Mulvane residents are gearing up for a fight, but it looks like the turnpike interchange at Mulvane is the safest bet for where a new Sumner County casino will go.
Wellington residents want the casino more, but among the Mulvane site benefits: Closer to Wichita means more visitors and hence more tax revenue for Sumner County and the state (and Sedgwick County, too, which gets 1 percent of revenue).
Moreover, the Mulvane site proposals are from the two most prestigious casino companies, Harrah’s and MGM Mirage. Has anyone heard of Marvel Gaming? Penn National?
Many folks in Sedgwick County will sympathize with hundreds of Mulvane residents who have signed a petition opposing a casino nearby.
But the casino decision — to be made by Sumner County commissioners this week, with a final decision by a state review board next May — likely will come down to which location offers the biggest payout for state and local governments.
In fact, Kansas’ gambling law seems to require it, saying the choice will be based on which casino “best maximizes revenue, encourages tourism and otherwise serves the interests of the people of Kansas.â€
Mulvane has the clear edge.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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37 Comments
Like a scene out of the Wrath of Khan:
[Spock, having saved the casino yes vote, is dying]
Kirk: Spock.
Spock: Casino… out of danger?
Kirk: Yes.
Spock: Don’t grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh…
Kirk: …the needs of the few.
Spock: …Or the one. I never took the Kobayashi Maru test until now. What do you think of my solution?
Kirk: Spock…
Spock: I have been and always shall be your friend.
[Holds up his hand in the Vulcan salute]
Spock: Live long and prosper.
I don’t care where they put the casino just so long as it is close enough to Wichita to cause the problems that these self-professed goody-two shoes harped about in their quest for a pure Kansas.
I only wish that Wichita would haved lost out on their share of the money, seeing that they are too pure for such a casino to be located near their holiness and self-righteousness.
It will go to Mulvane and all the Puritans in Wichita can do is sit and weep at the traffic jams on K-15 every weekend as Wichitans and their money head to Sumner County. And while the Puritans in Mulvane might not like it, they will certainly smile at tax time won’t they? Mulvane will be rolling in so much dough that they won’t have to have the old cop sit on the side street and try to catch you speeding on K-15 (does he still sit there or did he retire?) to bring money into the coffers of Mulvane!
Sedgwick County will likely benefit even more from a Mulvane casino than it would have from a Wichita casino. The reason: Sedgwick gets a 1% take from a Sumner casino. The combined take (Wichita and Sedgwick County) from a Wichita casino would have been 2%. While it might seem that 2% is more it might not be. After all, if the Mulvane casino is twice the size of what would have gone downtown the 1% becomes equal to 2%. So, from a direct revenue perspective the much larger facility on the Turnpike benefits Sedgwick County equally.
Looking at jobs and other ‘indirect effects’ the majority of people working there will be from Sedgwick County. And, there is nothing whatsoever to prevent businesses from locating near the Mulvane interchange in Sedgwick County. Hotels, especially, can benefit from proximity.
Not walking distance, that is true. But still very nearby.
While it seems the experts at the gaming businesses think that Mulvane is a better bet, I think that in reality, given the penchant for Kansans to drive, there would be little difference in the gaming crowds to a casino at either location. I just can;t see it making much difference. Not if it truly is going to be a destination casino. But, it may make a difference in the amount of workers availab.e
Sedgwick county will also benefit if they rezone the property across 53 for commercial / retail businesses. A convenience store / gas station, a strip mall of sorts will be needed -
Agreed. Parking and traffic are likely more important than a few miles. Either of the Turnpike locations will be easy to get to.
Instead of K-15 — Wichitans can use 81 / Broadway. driving down 2nd Street to and through downtown Mulvane could be a hassle because of the school zone, stop signs and a significant rr crossing just west of town. But you will miss beautiful downtown Mulvane with it’s silo skyline and the best Italian restaurant in the region — Luciano’s — but you get to go through that hot toddling town of Haysville — will be interesting to see if Sedgwick county / the state improves 81 and K-15 to Mulvane .
Just so we are clear on this point: Wichita gets zero from the casino.
Seg. Co. will get 1% but DoDa gets nada!
So what poster boy? I am a resident of Sedgwick County as are ALL Wichitans. And Sedgwick County will need the money to spend on the Arena in ‘DoDa’
Sedgwick County will have plans for any proceeds from the Casino as soon as the first brick goes up instead of waiting until they actually get something. They appear to operate like that.
Let’s say that Sedgwick County gets 1.6 million a year from the Casino.
It will take 125 years to accumulate 200 million so they can build another white elephant.
Has the Arena sales tax suspended yet?
