Wichita considering selling MacDonald Golf Course to Waterfront developer

As the city of Wichita prepares to shut down one golf course, it’s considering a proposal to sell another one to a private owner.

The Golf Advisory Committee has scheduled a special meeting Tuesday where members will discuss a proposal from Waterfront developer Johnny Stevens, who wants to purchase MacDonald Golf Course at 13th and Roosevelt, officials confirmed Thursday.

Park and Recreation Director Troy Houtman said the proposal is in the early stages — “step one of 25.”

Houtman said Thursday he thought there was a deed restriction requiring MacDonald to remain a golf course, but on Friday he corrected that. A city report evaluating development potential of the course references a 1948 agreement between the city and the original owner, Wichita Country Club, but that agreement appears to have expired, the report said.

“It’s my understanding he (Stevens) has a lot of interest in golf so I think (the proposal) is to actually use it as a golf course,” Houtman said.

The course property is east of Hillside and stretches from 13th to Murdock.

Stevens is best known for developing the Waterfront, an upscale shopping, dining and office center at 13th and Webb. Stevens was traveling Thursday and could not immediately be reached for comment, according to his secretary.

There’s been a lot of interest in MacDonald Golf Course lately.

In April, the city reached an agreement with First Tee, a nonprofit youth golf program, to build a $1.5 million driving range and instruction center at MacDonald.

Under the agreement, First Tee will build the improvements. The city leases the land to First Tee for $1 a month and is responsible for maintenance of the range.

The offer for MacDonald also comes a month after the city Park Board voted to close Clapp Golf Course in south Wichita, one of the five city courses.

Originally slated for a Sept. 30 shutdown, Clapp will remain open until the city and neighbors come up with a master plan for the land sometime next year. Part of Clapp could be sold for commercial or residential development to build new park improvements at the site.

City Council member Brandon Johnson, who represents the MacDonald Park area, said the city hadn’t solicited offers for the course.

He said his understanding from talking to staff was that Stevens had become aware of the city golf system’s financial struggles and made an offer on the course.

Alejo Cabral, Johnson’s appointee on the Park Board, said members had been informed that an offer had been made for the golf course but hadn’t received any detailed proposals.

MacDonald is actually owned by the Park Board, which was an independent elected agency before it was absorbed into city government. The board has the authority to sell the land.

Cabral said the board would have to follow city bidding procedures if it decides to sell the course. That would include a request for proposals to allow others to make offers for the course and opportunities for the public to be heard, he said.

The meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Park Department offices at City Hall, 455 N. Main, Wichita.

This story was originally published August 16, 2018 at 6:35 PM.