Voice For Liberty

Tag: Downtown Wichita arena

  • The empty arena

    Kansas City’s Sprint Center (that’s their new downtown arena) is suffering from underuse. The Atlantic article The Empty Arena tells the story. Its subtitle is “If you build it, they might not come.” Despite being managed by a well-connected and experienced management group, no professional basketball or hockey team has moved in.

  • Sedgwick County keeps lease agreement secret

    A few months ago in March, SMG, the company that is managing the Intrust Bank Arena (formerly known as the downtown Wichita arena) signed a lease with the Wichita Thunder Hockey team. Details of that lease weren’t made available to the public. Not to Sedgwick County Commissioners, either. So the public and even elected government…

  • More money to Wichita government

    A letter in today’s Wichita Eagle places a lot of faith on things not yet seen, and in things we know don’t work. “I think it is dumb that people are complaining about the new Intrust Bank Arena. It will bring money and tourists to Wichita, not to mention great entertainment. That means more money…

  • Articles of Interest

    Education reform, downtown Wichita arena, Kansas smoking ban, downtown developers.

  • Wichita downtown arena contract seems to require Sedgwick County approval

    Sedgwick County, owner of the Intrust Bank Arena (the downtown Wichita arena), has a five-year contract with SMG that outsources the management of the arena. Yesterday, SMG announced a 10.5 year lease with the Wichita Thunder hockey team. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, and SMG is resisting their release, as explained in Wichita Eagle…

  • Wichita downtown arena open records failure

    Yesterday, the company that manages the Intrust Bank Arena (the downtown Wichita arena) announced a lease with the arena’s flagship tenant, the Wichita Thunder hockey team. But we don’t know the details of the lease. Unbelievably, some Sedgwick County Commissioners and managers are okay with that.

  • Wichita downtown arena costs increases start

    The Intrust Bank Arena, better known as the downtown Wichita arena, is adding $2 to the cost of a ticket for hockey games once the arena opens. (Cost of tickets at Intrust Bank Arena increased by facility fee, March 5, 2009 Wichita Eagle) We shouldn’t be surprised at this. Expect more price increases.

  • Arena Seating Upgrade Illustrates Problem

    Once we’ve started down this road, it’s hard to turn back. I’m referring to the $1.7 million that the Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners approved for upgrades to the seating in the downtown Wichita arena. Evidently there’s a new type of raised seating that makes for a better audience experience for those seated on the…

  • Downtown Wichita Arena Spire. Wow.

    Here’s a photograph I took of the spire on the Intrust Bank Arena now under construction in downtown Wichita. You may be excused for confusing it with a non-functional flagpole. There was actually a ceremony surrounding the raising of this pole. Here’s what one Wichita Eagle letter-writer thought of the spire and Sedgwick County Commissioners.…

  • Bob Hanson of Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission Speaks to Sedgwick County Commissioners

    At the January 21, 2009 meeting of the Board of Sedgwick County Commissioners, Bob Hanson, President/CEO of the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission addressed the commission. We have to step back and wonder why it’s necessary to occupy the time of the Sedgwick County Commissioners and the people of the county who pay attention to…

  • Kansas law requires Wichita to hold another public hearing

    Recently, the Wichita city council passed a resolution announcing a public hearing on a TIF district and its project plan. The city then, on the day before the hearing, substantially changed the plan. This change means that the city must hold another public hearing.

  • Wichita Public Hearing Action Not Evidence of Leadership

    In an op-ed piece in Sunday’s Wichita Eagle, Interim Wichita City Manager Scott Moore makes the case that “the [Wichita city] council’s Dec. 2 vote demonstrated leadership and an ability to respond decisively to urgent community matters after appropriate public deliberations.”