The fight to save Century II isn’t over yet | Commentary

The campaign to save Century II and Wichita’s former downtown library arrived at the Kansas House Local Government committee in Topeka on Feb. 24. This is when House Bill 2233 had a public hearing.

HB 2233 — the Municipal Historic Buildings Act, “Let the voters decide” — is legislation that would give the city of Wichita the authority the City Council claims it needs to hold a binding referendum vote that fulfills a council policy concerning historically significant municipal buildings like Century II and the former library.

Jason Watkins, a lobbyist for the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, opposed the bill. Watkins opposes letting 17,265 petition signers vote on the fate of their iconic and beloved Century II and former library. One has to wonder what special interest group the Chamber really wants to build the $1 billion-plus riverfront project on municipally owned land currently occupied by Century II and the former public library without a public vote?

Wichita Vice Mayor Brandon Johnson and council member Bryan Frye joined the Wichita Chamber in opposing HB 2233 even as this contradicts their council policy claiming a lack of authority. The city could have let the Century II petition go to voters. What is their real motivation in opposing a binding election on this bill? Why would City Council members openly oppose their own policy?

Watkins, the Chamber lobbyist, suggested that the Century II issue should be handled locally at the ballot box in the same manner. Voters replaced our former mayor with a member of the legislature. Three of the seven City Council seats are on the November ballot.

The 17,265 people who signed the Save Century II petition represent a large block of nonpartisan Wichita voters who came together to oppose the corruption they visualize going on in downtown Wichita municipal redevelopment projects. City policy creates wealth for the politically connected and losses for taxpayers. The people oppose what they view as City Hall cronyism. We are better people than this.

Wichitans signed a petition and deserve the right to demand a binding “yes or no” vote on the fate of iconic, municipally owned landmark buildings.

There is still time to call your Kansas House and Senate legislative representatives and ask them to vote yes on HB 2233. Let the people vote. Wichita citizens should decide the future of large, historic municipally-owned buildings like Century II and the former library.

Enacting HB 2233 would be a win for Wichita citizens, our heritage, our future, and ironically, also for the struggling Wichita City Council.