City officials should let Wichita voters decide the fate of Century II
Wichita has a commission-manager form of city government, with an elected city council with six members and a mayor who is elected at-large. These elected officials appoint a chief executive (city manager) to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council’s policy and legislative initiatives.
It’s not practical or advisable for Wichitans to vote on the day-to-day matters of city government. However, there are times when an issue is of such magnitude that the citizens should be able to express their opinion by voting. The fate of Century II Convention and Performing Arts Center is one of those times.
Our city politicians have been discussing the future of Century II for several years — should we refurbish it or tear it down and start over? In the meantime, the building has suffered from a lack of ongoing maintenance.
Since 2009, the building has needed electrical upgrades, soundproofing and roof repairs. The hotel guest tax, created to fund costs to run and maintain Century II, has been diverted to build private hotels and fund development projects. Now, the Wichita City Council is leaning toward tearing down Century II in favor of a costly new complex that has yet to be clearly defined or designed.
In April, Wichita entrepreneur Bill Warren asked the group of people he relies on to build his motion picture theaters to tour the Century II complex. After an extensive tour of the building, these knowledgeable people all came to the same basic conclusions:
1. Century II is well built and in relatively good condition for its age.
2. While there are substantial renovations that need to be addressed, the cost of those would be significantly less than the cost of razing the Century II complex and building a new facility.
These findings were reported to Wichita City Council and Save Century II asked the city manager to begin renovations using historic tax credits to offset the cost.
Nothing happened.
Now the city manager has recommended private management of the building. The problem with private management is oversight — does the city repair the building or does the management company? And if the building is not maintained, how is the contract ended?
The Wichita Ice Center, privatized in 2012, is an example of what happens to our public facilities under private management. At a July City Council meeting a group of residents complained about the rink’s broken scoreboards, mold, rusted shower heads, plywood covering holes and broken lights. Is this what we expect with our beloved, iconic Century II?
Century II is an historic and architecturally significant building, on The National Register of Historic Places along with the former library. At the very least, we believe the city council owes it to the citizens of Wichita to put this issue on the ballot, so voters have an opportunity to voice our opinion — something we were denied when the new library and baseball stadium issues were addressed.
Century II can be updated to once again be a wonderful showcase for entertainment and the arts in Wichita. We believe in preserving our historic heritage instead of tearing it down. We urge residents to contact their Wichita City Council member to express their opinion about the future of Century II.