Promising new life

The price may not seem right to everybody, given the gap between the $1.5 million sales price and an outdated $22 million valuation. The no-bid process was no model either. But Sedgwick County’s sale of the Kansas Coliseum complex to Wichita developer Johnny Stevens invests the dated facility with a promising new life while keeping a public promise.

It also ends an era for a venue that was built for a bare-bones $10.3 million in private and public funds but that, over 32 years, played host to the eclectic likes of Bob Hope, John Denver, Garth Brooks, Metallica, Luciano Pavarotti and Cher.

Among the things to cheer in the sale, which closed Tuesday:

Would it have been better if the sale of this public asset had happened through a process of competitive bidding? Of course. But a 2009 request drew only questionable proposals, which county commissioners wisely set aside. And as County Commissioner Dave Unruh said last fall, “We have been virtually begging folks to make an offer for two years.”

And if the sales price seems too low today, it is sparing the county from seeing the empty arena continue to deteriorate and the pavilions continue to rely on tax dollars to operate.

As Commissioner Richard Ranzau noted at Wednesday’s meeting, after speaking with regret about the county employees affected by the sale, the likelihood is that “we will look back at this and see this as a net plus” for the area and county. “Just give it some time. I think we’ll all be very happy.”

For the editorial board, Rhonda Holman

This story was originally published January 13, 2012 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Promising new life."