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WELLINGTON — Three developers with three very different approaches presented their casino plans Tuesday to the Sumner County commissioners.
Harrah's weighed in with its name and customer base. And, yes, it explained why it backed out two years ago.
Global Gaming LLC of Ada, Okla., stressed that no one knows the casino business along the I-35 corridor like it does.
Peninsula Gaming Partners of Dubuque, Iowa, emphasized that it would create a unique destination because its plans call for an equestrian event center.
This is the third attempt in the past two years to land a casino in Sumner County.
"And hopefully our last," Commissioner Jim Newell said as the meeting started at the Raymond Frye Complex.
No action was taken. No public comment was allowed from the audience of about 200 people.
That will all come next Tuesday, when another 10 a.m. meeting will be held at the complex. The three commissioners will then make their endorsements.
Proposals must be endorsed by local governments before the developers can sign contracts with the Kansas Lottery, which will move them into the final phase of the competition for the right to develop a casino.
But for Tuesday, most of the talking belonged to the developers. And they were more than happy to share their ideas.
Harrah's
Harrah's noted that 2 1/2 million people who hold Harrah's rewards cards live within a three-hour drive of Sumner County.
"We have a built-in momentum," Trevor Busche, vice president for development at Harrah's, said after the meeting. "We can all build beautiful buildings, and we can all put pictures of beautiful buildings in front of you."
But he said the most important thing was putting customers in the buildings.
"That's the hard part," Busche said. "But that's what we do around the world."
But Harrah's also had to defend itself. It won the bid to manage the state-owned casino in Sumner County in 2008 but later withdrew, citing economic conditions.
What has changed, commissioners wondered.
In 2008, Harrah's had a Topeka-based partner.
"There was certain level of stress within their organization at the time," Busche said. "Sometimes interests diverge."
This time, he said, Harrah's is going as a stand-alone entity.
The proposal this time calls for an investment of $260 million, far less than the $560 million plan of 2008. Busche said the current plan is more in line with the economic conditions.
Harrah's has $3 billion in liquid assets, Busche told the commissioners.
"We have the wherewithal to finance this ourselves," he said. "We're prepared to stand behind the project and the balance sheet can support it.
"We're back for a second time because we really believe in this market. We wouldn't be back if we didn't intend to follow through."
Global Gaming
As for Global Gaming, it stressed its experience of running five entertainment venues along the I-35 corridor. Those include casinos WinStar World in Thackerville, Okla., and Riverwind in Norman, Okla.
"We have more I-35 corridor experience than anyone," Global CEO John Elliott said. "Visit us in Oklahoma, so you can see we do what we say we'll do."
Global's planned investment is $255 million. While the other two proposals are near exit 33 near Mulvane, Global's site would be for exit 19 near Wellington.
"There's no differential in business in 10 miles along I-35," Elliott said.
One special niche of Global's proposal calls for an oval asphalt track for various forms of car and motorcycle racing.
"It will be gentleman racing, not hard-core banging racing," said Rick Hamlin, a local consultant who will oversee the track.
Unlike the other two, Global hasn't named its site. It is conducting a public competition for the name.
Peninsula
Peninsula has the most expensive proposal at $300 million. A chunk of that would go into its equestrian event center, which would initially include a 100,000-square-foot, 4,200-seat indoor facility.
Perhaps it was because Peninsula CEO Brent Stevens' daughter shows reining horses, but he didn't hide his enthusiasm for the center.
"The rodeo and show-horse circuits in the upper Midwest don't have adequate facilities," he said, adding that the facility will draw people from the outside.
The company's other equestrian experience includes owning a race track in Louisiana.
Peninsula wasn't involved in the process in the first two rounds because it was building other facilities at the time, Stevens said.
"We only build one project at a time," he said. "But it was bigger than that. It didn't make any economic sense at the time.
"This is the time for us to build."
Park City not a worry
A second attempt to build a casino in Sumner County went sour last spring. Chisholm Creek Casino Resort withdrew its plans to build and manage a casino near Mulvane's turnpike exit after growing skittish about potential competition from a tribal casino in Park City.
That possibility still exits, but that didn't seem to concern the three developers.
"We're not afraid to compete in markets where we have to compete against other operators," said Busche of Harrah's.
What's Next
* Tuesday: At 10 a.m., Sumner County commissioners will gather public comments about the proposals and consider making endorsements at a noon meeting at the Raymond Frye Complex.
Written public comment must be submitted by noon Friday to Sumner County Clerk Debra Norris, 501 N. Washington, Suite 101, Wellington, 67152.
Those wishing to make comment at the meeting must sign in before it begins. There will be a two-minute time limit.
* Oct. 20: Deadline for bidders to sign contracts with the Kansas Lottery
* Dec. 20: Deadline for the Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board to select the winning bid
Proposals
Global Gaming LLC of Ada., Okla.
* Site: Turnpike exit 19 near Wellington
* $255 million investment for all three phases
* Casino in a 260,000 square-foot facility, covering 80 acres
* About 1,300 electronic games, 40 blackjack tables and 20 poker tables
* 1,400-seat entertainment and events center
* 80-room hotel and six restaurants and bars
* $3 million upgrade of Wellington Municipal Golf Course
* Oval, asphalt race track in second phase
* Future phases include a total of 2,000 games, a second hotel, parking garage and an RV park. A total of 420 acres of adjoining land for future development.
Harrah's Kansas
* Turnpike exit 33 near Mulvane
* $260 million investment
* Casino resort on 170 acres
* Las Vegas-style casino with 1,750 slot machines, 50 table games and a World Series of Poker room
* Variety of restaurants, including a steakhouse, buffet, sports bar and food court
* 100-room hotel
* 15,000 square feet of meeting-room space
* Outdoor entertainment lawn to accommodate concerts and other events
* Future plans, which are not part of the initial investment, include RV park, water park, golf course, tennis facility, swimming pools and spa, retail and additional third-party hotels.
Peninsula Gaming Partners of Dubuque, Iowa, which proposes Kansas Star Casino Hotel and Event Center
* Site: Turnpike exit 33 near Mulvane
* $300 million investment for the first two phases
* In first phase, a 150-room hotel 1,500 slot machines, 10-table poker room
* In phase two, additional 150 hotel rooms, increase slot machines to 2,000 and table games to 40
* Multiple restaurants
* Equestrian events center, including a 100,000 square-foot indoor arena with seating for 4,200. Later would add another indoor arena, an outdoor arena and 650 enclosed, air-conditioned stalls.
* Provide $1,000 scholarship each fall for every graduating high school senior in Sumner County and Mulvane to use for post-secondary education. Also, provide a $100 credit for school supply costs each fall for each K-12 student in the county and Mulvane.
