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The City Commission is moving forward with the next steps in the eventual building of a sports and activity district in town.
Vieste LLC CEO Michael Comparato presented to the commission during a special meeting Thursday night to discuss updates on the project and a meeting earlier in the day with Lt. Gov. David Toland.
Comparato’s plan is to keep the small town feel while having more resources for residents and using the additional sales tax generated from people coming to Eudora to take the burden offresidential taxpayers.
He said input from residents during public information sessions could be helpful in looking at ways to avoid any high concentration areas to minimize traffic concerns around the area.
The city is working with Eastern Sports Management on the project. The sports entertainment building will be designed specifically to be diverse and flexible with the kind of programming that can be hosted there, whether that be concerts or games.
Comparato said the city should receive a formal recommendation from the Department of Commerce that Eudora submit an application for STAR bond district designation.
STAR bonds, or sales tax and revenue bonds, allow Kansas municipalities to issue bonds in order to finance development projects while allowing the city to use the sales tax generated to pay off the bonds, according to previous Times coverage.
The sports and entertainment arena will be built using these bonds, but the ancillary businesses like hotels and restaurants will be paid for by private investors, Comparato said.
Commissioner Roberta Lehmann asked if a gas station or convenience store had been considered for the district.
Comparato said it had been on their list, but they have to decide if they want further traffic in the area instead of having the gas station traffic head north to the Nottingham development area.
Comparato said he has also seen interest from private developers about hotels and restaurants. Vieste is also considering businesses that can provide more fun entertainment for families when they are not playing at the sports arena.
Comparato gave mini golf, wall climbing, pickleball, bowling and rope courses as possible examples.
Commissioner Alex Curnes asked how Comparato would determine the mix of retail to entertainment to restaurants to create the sales tax generating environment the city wants. Curnes also said it is important to consider how to get people from downtown to the district and vice versa, whether that be a trolley or other transportation.
They will consider both demographics and economics and how youth sports play into the needs for the area. For example, they will consider what hotel fits best for teams to have multiple athletes in one room to maximize economics, convenient or fast food, and shops that cater to the sports entertainment environment, he said.
Panasonic is a huge help for the project because the district should receive more use during the week with people either needing hotels for trips or eating at nearby restaurants, while the weekends are busy with sporting event use, he said.
Comparato said Lt. Gov. David Toland hoped the project would maintain high architectural and design standards. Comparato said he hopes to create a walkable and accessible environment with a downtown feel.
RAISE grant improvements on the roads south of K-10 will tie in with the district and more retail so the city is being thoughtful about how to plan larger volume apartments and how it affects current homes and traffic, Reazin said.
In December, Comparato hopes to present to the commission again and have official STAR bond approval from the Department of Commerce. To do so, the city will have to adopt resolutions publicly before the designation of the bonds.
Comparato said that would also be the time to have a conversation about whether the project is a go or no go based on comfortability from both Eastern Sports Management and other private developers.
The project is estimated to start construction in 2025 with possible completion within 15 to 18 months. Ideally, most of the privately developed entities should be completed around the same time as the sports arena.
Reazin feels good about the two years the city has taken to consider the project to make sure they are doing the best course of action for growth and development.
Comparato, joined by Reazin, City Manager Kevyn Gero and Commissioner Tim Bruce, met with Toland earlier Thursday to discuss the RAISE grant, STAR bonds and further build the city’s relationship with state officials, Reazin and Gero said.
“I think the highest compliment I heard from lieutenant governor was the city of Eudora’s willingness to collaborate and partner with its sister cities nearby regionally versus competing with them,” Comparato said.
Reazin said the meeting was important in keeping people up to date at the state level and making sure the city gets ahead of the curve in order to answer residents’ questions.
Reazin said tax revenue raised from the entertainment district provides an opportunity to have money available to help with the rest of the aging infrastructure in the community.
“I’ve talked to the lieutenant governor about that today that these things will help old Eudora,” he said. “Because right now, we don’t have a way to really fix and grow things without taxing the community and that’s what we’re trying to avoid.”
Growth was inevitable when K-10 came into the picture, but there is a way to grow while still catering to the hometown feel, Reazin said. The district is a way to cater to growth, increase services in town and bring in new revenue, Reazin said.
“We don’t have to leave to get the same services for our community, but we can do it in such a way that you still have a walkable, hometown feel, maybe not small town but hometown feel to it,” Reazin said.
Reach reporter Sara Maloney at [email protected]
