21 March 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Wichita City Council on Tuesday voted 7-0 to approve renaming the Stryker Sports Complex located at 2999 N. Greenwich Road.
Scheels will now be included in it. The name will be the Scheels Stryker Sports Complex. Scheels plans to open a new store in Wichita in July.
As part of the agreement with Scheels, the City of Wichita will receive $625,000 for the five-year term agreement. Before the second term, both will agree on any fee increases.
The sponsorship will help address safety, including adding 18 backstop nets across fields to increase the playability of multiple games, and will also help expand press box capabilities. In addition, Scheels will be responsible for the initial $4,000 in new staff uniforms, and the store will offer the City of Wichita uniforms at a discounted cost.
The store leader for Scheels says Wichita has been welcoming and that he and the store are looking forward to giving back to the community. He said already 200 new employees had provided 900 hours of community service.
“One area of focus of our company is supporting the youth programs in and around the communities surrounding our stores. For this reason, we are proud to sponsor the City of Wichita on the Stryker Sports Complex in hopes that it allows for expanded use of the facility through safety improvements and in any future improvements that will be made possible through this partnership,” said Lucas Hachmeister, Wichita Scheels store leader.
Council Member Bryan Frye said he experienced what Scheels did for the Overland Park Complex when his son played soccer.
“As a park board member, I was envious, jealous of that facility and dreamed about what we could eventually do with Stryker. Your gift, your support of this, is even more going to make this an even more world-class facility,” Frye said.
The board of park commissioners and the city law department recommended the Council approve the naming.
No one spoke out against the renaming.