It’s disappointing that Wichita lost the 2011 U.S. Bowling Congress Open Championships to Orlando, considering that Wichita at one time had the convention — worth an estimated $100 million in benefits — wrapped up.
The City Council seems to have addressed some of the bureaucratic bungling that doomed the deal by giving tourism officials clear lead authority to negotiate future convention contracts.
And in recent months, city officials, from Mayor Carl Brewer on down, made a commendable, classy effort to repair relations with the group.
Wichita still fell short.
All in all, it’s been an expensive lesson about customer service and closing the deal.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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18 Comments
As I just said in the “Community Thread” a little further down, even though I have bowled only a few times and tried my hand as a “pin-setter” in high school … I looked into the prospect of encouraging Wichita as an international bowling capital with all the bells and whistles.
But unfortunately, our passive but highly paid city manager never picked up the ball on this, prefering instead to hide behind the proposed WHITE ELEPHANT UNNEEDED, UNWANTED DOWNTOWN ARENA as his main contribution to Wichita.
For those old enough to remember, Wichita was a bowling icon during World War II. In the 1940’s, Wichita’s airplane assembly industries worked in high gear round-the-clock to build the various war planes needed by the US military. The perception was that weary war workers would wind down in the wee hours of the night at local Wichita bowling emporiums.
For example, I was told recently that a bowling alley was located on the second floor of the office furniture business building in Delano. (Sorry I can’t recall the business name right now.) The entrance to the stairs was on the side. The rattle of those pins must have echoed through the neigborhood at night.
But in any event, downtown Wichita was a natural for one of the three-year cycle international bowling tournaments in this friendly, family-oriented small city by the Arkansas River. The tournament would have brought more services into the center of town and Water Walk.
Perhaps a beautiful bowling emporium with all the bells and whistles flooded in neon lights reflecting off the adjacent Arkansas River. Think of a permanent location in a remodeled Century II where the previous national bowling tournament in Wichita was held. Or along the historic north side of Douglas, first block west of the Arkansas River.
Because those bowling tournaments last several months, walking access to downtown Wichita hotels and Delano restaurants would have been a must.
Instead Wichita fat-cats, now alley cats, brought us an unwanted, unneeded super-expensive $300,000,000.12 downtown white elephant one-use sports arena. The arena building incidentally is not designed for use for sophisticated concerts, conventions or any other needed activities.
Apparently like an alcoholic, Wichita must drop to its knees before it can rise again to achieve better things.
JWink,
NOBODY wants a permanent bowling alley inside Century II.
Remodeling interior of Century II to someday have a temporary bowling alley is their goal.
Fixing the interior for Arts and Theater is main intention. An improved Convention Center is needed.
Costs could be higher than the Arena if everything is fixed!
City is going to rebid the Bowling Congress for 2014.
Whenever it might happen in years ahead, Wichita will be improved to them.
Bowling Congress probably wants the Sumner County Casino open.
They have held events in Reno and other gambling resort towns often.
If ever you can find an investor for your permanent bowling palace, take the Canadians plan, they wanted to place a Casino behind Century II, doors facing the river.
Fight with Ben and supporters of Century II if they want a bowling alley behind it.
Folks on sidewalks, lots of rowdy spirited individuals that have been drinking in the bowling alley might wander into those on way to the Symphony.
It would be a 24 hours bowling Alley right?
WaterWalk didn’t like that idea 24 hour facility next to their residence condo’s. Neon lights and spotlights blazing!
Do people want that on the river? You want it on the river, who else?
I don’t regret City losing the Bowling tournament, Century II has to be improved first. Politics and money found to do that, set in motion.
SMG is managing Century II from now on. Next time, they can try and influence the event to be held here. I wouldn’t count on 2014, it could be later years than that.
Remember NO voters love to torpedo civic projects. Why would you trust City leaders to make your project happen?
Well, there goes Wichita’s big cultural event of the year.
Sob.
It would be a 24 hours bowling Alley right?
********Yes possibly for one year and $100 million dollars. That’s million with a CAPITAL M. Nice going city. How maney nickel and dime business conventions are you going to have to get in here to make up for this fiasco?
Mrage, Mirage or Mr age: What’s the difference? Since you aren’t willing to take responsibility for your own identity, it doesn’t really matter.
You say, “Nobody wants a permanent bowling alley inside Century II.” Apparently you are speaking only for yourself. It would all depend on developing a logical plan for downtown Wichita on both sides of the Arkansas River.
I believe an “International Bowling Emporium” with all the bells and whistles in a re-modeled Century II would attract bowlers from all over the world to Wichita. Much better than drawing gamblers from a radius of 65 miles out of Wellington, if that. A terrible menace to the economy of southern Kansas.
Currently downtown Wichita planning has been piece-meal. Things are really getting botched up by city and county government “alley cats.” The politicians are frantic to make the decisions WITHOUT any measurable input by the general public … SO THERE IS NO BUY-IN BY THE TAXPAYERS ON THE SPENDING OF THEIR SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAXES.
An alternative might be to move the “arts” activities from C-II to Exploration Place to better make use of that building. Then building a larger library would make more sense across McLean Boulevard.
And a new convention center west side of the Arkansas River along north side of Douglas Avenue in historic Delano … perhaps with a fascade of historic West Wichita in the time of Wyatt Earp.
