The Unified Government is modifying the STAR bond project for the American Royal because the state will not approve it as it was originally written, according to UG officials.
Unified Government Administrator Doug Bach told the UG Commission Thursday night that the acting secretary of commerce would not approve the local share being held back for the sales tax revenue (STAR) bond project for the American Royal, outside of the Plaza at the Speedway area contained in the district.
“We were going through the final stages of putting the plan together when we received some comments from the acting secretary of commerce regarding our wording that was in the sharing of local sales tax,” Bach told the commission.
The UG had put in a provision that held back some of the local share, he said.
“Recognizing it has to be adjusted to be in conformance with how the state would like us to move forward, we’ve modified that portion of the plan and also made some adjustments to the dates as we go forward to a bond issue on this property,” Bach said.
The $160 million project was approved in 2017, with $80 million in STAR bonds and $80 million to be raised in private donations, according to Katherine Carttar, interim UG economic development director.
The American Royal capital fundraising campaign began this summer, according to Carttar.
The UG started a public hearing on the bond issue at the Nov. 29 meeting, and the public hearing is being continued until the next UG Commission meeting, Bach said.
The only contribution from the Plaza at the Speedway portion of the STAR bond district is a state sales tax, while the rest of the district will include state and local sales tax, Carttar said.
Korb Maxwell, an attorney representing the American Royal, said this meeting was just one step in a long process. He said they would be back before the commission later for the development agreement, zoning and land use planning process, and issuance of the bonds.
“The key fundamentals of our site plan are still intact that we’ve always had here,” Maxwell said.
The 5,000-seat arena, and a warmup arena, will be modern, state-of-the-art and will be tailored for the Royal’s agricultural events, Maxwell said. It also will be able to be used for other events the community may want to hold, he said.
There will be at least 400,000 square feet of exhibition space that can hold up to 2,000 animals in them at a time, and this space also could be used for other exhibitions for the community at other times, he said.
“The legacy of Neal Patterson is to make sure we have an educational events center,” Maxwell said. “This is, as Cliff Illig always said, a flag pole for agriculture in Kansas, but it is also a way to train folks in Wyandotte County and all throughout the Kansas City region and all throughout the nation, what does agriculture mean to our community, and what better place to do that than in the state of Kansas.”
Carttar said there will be a first drawdown of a $10 million bond issuance and a $10 million match so that the American Royal could get started on their project. These funds will allow for land acquisition and infrastructure for the entire site, she said.
The remainder of the STAR bonds, $70 million, will remain in escrow until the American Royal has raised the remaining $70 million in private funding, Carttar said.
At the Dec. 6 UG Commission meeting, the UG plans to finish the public hearing process, and then vote on the amended project plan and development agreement.
If approved at the Dec. 6 meeting, the bond issuance would be in late December, she said. Infrastructure construction would begin in spring 2019, with the American Royal Complex construction beginning in late 2019, she said.
Marcia Harrington, of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, appeared at the public hearing in support of the STAR bond project plan.
“We believe that the cornerstone of this entire development is the iconic American Royal and it provides a unique opportunity in several ways, including the education center that bridges the gap between the consumer and the agricultural industry, that will allow for experiences unlike any in the world; a livestock equestrian exposition facility that will attract significant numbers of new tourists, and that’s tourism dollars that will be spent in our county around the metro Kansas City area,” Harrington said.
We’re also seeing interest from agra-related businesses and organizations that have a desire to locate out by the American Royal, and that is a component of our marketing and outreach efforts going forward, and it positions us as a linchpin within the animal health corridor stretching between Manhattan and Columbia, Missouri, making it a strong connection to our human and pet food manufacturing sector, supported by the WYEDC’s attraction and retention efforts,” Harrington said. “We look forward to working with the American Royal and appreciate your support of the amended plan.”
After being closed for six months, the 18th Street Bridge in Kansas City, Kansas, will reopen at noon Friday, according to a Kansas Department of Transportation spokeswoman.
The U.S. 69 – 18th Street Expressway was closed between Kansas Avenue and Ruby Avenue, and traffic was detoured to I-635. The 18th Street Bridge crosses the Kansas River. The I-70 entrances and exits to 18th Street were closed.
As part of the reopening, there will be temporary lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday on eastbound and westbound I-70, KDOT stated. I 70 will be reduced to two lanes between 10th and 57th. Drivers should expect delays.
KDOT stated that the $7 million repair project this year on the 18th Street Bridge would add more than 10 years of service to the bridge.
If KDOT had kept the bridge open during these repairs, the work would have taken over a year, and there would have been one lane of traffic each way, according to information from KDOT.
KDOT released these figures about the project: 92 out of 138 bottom chords repaired, 30,000 rivets removed, 25,000 bolt holes drilled and 60,000 bolts installed.
by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Turning in one of the best performances of the year in a 100-65 win at North Central Missouri Tuesday, Kansas City Kansas Community College resumes action today when the Lady Blue Devils entertain William Penn junior varsity in a 6 o’clock tipoff.
“Terrific team win with a lot of good things to take away from our effort tonight,” KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry said. “We did a much better job defensively as we were much more action than the past few games. Considering we only had two practices after having a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, I was very pleased with our effort.”
Sophomore posts Lillie Moore and Nija Collier combined for 52 points and Kisi Young added double-double in leading the way.
Moore had a season high 29 points and eight rebounds; Collier 23 points of 9-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and a game high six assists; and Young took just five shots, made them all, in a 10-point, 10-rebound performance.
Camryn Swanson led the perimeter scoring, draining four 3-pointers in a 14-point performance while Caroline Hoppock added nine points, Lexy Watts eight and Lenaejha Evans seven.
Watts, Evans and Caitlyn Stewart each had four assists as the Blue Devils had 26 assists on 39 field goals.
“We did a great job of playing through our post players in the first half,” McKinstry said. “I don’t think we shot anything other than a layup until the final 2½ minutes of the first quarter.”
Guilty of just 11 turnovers, the Blue Devils surged to a 26-12 first quarter lead and expanded it to 57-30 at the half. KCKCC was 39-of-72 for 54.2 percent in shooting.
“We tried zone and man defenses but just couldn’t get stops,” North Central coach Jenni Croy said. “KCKCC threw a zone at us they hadn’t played all year and we struggled in the first half against it before making some adjustments at the half to get some better looks in the second half.”
The win was the ninth in 10 starts for the Blue Devils, who are on the road for their next three games before returning home Tuesday, Dec. 11, to play host to Metropolitan, the only team to defeat KCKCC this season.
