Downtown Wichita revitalization

Articles about the redevelopment of downtown Wichita and its impact on the economic freedom of Wichitans.

05
Sep
By Bob Weeks

Should Wichitans care when ballpark development starts?

This article discusses the financial implications of the delayed development around Riverfront Stadium in Wichita. Costing $85 million, Riverfront Stadium is among the priciest Minor League ballparks, funded by $42.14 million in sales tax and revenue bonds from a 2018 state program for tourist attractions. The initial development phase was set to conclude by July 2024, but construction has been postponed to late summer or early fall of the following year. Delays could mean the city using taxpayer money intended for other purposes to repay the state. Vice Mayor Mike Hoheisel expressed concerns about diverting funds from parks, streets, and…
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Naftzger Park event management agreement still ambiguous
21
Feb
By Bob Weeks

Naftzger Park event management agreement still ambiguous

This week the Wichita City Council will update an agreement from last year, but it appears important issues were not addressed. Last February the City of Wichita approved an agreement with a local business to manage events at Naftzger Park. With the pandemic upending public events, the business -- Wave Old Town, LLC -- was unable to program any events. Therefore, the city wants to add additional time to the agreement. During the delay, the city could have addressed problems with the original agreement. Some problems concern the bidding process. My concern was the uncertainty in the profit-sharing agreement, which…
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Downtown Wichita population is up
10
Dec
By Bob Weeks

Downtown Wichita population is up

New Census Bureau data shows the downtown Wichita population growing in 2019. Data released today by the United States Census Bureau shows the estimated population for zip code 67202 in 2019 was 1,751, an increase of 80 from the prior year. Zip code 67202 is greater downtown Wichita, from the Arkansas River east to Washington, and Kellogg north to Central, roughly. The source of this data is U.S. Census Bureau, 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. This is not the Bureau's estimate of the population in 2019. This is because for areas of population less than 65,000, the Bureau does…
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Downtown Wichita attraction attendance
18
Oct
By Bob Weeks

Downtown Wichita attraction attendance

Attendance at downtown Wichita attractions presented in an interactive visualization. The Source of data is Visit Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau as presented in State of Downtown Reports published by DowntownWichita.org. Click here to access the visualization.
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Intrust Bank Arena loss for 2019 nears $5 million
10
Oct
By Bob Weeks

Intrust Bank Arena loss for 2019 nears $5 million

A truthful accounting of the finances of Intrust Bank Arena in downtown Wichita shows a large loss. The true state of the finances of the Intrust Bank Arena in downtown Wichita are not often a subject of public discussion. Arena boosters cite a revenue-sharing arrangement between the county and the arena operator, referring to this as profit or loss. But this arrangement is not an accurate and complete accounting, and it hides the true economics of the arena. What's missing is depreciation expense. There are at least two ways of looking at the finance of the arena. Nearly all attention…
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Rethinking the city and the community for a post-pandemic world
13
Sep
By Bob Weeks

Rethinking the city and the community for a post-pandemic world

How has the pandemic affected cities in general and Wichita specifically, and what are implications for the future? Recently Chase M. Billingham, who is Associate Professor of Sociology at Wichita State University, delivered an online lecture titled "Rethinking the city and the community for a post-pandemic world." In the lecture, Billingham covered topics such as the nature of cities and urbanism; how the pandemic has affected cities; how cities have suffered during pandemics throughout modern history, but have also led in innovation, medicine, and research.; COVID-19 will likely accelerate ongoing trends, especially economic trends; the effect of remote working on…
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Naftzger Park on the web: Do we care?
19
Apr
By Bob Weeks

Naftzger Park on the web: Do we care?

A badly outdated portion of Wichita's website makes me wonder: Does anyone care? In the Naftzger Park Facebook group that I co-administer, someone recently posted this: Hi! I'm [not] new to Wichita and a friend told me about a quaint and lovely Victorian style park set in the downtown area. I love little parks like these as they're such an endearing surprise in the midst of old industrial buildings and warehouses. After seeing the pictures on your website, I can tell my friend understated the beauty of the park. I can't wait to visit! One problem though, I can't find…
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