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Community thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted Oct. 12, 2007 at 1:00 a.m.
- Filed under Open thread
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11 Comments
Right on schedule, according to this morning’s Wichita EAGLE, the hired manager of Wichita’s DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT INCORPORATED, Ed Wolverton, announces he is departing Wichita for greener pastures.
Wolverton like all of Wichita’s “hired gun tax-supported managers” has spent most of his time promoting the WHITE ELEPHANT, ALBATROSS, TAX-GULPING DOWNTOWN ICE HOCKEY ARENA.
Its now impossible to find any unaffiliatated (with the arena) people who want the arena. The public now recognizes this ALBATROSS will gulp tax money like a hungry shark gulping fish in its path.
I moved back to Wichita in the late 1990’s, not long before Ed Wolverton arrived in the early 2000’s. In fact, I happened to meet Ed at his new office in the Bank IV building as he arrived from Arizona. I wanted to impress on him the importance of restoring downtown Wichita.
As a self-employed salesman, I canvassed most downtown Wichita companies as well as most companies in Sedgwick County and surrounding counties. I remember the condition of downtown very well in the late 1990’s. Downtown was still working to some degree.
Most downtown buildings had tenants on the first and second floors. A few of the better managed buildings had tenants on most floors. The Bank IV cafeteria was still operating. Even the Bidding Building barber was still cutting hair and waving to the passerbys. Some retail business remained.
But now as I walk around the downtown area, tremendous deterioration of downtown has continued until downtown Wichita is almost a ghost town above the first floor of its downtown buildings.
But the difference is Sedgwick County citizens have ponied up over $220,000,000.14 to build the unwanted, unneeded white elephant downtown arena. The theory of the Ed Wolverton crowd is: “Build the downtown arena and private development will follow.” No matter that the list grows of huge tax needing downtown facilities that need renovation. The asbestos riddled Century II building and the way too small downtown library are examples.
Just imagine the possible interview of Ed Wolverton in North Carolina. “Well, I, ah, guided the promotion of the beloved downtown Wichita arena in Wichita.” But failing to mention the continued deterioration of downtown Wichita, his primary responsibility!
So, Ed Wolverton, don’t let the door slap you in the rear as you leave town.
Wink Hartman will not be building his arena in Park City after all. He cites that projected cost for his Park City Arena doubled and said that it isn’t worth it anymore.
Most likely that Park City is becoming a huge ghost town, thanks to JWinks and Dee Stuart.
If you are going out west. Skip Pratt, shop Greensburg.
The downtown Library might have been too small in the past.With the increased use of the Internet, I would think that the need for physical’books to be on’site’ is no longer necessary.Access to more computers, with more learning classes are more important. The physical books could be ordered through a central ‘warehouse’ located in a cheaper part of town. Boarded up slumlord properties?We should keep thelibrary downtown. I suspect that it is business developers, including those out-of-town, that are most interested in aquiring these prime real estate properties of the Wichita tax-payers to convert to a City/Private Development – City takes the risk, Private takes the profits.These projects seem to always cost the taxpayers as much $ as they can get, construction costs, managing costs, does the city ever make a profit from these partnerships? Or do we just give away tax credits that private enterprise would have paid themselves if necessary.
The downtown LIBRARY might have been too small in the past however, with the increased use of the Internet, The need for the actual physical books to be on ’site’ is no longer necessary.ACCESS TO MORE COMPUTERS and more LEARNING CLASSES about computers are NEEDED and IMPORTANT.Do you really think that these children using computers in preschool are going to read the actual books? Are we going to stick them with paying for our outdated skeleton customs.Ask your kids, grandkids – I think they will respond that they will use the Internet whenever possible, if just to save time gas, trees, resources.
Don’t get me wrong, I do think the LIBRARY SHOULD STAY DOWNTOWN.
The physical books-that are rarely checked out or ordered- should be available, by order, at a centrally located warehouse, perhaps shared with other Kansas towns, built in a cheaper part of town. Books are available within hours or overnight.
We should KEEP THE LIBRARY DOWNTOWN.
Obviously, we support downtown improvement – if its at a fair cost. AND WHEN WE ARE NOT MISLEAD.I suspect that it is busiess developers, including those out-of-town, that are most interested in aquiring these prime real estate properties OWNED BY THE WICHITA TAXPAYERS to convert to a City/Private Development – City takes the Risk, Private takes the Profits.These projects seem to cost the taxpayers as much $ as Developers can get from us, rising construction costs – supposedly figured in with the 1st estimates, rise. If the $ is there the managing costs costs rise.
Does the city ever make a profit from these partnerships? Do we just give away tax credits that private enterprise would have paid themselves if necessary.
IF the buildings – LIBRARY & CENTURY II are so old, WOULD that mean THAT THE MORTGAGE IS PAID?I’d like my house to be paid off and I only had to pay for the maintanence costs, and no property taxes.
I should mention, on this fine October fall morning, I am visiting beautiful downtown Pratt, Kansas … the Aspen/Vail vacation land of south Central Kansas.
As they say here … Pratt has ten times the retail stores, more genuine seventy year old aquariums, more volunteers in its great Pratt County historical museum, virtually 100% occupancy of its downtown office and retail buildings … than does downtown Wichita.
And Pratt’s beautiful tree-lined, never failing Ninnescah River at the south edge of Pratt carries more clear unpolluted gurgling water than does the Arkansas River running under Wichita’s Douglas Street Bridge.
Many of Pratt’s businesses are in a proud partnership helping their neighbors, the Greensburg people, return their shattered lives to normal once again.
And Pratt’s retail businesses are proud they do NOT charge their customers a one-cent sales tax lug to build an unwanted, unnecessary, ugly and dangerous, white elephant downtown arena.
I should mention, on this fine October fall morning, I am visiting beautiful downtown Pratt, Kansas … the Aspen/Vail vacation land of south Central Kansas.
As they say here … Pratt has ten times the retail stores, more genuine seventy year old aquariums, more volunteers in its great Pratt County historical museum, virtually 100% occupancy of its downtown office and retail buildings … than does downtown Wichita.
And Pratt’s beautiful tree-lined, never failing Ninnescah River at the south edge of Pratt carries more clear unpolluted gurgling water than does the Arkansas River running under Wichita’s Douglas Street Bridge.
Many of Pratt’s businesses are in a proud partnership helping their neighbors, the Greensburg people, return their shattered lives to normal once again.
And Pratt’s retail businesses are proud they do NOT charge their customers a one-cent sales tax lug to build an unwanted, unnecessary, ugly and dangerous, white elephant downtown arena.
I have visited Pratt. Seems like a pleasant community. Joe! Why the extreme hatred of Pratt?
Why ignore Greensburg and its rebuilding efforts? I’m just saying to contribute to the Greensburg economy.
JWink hates Greenburg! As his demeaning statement remarks to.
It our duty as fellow Kansans to help build up Greensburg and make it a viable community again.
Pratt has been losing business like crazy. Lots of empty store fronts and business closures. It’s a Meth Watch town and not a Tree City USA, like many towns in Kansas are. Pratt County also has one of the most extensive crop irrigation uses in the State, sucking the aquifer dry.
I don’t hate Pratt. Just saying, Skip Pratt, shop Greensburg.
Joe! I like both Pratt AND Greensburg. And, I also have business connections in Greensburg.
I find many more communities in Kansas that are great American small towns than Pratt. It’s the lowest on my list because it has no character or history.
But that’s ok. Each their own.