The city of Wichita and Sedgwick County appear to be working through their differences over how to pay for needed improvements to the neighborhood around the Intrust Bank Arena. The County Commission approved its $9 million portion of the projects Wednesday, to be paid by arena sales-tax revenue. The city would be responsible for $2 million in related sewer and water responsibilities, to be considered by the City Council at a special meeting today. Another proposal for tax-increment financing for the arena neighborhood also is on the table, two months after the county balked at a larger TIF district. The progress comes as a relief. The city and county have a shared responsibility to ensure that the prime venue will anchor a prime neighborhood.
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Daniel on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/22
- American_Way on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- American_Way on Health care reform would save state money
- American_Way on Health care reform would save state money
- American_Way on Open thread 11/22
- Phantom on So they said
14 Comments
Once again proves the big lie by the cheerleaders of the white elephant downtown ice hockey arena that all costs would be included in the massive bond issue approved by a virtual tie by the voters two or three years ago.
In the general election coming up, voters can start to get even by voting OUT holdover county commissioner, Tim Norton, a big tax spender.
Remember it has already been suggested, Wichita will have to spend another $10,000,000 per year for additional police protection for the arena vicinity.
So much could have been done for Wichita and Sedgwick County with the one billion dollars that is and will be wasted on this albatross arena.
I hope that this project turns out as well as its boosters claim. I am looking to see the private sector step up with development dollars to show that they believe in this. I haven’t seen a lot of that yet.
I have written elsewhere that one BIG thing that we need to support both this and other aspects of downtown is improved transit. That might help alleviate the parking issue – both at the Arena and Old Town etc.
The BIGGEST problem with replacing Tim Norton is that Sedgwick County would need to elect a person who is potentially dangerous and belongs in a mental treatment facility to ensure the public’s safety!
Seven women have filed abuse charges against Craig Gabel. And, he says this is a normal part of being a single man.
Craig Gabel is not normal!
Tim Norton vs Craig Gabel — no contest!
Craig Gabel is a slum lord and very poor at handling his own businesses. I understand that there are some that will vote for anyone that scream no taxes, but please look at his KNOWN record before voting for him.
I was going to vote against Mr Norton but the litany of Gabels probelms is too much to overlook, 2 DUI’s, 6 girlfriends filed complaints restraining orders, he shot a dog, doesnt pay his taxes and so on
Tom – agreed. And, keep in mind, Norton is actually fairly new to the Commission himself. The REAL old guard guy there (Tom Winters) has already been defeated.
The question before us today on this is “Now what?” This Arena is reality. So, how do we try to make it work?
It is my view that we need experienced businesspeople on the Commission – people who know how to pinch pennies but still know they must spend to support their business. That is why I am supporting Gregory against Peterjohn. I am very glad to see Winters go – Marcey entered the race to assure that would happen. However, I don’t know that Karl has the ability to actually help run the County.
As a tax gadfly Karl is an asset to the community. However, especially since we don’t really know just who is behind KTN, I don’t know that he belongs on the Commission.
bth: If I recall correctly, Tim Norton has been in office for eight years, long enough to collect close to a million dollars salary and perks and snacks for very little production.
Tim is generally a friendly guy but little more. He tests the political winds particularly from Wichita’s “good old boy network” resulting in wasting millions of dollars of taxpayers money.
I happen to live in his district and have never seen him in the district for anything. He does have to drive through it to get home in Haysville.
Of course, Tim Norton and the other hold over county commissioners will be among the “big boys” sitting in the expensive sky boxes at the billion dollar white elephant ice hockey arena — looking down at the “little people,” the taxpayers of Sedgwick County who actually paid for it.
You can vote for him if you want … I won’t be.
JWink – I’m not in Tim’s district. I’m in 3 – I’ll be voting for Marcey Gregory. She is definitely NOT in the GOBN.
bth: I generally agree with you on most issues … so I’m just asking.
Who is Marcey Gregory? How do we know she doesn’t have ties to the GOBN? If her business is located in Old Town, wouldn’t the new white elephant downtown arena help her somehow?
And speaking of the GOBN, who are their members? Has anyone seen their membership list? Shouldn’t the GOBN file a report showing which political candidates they support? Do they have an office and, if so, is it tax supported?
Should the GOBN show their attendance at the tax-supported white elephant downtown arena raucous drinking parties held in the “urban park” at Douglas and St. Francis? And should they list the portion of their travel expenses paid by the albatross downtown arena sales tax fund for trips all over the country to select vinyl seating material to give arena attendees “a good entertainment experience”?
And speaking of Downtown Arena funds, what has happened to the interest earned on those $200 million dollars or so of sales taxes collected over the first two years? That should have accumulated a sizable figure, say $15 million dollars or so … enough for several cups of coffee.
I think we need to elect new county commissioners who will seek out these answers. We’re obviously not getting it from the incumbent hold-over, big tax spending Sedgwick County Commissioners, Tim Norton, Dave Unruh and Tom Winters (recently voted out.)
JWink – my son is a home-owner in Goddard and has known his mayor for some time. We are all familiar with the GOBN – Tom Winters was a classic member. Marcey filed to run against Tom at least in part dus to his wasteful spending. First Gear is retail – not a bar. It likely will not be helped a whole lot by the Arena. And Marcey was NOT a part of the Arena deal. I would note that the driving time from Goddard to the Coliseum is about the same as from Goddard to the Arena site.
“I think we need to elect new county commissioners who will seek out these answers.” AGREED. And I am sure marcey agrees as well. And as a small-town mayor I am fairly certain she will have her fellow mayors with her in doing that. You might note that Dee Stuart of Park City s supporting her.
As a non-Wichitan, non-Sedgwick-Countian, I don’t have a dog in this fight.
But the arena seems silly.
Just like the Sprint Center in Kansans City.
Did everyone see “Field of Dreams” and accept “If you build it they will come” as some sort of gospel?
The town is goddamned Wichita f’r cryin’ out loud. It’s never gonna be anything more than the Muncie of the Prairie.
MH – I disagree with your ‘Muncie’ comment but agree that the Arena is dumb. We have very good ‘arts’ here – Music Theater, symphony, opera, etc. C-II is heavily used with these and other events. We can attract shows for several thousand. However, I still don’t see what the arena will be. 15,000 attendance shows are rare. Semi-pro sports will not be successful here.
What is needed is better convention and mid-sized show facilities. Not an arena.
The reason sports won’t make it is interesting. We have a large college-educated population here. College-educated people went to college (DUH!) – we follow our teams. That is why sports bars do so well here. I can go to Players and watch my Bruins or one of my other college teams. There are also many who follow various pro football teams at these bars. But we are unlikely to decide to follow the basketball ‘nutcases’
bth: Of course, the Hartman/Park City arena will handle all the sporting events and concerts needing 5,000 seats or less. This should take some of the pressure off the new white elephant downtown arena for those smaller groups.
That will leave the new downtown ice hockey arena available for the Thunder Ice Hockey team and its games. I hope the ticket income from these games will cover the annual overhead on the downtown arena so taxpayers don’t have to absorb this cost.
And of course the question of the future of the great old historic Kansas Coliseum is still up in the air as I understand it. Just like the beautiful downtown Boathouse the City Council wants to demolish.
THE WICHITA MOTTO: No real city/county planning as far as anyone can see.