Mrage, when will you learn the pro-arena people are the real “AGIN’ERS in Wichita because they want to sponge up all the available tax money for the unneeded, unwanted downtown arena … leaving no money for the real needs of Wichita.
The only pro-arena people that I can find, have an axe to grind on the money side or political side of the arena equation.
RIGHT NOW, THE DOWNTOWN ARENA PROJECT NEEDS TO BE HALTED QUICK BEFORE WICHITA IS BANKRUPTED BY THIS DISASTEROUS PROJECT.
And a new convention center west side of the Arkansas River along north side of Douglas Avenue in historic Delano … perhaps with a fascade of historic West Wichita in the time of Wyatt EarpPosted by: JWink | December 08, 2007 at 10:31 AM
JWink, that sounds positively gross.
There is already an”International Bowling Emporium” located in Reno,NV. It’s a huge facility built for and dedicated to bowling. Both the women’s and men’s national tournament is held there every three years. During the other two years, the tournament is held in other cities like Orlando, Wichita (not) and Las Vegas. There is hardly need for another large bowling “emporium” to be built here.
Dick: I know currently an “International Bowling Emporium” is in Reno. It gets the international bowling tournament once every three years.
The idea would be to bring the annual bowling tournament here to Wichita along the Arkansas River periodically in one of the alternate three years.
Additionally, a Wichita International Bowling Emporium with all the neon, bells and whistles would have drawn bowlers from all over the world, from Germany, France, China, Japan, Iraq, etc., during the “off-years” who prefer visiting a kinder, gentler family-oriented Wichita WITHOUT gambling adjacent to the facility.
But unfortunately our current short-sighted city and county politicians appear to have blown this option.
Mrage – why do you think I would oppose bowling next to C-II? As usual you are full of sh*t!
That said, I do not see a massive bowling emporium like JWink describes working – for much the same reasons I don’t think the arena will – just not enough demand to keep it busy.
I have to agree in part with Mrage – TEMPORARY lanes for a tournament but not a permanent mega bowling center.
Will you people ever get anything straight? The arena is a COUNTY, not at CITY venue. George Kolb had nothing to do with the vote, the passing or the cost overruns of that white elephant. It is a COUNTY operation.For those of you who obviously failed 6th grade social studies, there are different levels of government..federal, state, county and city. The arena is a COUNTY operation..George Kolb works for the CITY…different operation/agency.Yes..the city is within the county of Sedgwick..but it was COUNTY commissioners who pushed for this thing.Think you can maybe remember that?
Let me think on this awhile….would I rather have a few million dollar bowling tournament per chance or 350 million venture in a Casino every year….
The entire leadership of this city needs turned out for their incompetence on the Casino vote.
Century II should have been turned into a casino or torn down to accommodate one.
It cant pay for itself with opera and symphony anyway. Its just like the new arena ….they will NEVER EVER pay their own way.
The asshats that designed the new arena didnt even design it for todays acts and size it for major concerts, so its out of date BEFORE its built.
We need to send this leadership to Oklahoma City and bring the OKC leadership up here. They have their new giant Ford Arena in the middle of BrickTown that is fantastic. And they may be getting a new Pro Basketball team.
Not some clap trap operation called “Wingnuts” for craps sake.
Although Wingnut is a good name for this leadership.
taz – then why is the CITY spending tens of millions of dollars in support of the COUNTY’s arena?
Boo hoo no bowling tournament.
And what is this weird talk of moving Century II activities to Exploration place and turning Century II into a bowling alley??
Exploration place is one of the only assets this community has. It and the arts and cultural activities sacrificed for a bowling alley??
Geez work a LITTLE harder and you’ll move everybody outta this burg.
The arena will be empty most of the time. Put a bowling alley in it.
Simple…infrastructure must be improved to be able to handle the traffic/demands that the COUNTY RUN arena will place on Wichita.
George Kolb and the City did NOT pass the vote for the arena. You people need to get your facts/social studies correct before spreading your hatred.
taz – the $184.5 million was advertised as INCLUDING those infrastructure improvements. That is the fact; I have it in writing (pdf)from the County advertisements. And the social studies would seem to say that since the county promised to cover those costs then the County should do so.
Since when is truth hateful? Sounds to me like toe complaints against “Give ‘em Hell” harry Truman. His response “I tell them the truth; they just THINK it’s Hell”
mrbill,
SMG is marketing the Ford Center and they are being reminded, we need more capacity, 18,000 seats in the Arena.
I’ve sent three faxes to SMG, help us find a corporate partner for the Arena.
They haven’t hired an on site person yet. Regional SMG guy is in charge managing the Arena construction.
The Ford Center SMG marketing management is here.
The far sighted government of OKC doesn’t exist here.
County went there to look at the Ford Center. County understands what events go to OKC and how some won’t come here.
County waited too long owning the Coliseum, when OKC constructed Ford Center in the 90’s much cheaper.
As it is, if the County has to spend every nickel of tax on the best Arena they can buy, so be it.
City wants to take over Arena parking and they did vote for that themselves.
In other communities, people don’t really complain about walking to their Arena’s.
They complain about overcharging in paid parking lots and parking garages.
“I’ve sent three faxes to SMG, help us find a corporate partner for the Arena.”
And their response?