WaterWalk’s case for tearing down the Wichita Boathouse took a big hit with an Eagle report this week that the corporate headquarters it is trying to lure is partly owned by one of WaterWalk’s partners, Jack DeBoer. Is WaterWalk really saying that the only way its own partner will move his Value Place headquarters to WaterWalk is if he gets property that was never intended to be part of WaterWalk? If so, what does that say about the rest of the project?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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12 Comments
True to his name, the Farmboy Jack needs to learn how to live with people, not just farm beasts.
The much more important question is the role of local government in encouraging private development, and as a property owner. Citizens take the City Council to task all the time for decisions to help fund the ice rink, Exploration Place, Botanica and other “quality of life” additions, yet when the City talks about selling one of those projects – regardless of the amount of money involved – everyone screams. What a schizophrenic citizenry! What this City needs is a mayor with a vision for where this City is going, and a mayoral race that will decisively tell all of us where majority sentiment rests.
Sadly, we DO have a mayor with a vision of where the city is going…and his vision (as published in an interview)is that everyone that goes to church is going to heaven, and everyone that goes to an adult book store is going to hell.
That is his ‘vision’…pastor Mayans. He is too busy trying to impose his version of morality on the city to spend much time being productive.
And here I thought he escaped a repressive government that denies freedom to people..and yet he is part of a government trying to take away freedoms.
Strange little man…
The problem with tearing down the Boathouse is that it is an icon of Wichita. If the city decided to sell the ice rink to a private company I would say “more power to them”. However, to sell the Boathouse, which makes so much sense next to Waterwalk and can be a multipurpose facility so someone can build a more or less private office building on city property is just plain rediculous.
The problem is, Our Mayor and City Council, will always defer, in favor of the class with the money. They didn’t tell you, up front, that ole Jack, stood to make a pile on this endeavor. They didn’t want you to know that.
The only reason , to get rid of the Boathouse, is Ole Jack, made an offer that the City can’t refuse.
Think that Ole Jack , has any interest, other than lining his own pocket? Think , that the City, doesn’t want to reward Ole Jack.
Taxpayers and the people of Wichita, are being kept in the dark on this project.
Wait and see! The City, is gonna give Ole Jack what he wants
Right on “J. Dough.” The Boathouse IS an icon of Wichita and should be retained. And what about the several hundred people such as myself who contributed money back in about 1996 to remodel the Boathouse? At that time, contributors received a document, a gold lapel pin and our names on a display board in the Boathouse. Do we get our money back?
At that time, I followed up by talking to the first paid director of the Boathouse. I tried to motivate him to do something with the building itself in addition to putting canoes and sailboats on the Arkansas River but couldn’t get him to budge. They did have some functions that came to them but they didn’t get out to “sell” the space. Ditto the Ice Rink and the Indian Center.
Speaking of the Indian Center, raising the Keeper of the Plains statue some 40 feet ?? and putting “eternal flames” in the Arkansas River around the base is costing Wichita taxpayers some 25 million dollars. Now no one I can find will take the blame for this gigantic waste of taxpayer dollars. So I have been told, Blackbear Bosin carefully chose the original location and elevation of the “Keeper” statue in order to provide a beautiful sight-line through the center of the windows of the Indian Center. This artistic selection has been arbitrarily destroyed by the City’s planners. The only purpose I have found is the growth of volunteer Elm trees near the statue made it difficult to see from Exploration Place. Of course, thats possible because Exploration Place is vacant most of the time. I could have improved the visibility of the existing “Keeper” statue at no cost to the taxpayers with a machette.
JWink:
The City, doesn’t care what you want, or care about your input!
The City , wants to dazzle you with their display of perputual B.S. and make you believe all along, that their ideas are the the best for the community.
Their idea all along, has been to unload properties, they haven’t a clue, what to do with, for the benefit of some outside developer.
It lines his pockets, makes the City look like a Hero and makes the taxpayer, look like an idiot!
Crony capitalism . . . that’s what republicans call “free enterprise.” Free for me to use the levers of power to make money, and free for you the taxpayer to fund it for me.
How do you like being played for suckers time after time?
The Boathouse has been closed for awhile, and it wasn’t even schedule to re-open until 2007. If it is an icon, it sure is collecting dust.
I’m not going to make it out to be political, but I for one worked at the Boathouse for several years. During the profitable years, you might say.
I have quite a bit of insight to the Boathouse. It is a great place, I’ll give you that. I love the place. But let’s just say that there is something in the works that is going to replace the Boathouse. Just have to stay tune.
Let’s just say that its going to be a lot better. ;) Everybody will hear about it, come due time. Most likely coming up in December.
Joe Williams: Are you talking about the office building that was reported on and portrayed in the Eagle newspaper last week? If so, there should be plenty of room in the River Walk site for it without eliminating the Boathouse.
Nope! Something completely different JWink!
Crony Capitalism really SUX. But most of the cronies are Democrats around here.This kind of shadow business practices is all around. For example, do you know Mr. Knight, the Indian Casino promoter, is a principal in the Amateur Poker group that sponsors many of the ‘free poker tournaments locally. Now I know how they make enough money to pay for the building rent, tables and cards.