KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Kansas Coliseum Future at a Stand Still

Kansas Coliseum Future at a Stand Still

by Kim Hynes (SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan.)

The future of the Kansas Coliseum is in limbo. Two developers proposed turning the facility into a western themed event center. Wednesday the county recommended it start negotiations with the developer NORAM, but a majority of commissioners disagreed.

"In the past commissioners have wanted to bulldoze, bulldoze Britt Brown. I'm going to tell you north end people I tried," said Chairman Kelly Parks during an emotional discussion about the future of the Kansas Coliseum. "I think there are more opportunities out there that haven't been fully explored," said commissioner Karl Peterjohn.

Wednesday county staff recommended the development group NORAM to the commission. NORAM proposed using Britt Brown and the pavilions for western themed events and the surrounding land for retail. "The NORAM group is the only one with the financial backing to purchase the site, lease the site and develop the site," said commissioner Gwen Welshimer. She says NORAM would be willing to work the county to turn the facility into whatever they wanted. She says those details would be worked out during negotiations.

But a majority of the commission said the proposal was too financially risky for the county. "We need to have more market driven as opposed to private public partnership models in my view," said Peterjohn.

One of the partners in NORAM is also involved with the Native American casino development in Park City. Commissioner Dave Unruh asked if the county took that into consideration with the proposal. Assistant County Manager Charlene Stevens says they did not. She says NORAM said this is a stand alone project and has nothing to do with the casino. Plus Welshimer added that the county has nothing to do with the decision on whether a casino will be built, it's up to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

After much discussion, Peterjohn, Unruh, and Tim Norton voted against the recommendation. "It's a great loss for the taxpayers of Sedgwick County," Welshimer said. She says without private development, they won't be able to afford to keep the facility going. "If we have to continue to subsidize the pavilions, they will probably be boarded up," she said.

But Peterjohn disagrees, he says this is not a final resolution. Instead he says the county just needs more time to figure out what the future should bring to the Kansas Coliseum.

The other developer Heritage Development Group says it's disappointed by the recommendation but will now try and work with the county again.  A majority of the public comments on the Coliseum supported Heritage.