Bill Warren has significantly improved the quality of life in Wichita with his movie theaters and support for community causes. So here’s hoping he won’t harm Wichita’s effort to revive Old Cowtown Museum.
Warren is considering challenging a planned new building at Cowtown on the basis that the city signed a “non-assistance covenant†when Warren built his Old Town theater. The agreement said that the city wouldn’t offer incentives to “movie theaters or theaters†within a four-mile radius of his downtown theater.
It is questionable whether the proposed multipurpose building at Cowtown, which would be home to the Diamon W. Chuckwagon and other events, qualifies as a “theater.†But even if it does, it’s unlikely that it would be in direct competition with Warren’s theater. On the contrary, resurrecting Cowtown could benefit other area attractions, including Warren’s theaters, by making Wichita even more of an entertainment destination.
19 Comments
Sounds like a music theatre to me. Would it be in direct competition with Warrens movie theatre? Probably not. Does that mean the city should say “screw our agreement Bill”?
Sounds like that’s what your saying.
Cowtown has been wasting tax dollars for years, why put more into it and continue to support a losing venture.
The question this raises to me is:
if cowtown is now open for profitable development and is no longer bound my the “museum concept”, why not open that prime riverfront property to REAL developers to house condos, an art community, theatre, etc?
For years cowtown was hampered by its “museum mission”. Since that no longer applies, the city would do a lot better than a hick country band sucking on the welfare teat.
Mr. Warren, people are not going to like it if you stop a music theater in Cowtown based on the letter of a contract. You would come off as small and petty. Especially since it is difficult to see how this music theater would have a negative effect on your movie theater business.
If folks don’t like your actions, they have a pretty easy way of showing you…
Why not award Bill Warren the management contract to run Cowtown? He’s a businessman and could certainly do better than the cowboys at City Hall!!
Legalize Prostitution and gambling in cowtown only, and it will not only survive, but it will thrive.
Except they need to be authentic old west style prostitutes, with multiple infections, 4 pounds of toxic heavy metal makeup on, and some yellow crooked teeth.
Buk
Sounds authentic. Would they have sheep gut condoms available?
Geez buck, that sounds like a meeting of Concerned Women of America. With their man at the helm, of course….
Good for Warren!
I can still afford a movie. But Cowtown and Prairie Rose are just playthings for the rich. Let THEM pay for them.
Yes heckler, sheep gut condoms would be available, Sheik Sheep brand namely.
I thought it was illegal to have Enterprise Zones that eliminated competition?
Why should taxpayer dollars subsidize Hee Haw live?
Is Hee Haw on ice going to be next?
Ladies and gentleman?
Mr. Conway Twitty.
“Hello, darlin’” (applause). The late Mr. Twitty, in an interview I saw, said that once he was performing for a Japanese audience who didn’t know they were supposed to applaud there, and he had almost forgotten what followed in the lyrics.
Phillip, while typos occur, the phrase in question from the contract is “movie theater or theaters”.
The issue here is whether the adjective “movie” modifies both the noun “theater” and “theaters”, given the use of the conjunction “or” between the two nouns. Careful drafting of the agreement (wonder who prepared the “non assistance covenant”? A question only a lawyer can love) would have resulted in the adjective “movie” appearing before both nouns, if this was the intent of the parties. Or, the drafting could have resulted in the following: “movie theater(s)”, again if this was the intent of the parties.
Grammarians, your comments and opinions are needed here, as a court will generally “give plain meaning” to the words in a written instrument, and apply the accepted rules of grammar to the same.
I see an ambiguity here, which then allows parol evidence to be introduced so the court may determine the intent of the parties (if, indeed, suit is filed and goes to trial). Precision of language folks; it’s just not for lawyers alone.
A live music stage has nothing to do with a movie theater. Even if the place could be easily converted into a movie theater, I don’t know how the theater would compete with Warren theaters in Old Town. The types of movies to be shown could be historic documentaries of the old west or movies of the old west that relate to Cowtown only. I don’t think it would ever screen Indiana Jones, Ironman, or Saw 5. Don’t worry Mr. Warren, the City of Wichita won’t be putting you out of business.
Why doesn’t Warren or someone else open a theatre for old westerns. There are kids today who have seen few if any of the old western classics. Instead of bitching about live shows, Warren should open his own cowboy theatre and maybe some of the younger people will see what they are missing out on.
When will City of Wichita city councilmen and Sedgwick County county commissioners learn …. they shouldn’t be gambling public tax monies to compete with private companies in the dinner theater business?
Aren’t there any potholes, bridges or storm sewers that need repairing?
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