14 July 2023
PARK CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – Big additions are on the way for Park City after the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission approved a license for a historic horse racing facility.
The Wichita Greyhound Park will now be transformed into the Golden Circle Historic Horse Racing Facility.
Being the only one in Kansas, many expect the new attraction — home to 1,000 historic horse racing machines — to bring in people from all across the region.
“You have a large building on almost 80 acres up in Park City. It’s a three-story building. The bones of the building are in great shape, but obviously, it hasn’t been in use for a decade and a half,” said Jason Watkins with Ruffin Holdings, Inc.
In addition to the machines, there will be Gilly’s Dance Hall and Dining inside, along with a new hotel.
The facility adds another piece of economic development for the Park City area.
“We hope as the star bond project progresses, that we’ll have an aquarium, more hotels, we have ball facilities. There’s a lot of things in the pipeline,” said Park City Mayor John Lehnherr.
Across the road is Crosswinds Casino, operated by the Wyandotte Tribe, which is working with the federal government for a large-scale expansion to include gaming tables and a convention center.
“They’re not really a competition. We see them as a complement to each other’s businesses,” said Mayor Lehnherr.
The Ruffin plan will create more than 400 jobs in Park City.
“Then just the other economic output that will be created based on those types of salaries and that type of revenue and the number of visitors that it’s going to bring to Park City,” said Watkins.
The continual growth, Mayor Lehnherr says, creates opportunities for residents to live and stay in Park City.
Watkins says they are going to start the renovations as soon as possible and plan to open late next year or early 2025.