WICHITA — Auctioneer Bud Palmer’s hard-earned reputation as a curmudgeon is in jeopardy.
He and his daughter Shannon St. Vrain’s year-old S&P Sports Complex near 35th Street North and St. Francis is morphing into a multifaceted business, but that means word is going to get out why Palmer owns the building.
“The whole reason he got it was for the grandkids,” St. Vrain says of her six children, ages 2 to 12.
She says Palmer is too emotional to even discuss that part of it. She says she often bugged her father about helping transport her kids to practices, and she often lamented that there weren’t more places for them to practice and play.
“It’s hard to get schools because the school teams have priority first,” St. Vrain says. “We were practicing all over.”
Palmer was driving when he saw that a 1900s school at 3601 N. St. Francis was for sale.
“I just … called my broker and said, ‘Get it bought,’” he says.
His grandchildren were less than impressed since the school – which had a mid-century expansion to a sprawling 35,000 square feet – also had been a Salvation Army homeless shelter and then went unused for years. It was a mess.
“Grandpa said it was nice,” St. Vrain quotes her children, who were concerned upon seeing it.
“Grandpa has a vision,” she told them.
Palmer purchased the former Shocker basketball floor from the Kansas Coliseum and installed it in the school’s former gym.
Then, as he was cleaning, he discovered a second gym and bought the former St. Mary Cathedral gym floor and installed it.
“Well, everybody will rent it,’” Palmer assured his daughter.
That’s what’s happening.
They’ve created two indoor batting areas, and the spaces – along with the gyms – are open daily for teams to use. There’s volleyball, dodgeball, indoor soccer and homeschooling PE classes there. There’s interest from at least one Zumba class and a tae kwon do tournament for this summer.
Palmer also started holding auctions there. There are regular charity book sales. Now, St. Vrain also is renting the space for parties.
So far, it’s “just kind of word-of-mouth” renting, she says.
Now, photographer Pete Iseman is moving part of his business to the complex.
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