A travel center may be a new addition to future economic development plans for the city.
The City Commission had a special meeting Thursday night to discuss the STAR bond district with Vieste, the company helping plan the development for the area south of K-10.
Although the travel center wouldn’t be in that location, it could still be part of the STAR bond district. If the city does decide to move forward with that part of the plan, the travel center would be off the North 1400 Road exit on K-10.
CEO Michael Comparato said using STAR bonds for the project still seems like a viable option as he shared an updated site plan.
Comparato said they had received a lot of interest from the travel center market, as there is nothing like that on K-10 until people get to I-70. He said a travel center is a high sales tax generator that the city should consider.
Vieste also believes having a truck stop could improve the marketability of industrial parks and logistics for drivers.
Mayor Tim Reazin said he liked the idea for a travel center in town.
“The thing I’ve said before, the hotel’s pretty important for me, just because of what’s going on in De Soto and the idea to be ahead of that. The travel center, truck stop, whatever you want to call it is appealing, just because there’s nothing along K-10 that fits that need,” he said.
Reazin also said putting the travel center on a different exit diverts some of the traffic off Church Street and helps the tax base.
The overall STAR bond plan still includes the arena/youth sports complex south of K-10. Comparato said the size of this venue would be comparable to the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence. The space could be used for multiple youth sport courts or used for bigger events like MMA or concerts, he said.
A lot of the aspects of the project have remained the same on this iteration of the plan, with an extended-stay hotel, family entertainment, apartments, retail/food, a brewery and a new rec center. The current plan has 150 apartments listed in a mixed-use building with various retail and food.
Comparato said they have remained in communication with the Kansas Department of Commerce throughout the process and it remains supportive of the project.
Vieste has also been in conversations with Oak View Group as a potential operating partner for the sports complex. Oak View Group also works with University of Kansas and other location sports complexes. Comparato said he hopes if they did end up working with that group, they would work in collaboration with KU, rather than competing.
Commissioner Jolene Cullen asked how the other pending STAR bond projects in the state would affect Eudora’s project getting pushed through. Cullen asked how it compared to the district being pursued in Olathe, for example.
Comparato said Eudora’s project is focused on longer stays in the area rather than day trips like some of the other STAR bond projects. He also said he’s been in communication with the Department of Commerce about that, as well.
“They [The Kansas Department of Commerce] were very adamant and very forthcoming that the programming for that [Olathe] STAR bond district was not in any way competitive to what we’re planning,” he said. “So the difference being that the type of mixed-use development around that will be more geared to people who are coming in and leaving from a peak event, whether it’s a hockey game or what have you, not necessarily a youth sports tournament. There’ll be a three- or four- or five-day extended stay.”
The overall composition of the development around it will be different for that reason, Comparato said.
Comparato said as of now, there has been no deterioration in market conditions, keeping the project at its original plan.
The project timeline has also been altered due to the RAISE grant renovations happening right around the planned district. This has required the project to be pushed back to align with that schedule.
In the timeline shared in the presentation, potential approval of the STAR bond plan would come in late 2026 or early 2027.
As for construction time, the sports and entertainment arena would begin in late 2027 and continue through 2028, according to the preliminary plans. The goal is to have it open by late 2028 or early 2029. Private construction for Phase 1 of the surrounding businesses would be from 2027 to 2028. Phase 2 would continue through 2031.
Next steps for now are the agreements with LMH Health as their medical building stays in the district, and planning with Oak View Group and Mammoth Programming on schematics and design of the area. They will also pursue a developer for the travel center and Phase 1 of private development. Work with the Kansas Department of Commerce will also continue.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected].