Let’s hope the Casino developers will help out with community tornado shelters for all those trailer parks that will be popping up in and around Mulvane.
You know, when people lose their houses and cars and won’t be able to travel that far to gamble. :)
There are several factors to look at and driving is not the only thing. There is also the issue of having enough employees. The have more people available in Wichita than Wellington so Mulvane makes sense.
If Sedg. Co. is smart that will take that 1% and set it aside for addiction programs, jail expansion and other areas of law enforcement.
“I only wish that Wichita would haved lost out on their share of the money, seeing that they are too pure for such a casino to be located near their holiness and self-righteousness.”
Posted by: indy | December 11, 2007 at 04:59 AM
Don’t get all pissy Ben, I was making sure that “indy” and others were clear on the fact that the city of Wichita gets nothing from the casino deal.
Yes, everyone in Sed. Co. will theoretically benefit from the 1% kick back to Sed. Co. However, if I were you I wouldn’t count on that forever.
My guess is that Sed. will get cut out sooner or later. The split was to sweeten the pot for a Sed. Co/Wichita deal and that didn’thappen.
Kansas has the opportunity to be a first in eco friendly development.Where ever the casino is located a lot of consideration should be given to making any facility be eco friendly. How about it’s own windmill, (sell some of the electricity) solar panels to operate slots etc ….. a eco friendly casino / resort / business center itself could create another niche market to draw from that industry. Don’t know what they could do about all those smelly diesel buses — but they can have an eco friendly fleet of vehicles, golf carts powered by solar panels etc ….
Too bad poster boy – Wichita didn’t have a good enough proposal to not lose; even after beginning ahead 70-30.
But Wichita WILL get a lot of revenue from the casino – via Sedgwick County. As you know; Sedgwick County will have to sunsidize the Old Town Albino Pachyderm.
You are just pissy because you don’t get as much as you want. Well, perhaps a better proposal would not have been rejected by the voters.
ken – I like our ideas. Especially turbines since they will have a large enough ‘campus’ to easily accomodate that.
I would add something ken – water the golf course in the same manner as Payson Arizona – with well-treated effluent from a treatment plant. No odors or other problems at the Payson golf course.
Ben, what’s got up your skirt today? Nothing pissy here. But, what does any of the casino money have to do with your ongoing resentment over the arena? You need to get over that soon as it might make you ill over time.
I would hate to see that happen.
Ben
I think innovative, creative architects and engineers combined with savvy business men can make eco friendly work there —
On that 1% collection from the Casino, there is a population to law enforcement personnel ratio that has to be maintained, which is by law.Please do remember that in your day dreams of what will happen with that extra money.
Nothing poster; I’m simply finding some amusement at the failure of the downtown-only crowd to get what they wanted this time. And no, your white elephant is not going to make me ill; I simply make it something to laugh at. And I also find it funny that the downtown-only crowd managed to turn 70% into 43%. That was quite an accomplishment.
As for what the casino money has to do with your arena? Simple: Sedgwick County can squander the casino money on the sunsidies that they have already said will be needed.
ken – you are correct. It will be interesting to see what they come up with. I was involved in some very eco-friendly developments out in Lake County Illinois several years ago. We worked WITH a wetland rather than destroying it.
Isn’t the winery at the Mulvane interchange? I seem to recall some comment about a tie-in with that.
Winery is adjacent to the t/pike to the west — I think I read that they have a contingency contract to sell to one of the devlopers.
Lake County? Golf course up there thunder hawk or similar that used a wetland — was that you?
I’m a native of Chicago with friends up near Great Lakes Naval …
I’m retired — are ya hiring? LOl
No, we did an office complex – ‘campus’ style. I managed to get the developer and some environmetal groups together to get it done. The idea was to preserve the bucolic ‘country’ environment.
Ben, I voted against the arena. I didn’t believe them then and I don’t believe them now.
I don’t know where you get the idea that I am part of a downtown only club or that the arena is my white elephant.
I am very concerned that we – the citizens of Sed. Co.- may well lose our little 1%. I think that the state will go after that money as it serves no real purpose now.
It was included in the gaming bill to intice voters to support a Wich/Sed. Co. deal. No play-no pay!
If you are concerned about losing the 1% then you should be communicating with the Sedgwick County delegation. I doubt that they will change it.
I thought the 1 % is part of the legislation creating the casino opps.
ken – you are correct. The host county/city get 2% to share, the ‘other county’ gets 1%. So, Sedgwick County’s 1% is set by statute.
hope this can get posted too. First timer here. Sumner co casino should go where the sumner co voters intended it to go. I hope that weasel bob knight gets the city managers job so he can keep screwing ya all over. The commissioners are holding presentations today and tomorrow. It ain’t over til its over.
