PARK CITY, Kansas - It was just two and a half years ago when Sedgwick County voters were thrust into a debate over casino gambling. What was not known then was that as the issue was being decided, there was already a plan to build a casino in Park City. It was a plan no public vote could stop.
The plan had been rumored for years, but remained largely a secret until KSN uncovered details through Freedom of Information Act requests to the federal government.
"This will be a well thought out plan," said Doug Spangler who is working as the governmental affairs lobbyist for the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma. The tribe and Spangler want the Indian's ten acres of land located in Park City to one day house a major casino.
Federal documents show the Wyandotte Nation began the process to build a casino a year before voters turned down gaming in Sedgwick County. However, since the ten acres is Indian land, it falls under federal jurisdiction and isn't subject to the scrutiny of voters.
In a letter from April 2006, the tribe officially asks the Bureau of Indian Affairs for permission to build a casino. The letter points out that the land "meets the requirements of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act."
The request is still pending, but Spangler is confident it will go through. Why? Because he's already been successful in Kansas City, Kansas.
The Wyandotte Nation opened a casino in downtown Kansas City several years ago. The state tried to stop it in court, but in the end the courts sided with the tribe. Now, the same scenario is about to play out in Sedgwick County.
"I think it will ultimately be successful, because it has been lawfully and legally accomplished," Spangler said.
If the application is approved for a casino, it could be huge. Partly because the ten acres of land owned by the Wyandotte Nation is not all that's tied to the deal. In fact, KSN has learned that a major effort is underway to tie land at the former Wild West World and the Kansas Coliseum to the casino proposal. It's a move that would effectively create a major entertainment corridor.
Spangler and his AHG Holdings already own Wild West World. Spangler and a group of developers are also one of the forces behind a proposal to the County Commission to develop the Kansas Coliseum.
KSN sources inside county government say that Wild West World would be transformed into a golf course with hotels. The Kansas Coliseum would become a venue for national rodeos, serving as a feeder to the casino.
"That's one scenario," Spangler said. "I think it would be a very successful scenario. It would be a regional attraction, if that were to occur."
The plan could have a negative impact on a forthcoming state-owned casino in Sumner County, just south of Wichita. That could be why the state is once again fighting hard to block the Park City plan.
KSN obtained a letter written by the attorney general's office telling the Bureau of Indian Affairs that, "the State of Kansas objects to the land being taken into trust for gaming." The letter goes on to say, "the citizens of Sedgwick County do not want gaming."
However, Spangler and the tribe say the casino would be a financial gain for Sedgwick County. While Indian casinos do not pay out taxes to the county, Spangler points out that in Kansas City the Wyandotte Nation has shared revenue with the local government. So far, the nation has given more than one million dollars to Kansas City, even though it is not required.
"At the appropriate time, we will sit down with Park City and Sedgwick County and design a specific platform that can be successful and can have revenue sharing agreements with local units of government," Spangler said.
While it may not be a development everyone supports, the Wyandotte Nation says once it is complete, the casino project will be a boost to Sedgwick County.
"If all of these things happened in this corridor, you're looking at 2,500 to 3,000 jobs," Spangler said. "It would be a big regional destination."
The Wyandotte Nation's application is currently in Washington, D.C., where it is being reviewed. The approval of the application could come at any time.
Stay with KSN News for more on this story, including reaction from county and state leaders.
