operational expenses for management, insurance, heating, air conditioning, electricity, natural gas, water for the ice slabs, snaks for the arena cheerleaders in their skyboxes, haven’t even began yet.
But now the list is mounting of what the citizens of Wichita and Sedgwick County CAN’T HAVE BECAUSE THE ARENA EXPENSES WILL HAVE TO BE PAID.
Things like repair of our potholed streets. And construction of storm sewers needed all over the city and county. And repair of bursting water mains. And replacement of bridges and overpasses that are exceeding their design life. And adequate schools for our youth.
But yippy de dooda, we are getting one helluva billion dollar arena whether we want it or not, whether we need it or not, and whether there is any user who will adequately pay to use it.
So, I say, “Mr. Mayor, just stop this idiotic arena before it’s too late.”
jwink – it’s already too late to stop it. I hope the remaining arena boosters find a way to make it work but I still don’t see what is going to fill it. As I noted before the opportunity was lost when WSU revamped Koch Arena on campus. Had the suggestions some of us made back then been looked at perhaps we would have the Shockers as an anchor tenant.
One thing I don’t understand about local businesses is that we have not seen restaurant/bars near Century II. That venue fills regularly (MTW doing All Shook Up this week) but my wife and I usually end up eating out elsewhere. Hopefully the Broadview will hold together and the renovations go through. I like Chisolms and Le Parc as occassional dinner spots.
I don’t see how a few or even a few dozen nights can support restaurants nearby – C-II on the other hand has many more nights (albeit smaller numbers). I guess that as a businessman myself I still do not see the business model of this Arena project.
“Build it and they will come.” has been the motto of the city and a few promoters/contractors that are trying to benefit from city’s spending. Let’s see, there is the Hyatt, (now city owned), Waterwalk, years in the making, little to show for the tax investment, Old Town bar district, getting to be more and more tax financed with very little hope of further development. What is sad is that private development, the very essence of development continues to leave. Talk about parking and eyes glass over and the very promoters that are pushing these projects deny there is a need. 5 years from now the city will pay $1MM to study the situation and parking will be listed as the main problem. People go now west or east where there is plenty of parking. These areas in town are better planned, larger in scope and with private development money. They continue to grow without the city and without their tax money. The very problem of promoter/contractor projects is that they are political in nature and poorly planned.
Why don’t the naysayers leave?
Think positive, don’t worry, be HAPPY! (:~)
Think positive, don’t worry, be HAPPY! (:~)
And keep your head buried deep in the sand!
It’s going to work out. Just like OKC and Omaha, things really started to develop after their arenas were built and things keep on building. This will happen in Wichita as well.
I never understood the naysayers who think the Downtown Arena is going to be a failure. I guess that means the Kansas Coliseum was a colossal failure for all these 30 years. Then the Naysayers will say that the Kansas Coliseum is what we need and is successful, but they fail to recognize that the downtown arena IS a replacement for the Kansas Coliseum.
If the Kansas Coliseum isn’t a failure, then what’s going to makes the downtown arena a failure? Because of cost? It’s already bought and paid for with no interest to bond investors as waste, it received much more money than the naysayers could even stand and it will have an operating surplus to last it 25 years. It’s a huge success already.
JWink? He’s a transplant from white flight JoCo that hopes to bring out the worst in Wichita. A nobody with silly thoughts in his head. Basically he isn’t a Wichitian, so that tells you enough.
Joe! I hope you are right! We shall see …
By the way – how many decades does a ‘trasplant’ need to live, work, and invest in Wichita to become a Wichitan?
You people who keep complaining about arena parking do provide great entertainment.
A bit off topic but … MTW did a great performance of All Shook Up last night. I am really looking forward to their season finale Les Miserbles in three weeks. They will have extra performances of that one – should be good.