The casino should go down by the Wellington interchange. Sumner County voted for it, we did not vote for it to go on the Sedgwick County line. Wichita doesn’t want it, so take it south another 14 miles.
So…..Randy, is the WE board now in favor of the casino?
Well isnt that just grand….what a bunch of a*******.
What we need is to sell the Century II to some local Indians, turn it into Indian land and set up a Casino, Smoke shop and bowling alley.
At least it would be full continually then.
With the plus side of keeping all the white trash in one location and not infesting other venues around town with their Mullets, Ball Caps, ‘88 Firebirds and wifebeater T-shirts
mrbill,
Don’t joke about selling Century II, it cost this community Hundreds of Millions in the Casino vote.
“The downtown only crowd” fought against lies that Century II was going to be sold.
People believed the lie. CEO’s threatened to move business and pressured their employees.
No voters didn’t allow MGM or anyone else come up with a best Casino location in this County.
Distrust of the government is healthy thing, they say. It only happens here, other communities trust their local governments. People hate Topeka, like that matters!
Nothing we do in this County harms or hurts Topeka! We harm ourselves first.
Quit joking about selling Century II.
Mrage
We never heard any other options being touted except downtown and Park City. I don’t remember if it was you or whats his name (the guy who wants to build a tower.) who berated or scolded Ben or I when we brought up the notion of a west Wichita location —- the words that were used basically were implying that downtown was a done deal because of Water Works, Ruffin and Canadians or some one else were cutting a deal for Century too and the tease of Trump being involved. — I wrote the Eagle and a county commissioner but nothing other than downtown was discussed.
Our idea never got any legs or press — got the impression any disscussion of anything else but downtown had no chance of success …….
ken – they also berated me when I suggested that consideration be given to doing a ‘brownsfields’ type casino development at 21st on the west side of I-135. My thought was to take an entire Section CanalRte – Broadway – 21st – 29th as a site.
Joe was emphatic that it was DOWNTOWN! They both also berated any suggestion of Park City – Mrage even voted against slots because he didn’t want competition for his DOWNTOWN casino.
And, they lost. BIG TIME!
Does anyone know what happened to Joe Williams? Did he move?
ken,
Our community lost the Casino vote fighting each other and each side is bitter about it. Topeka is still surprised we voted that way.
Probably surprised the Casino ideas for Sumner County, two are grand things.
I’m happy CEO’s are adamant collectively, but are they harming this community with their thinking?
How come none of the CEO’s are eager to brand the Arena with their corporate name?
That’s been more important than a Casino for a long time.
Since they don’t want the Casino, those CEO’s must support Arena and fixing Century II someday.
Cost of fixing Century II more expensive than the Arena.
We have to generate our own developments right? So lets get behind those two things!
Saying No to the governments harms this community.
It allows business to stay disconnected. If half of the community doesn’t want it, why would local corporates support that?
County and City governments don’t act strongly enough, Topeka tells them constantly.
County didn’t let the Casino vote happen for a long time. Created a confusing question.
It had commissioners not wanting it and some supporting a Park City location. Whether the process allowed Coliseum to be sold.
Park City is a terrible spot for any major retail.
We weren’t served properly with great Casino plans.
“Downtown only crowd” gets blame but fault is, voters don’t trust the governments.
Our City government really didn’t want it either.
Combined, our two governments acted bizarre about this vote.
Other communities with the question happily passed the Casino idea!
“Our community lost the Casino vote fighting each other and each side is bitter about it.”
NOT TRUE. I’M NOT BITTER ABOUT YOUR LOSS!
“How come none of the CEO’s are eager to brand the Arena with their corporate name?”
GOOD QUESTION. MAYBE THEY ARE TOO SMART TO WANT TO HAVE THEIR COMPANIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
“If half of the community doesn’t want it, why would local corporates support that?”
THIS ANSWERS YOUR OTHER QUESTION. WELL OVER HALF THE COMMUNITY DOESN’T WANT YOUR ARENA.
“We weren’t served properly with great Casino plans.”
AGREED. THAT IS WHY YOU LOST.
WAH!
Have you all read Senate Bill 66? If so have you paid particular attention to page 5 section 3 (10) or page 7 section 3 (o) theres no way it will go in at the mulvane exit. The lottery comissioner said he would have to call the sumner county comissioners and ask them if they would reconsider the other two proposals in which they have already stated NO they wont change their minds. Bob Knight and his group had the two most prominent sections of land tied up around the Wellington interchange thinking they had the mulvane site secured and failed to relise that there was still a section that was not considered on the southwest corner. Yeah Wellington is going to benefit till July 1, 2032 because of this blunder. Goodluck Wellington.