City Sets Hearing On STAR Bond District

Tue, January 10, 2012

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KMUW / Fletcher Powell

The Wichita City Council set a date Tuesday for a public hearing on a proposed STAR Bond district at K-96 and Greenwich Road.

The public hearing, scheduled for February 14th, is a necessary first step in establishing the district, which would allow the city to issue sales tax revenue—or, STAR—bonds to finance development of the area. Those bonds would then be paid off through sales tax revenue generated from the development.

The district was proposed by the Kansas City-based GoodSports Enterprises, which seeks to build a 53,000-square-foot athletics complex and a new hotel in the area in order to attract national and regional youth sports competitions. For the bond district to be approved, the state’s Secretary of Commerce must determine that the area qualifies for financing, GoodSports must submit a plan that shows $50 million in capital investment, and the city council must formally establish the district following the obligated public hearing. District II Councilman Pete Meitzner expresses cautious optimism about the district’s potential.

Meitzner: Well, this is just the first step and it sets the date for public comment, and on the surface it looks like it could be quite an exciting opportunity for the community.

Financing from the STAR bonds would also go toward land acquisition and certain construction in the area, including some reconstruction of the K-96 interchange.