The first of three developers to make a presentation to the Sumner County Commissioners was Peninsula Gaming with their Kansas Star casino.
Chief Executive Officer Brent Stevens introduced Peninsula gaming as a community-focused Iowa-based company that started in 1998 with the Diamond Jo Casino Riverboat in Dubuque, Iowa in 1999. Since then, the company has made $350 million in revenue and employs over 2,000 people.
Stevens said Peninsula has one of the best profit margins of quality gaming properties and credit ratings. The company has vast knowledge of working in rural markets, he said.
“We’ve built from the ground up and from rural markets, but why do that?...We are able to create more value from that. We are comfortable with taking acreage and building from the ground up that becomes a part of the community. We’re able to incur less debt and we’re able to be financially healthier and at the end of the day, we’re able to build it the right way,” said Stevens.
The proposed site location is off of I-35 on K-53 and US 81 Highways.
Phase 1A of the Kansas Star would include: 1,350 slot machines, 32 tables games, a 50-seat snack bar and multiple food and beverage kiosks. Phase 1A would also include direct access to and from the turnpike. This step would be done by November 2011.
As the first phase is being constructed, preparations will be made for Phase 1B and continual construction can be expected, Stevens said.
As soon as the second phase is over, Kansas Star would have 1,500 slot machines, 42 table games, a 40 slot machine VIP room, 10 tables of poker, a 250 seat buffet, 110-seat steakhouse, a 100,000 square foot, 3,000 seat indoor arena with the ability to hold 4,2000 people and an RV facility, along with a 150-room hotel. A $15 million expansion would add additional hotel rooms, along with adding to the event center complex and a sports bar.
The Kansas Star Casino would boast a nationally-recognized equestrian center like none other in the Midwest, Stevens said.
“What we are building here is a multi-arena, 600 barn, multi-event center that will have the capability of hosting rodeo, equestrian, and events. It will be a draw like no other in it’s category that’s been built for a long time and not anything that this community has seen, ever,” said Stevens. “It will drive traffic well outside of 100-miles and it will do what we are trying to build — a true destination that creates economic development,”
Stevens said another highlight of the casino was the operation of the “Kansas All-Star” fund which would give financial support to all students in Sumner County and Mulvane. Every local student, K-12, would be given a $100 credit to be used to offset the cost of school supplies each fall. In addition, every graduating high school senior would be eligible to receive $1,000 for their college education. Any money not used for the program would be donated back to Sumner County.
Stevens said throughout the process and final build out, Kansas Star would directly employ around 622 people and create over 1,700 additional jobs.
In 2012, the first year, Stevens said $32 million in gaming tax receipts are estimated with $44.9 million expected annually.
About 90 percent of the traffic driven into the facility will come from the Kansas Turnpike, with about 10 percent from the K-53 and US 81 roadways, Engineer Mike Thompson said.
County Commissioner Garey Martin brought up drainage issues after the presentation was over.
Detention ponds and drainage for runoff water would be complete in Phase 1A, Engineer Mark Buckingham said. Detention ponds would be larger, but shallower and would not require pumping, he said. A water tower could installed as well.
Forty more acres would also be available on the site after final build out, Stevens said.
The CEO of Peninsula Gaming said at the end of the day, it all comes down to the word of the company you work with and Peninsula has a track record of success.
“This is as the chairman put it so eloquently in the beginning as Round Three. We understand what that means. I’ll speak for Peninsula. Look at our history. We don’t start something we don’t finish. It has never happened. We build projects, we put a shovel in the ground, we open them on-time, on-budget, we partner with the community and we do what we say we are going to do. Period. It’s good business.” said Stevens.
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