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15 February 2023
PARK CITY, Kan. (KSNW) – If you build it, will they come?
Park City says it could sure use another 2.5 million visitors a year.
The latest Park City development proposal is with a group called Champtown, and the effort aims to bring in more than $491 million in State of Kansas-issued STAR Bonds.
“This is a great STAR Bond project, right? STAR Bonds were really invented to attract for unique, special destination uses exactly like this,” said Todd LaSala, an attorney with the Champtown development group.
LaSala told Park City leaders Tuesday night the project would bring in a large aquarium, apartments and retail space on the old Echo Hills area in Park City off Interstate 135 and 53rd Street.
City leaders are considering giving the go-ahead to the project.
If approved by the State of Kansas department of commerce, bonds would be issued to the project to promote tourism and boost economic development. The monies would be paid back to the state on sales taxes raised in the STAR Bond boundary.
One attorney representing the City of Goddard showed up at the Park City public forum Tuesday in protest of the project.
The protest is all about baseball fields.
“We’ve got, out at the Genesis Sports Complex, we’ve got ten all-turf lighted baseball and softball fields,” said Ryan Peck, representing Goddard. “It draws teams from all over the state, from the region, from other states in the Midwest. And we don’t want to see that diluted.”
LaSala told Park City leaders Tuesday there is no plan for baseball fields inside the STAR Bond project.
Peck contends there could be baseball fields adjacent to the STAR Bond project proposal.
He said they’ve mentioned their concerns to the State of Kansas Commerce Department.
It will be up to the Commerce Department to say yes or no to the issuing of STAR Bond monies.
City leaders in Park City Tuesday would only confirm they are considering the project.