Premature articulation on arena site

I was surprised to see the strong opinions expressed in Wednesday’s Eagle by Mayor Carlos Mayans and some Wichita City Council members on the four potential arena locations. Mayans opined that the site north of Douglas in Old Town “doesn’t do what we wanted to do.”
Really? On what criteria does he base that judgment? Council member Bob Martz said he preferred the middle two sites (the worst from a pedestrian standpoint). Seems to me that city leaders could have been more cautious in their statements. Such official pronouncements are premature — there’s too much still unknown about traffic flow, parking, infrastructure costs, etc.
Yes, it’s good to let the public debate begin. But I don’t like the fact that several city leaders seem to have taken one option off the table before even seeing the detailed pro/con arguments for it or getting public input.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

9 Comments

  1. JWink
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 6:06 am | Permalink

    The most important issue to debate about the proposed downtown arena is what is it’s PURPOSE?

    Of course, by getting taxpayers to entirely pay for it with no provision for payback, its really “easy come, easy go” money. So perhaps no purpose is necessary.

  2. Joe Williams
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 6:39 am | Permalink

    I agree with Randy on this one. They spoke prematurally on it. The most controversial is the one north of Douglas that surprised a lot of people. But so far is looking like a very good prospect. Cheapest space for acquisitions.

  3. janabanana
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 7:06 am | Permalink

    I think that the city council might as well dive head first into shallow water. They are digging their political graves.

  4. JUSTA GUY
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 8:15 am | Permalink

    Are you sure it was premature “articulation”? OR?

  5. Jason
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 8:33 am | Permalink

    I do have to agree with Randy on this. The fools down at City Hall really have no idea what’s going on. Do they really know what they want to do? Thus far decisions they’ve made, I don’t think so.

  6. Jed
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 11:44 am | Permalink

    Is the commission bullshitting us, or have the developers bullshitted them? Whichever, city hall stinks to high heaven over the arena issue.

  7. NoJoCo
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 11:52 am | Permalink

    Joe Williams,Are you the Joe Williams whose proposing the Peerless Tower?

  8. Ray Thomas
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 2:48 pm | Permalink

    Just for the record…please note that the arena is a county, not city project. The mayor has no more say in where it goes than anyone else. The stink over this area issue belongs across Main from City Hall…tis a county thing. (Like other “winners”, Cowtown, Exploration Place, Kansas Coleseum)

  9. tiedye
    Posted October 1, 2005 at 2:32 am | Permalink

    The county has done a heck of a job with the trash thing, too, hasn’t it?