Casino

[deuce91]

After reading the article in today's paper, I have a couple of questions to pose. First, the Globe reported that Boot Hill Gaming is a subsidiary of Boot Hill Museum. Therefore, it too would need to be a not-for-profit operation. However, aren't casinos supposed to make money, specifically for their investors? To me, it appears that Boot Hill would own the facility. And doesn't the City of Dodge own the museum? If that's the case, then wouldn't the citizens of Dodge own the casino since we are the ones that pay for Boot Hill? I'm just confused about it as it doesn't make sense. (And perhaps that's the way they want it?)

Secondly, they want to build it northwest of Wright Park? I swear, people just do not listen to us taxpayers. They're going to ram the Wright Park down our throats as the "ideal location" until we have no more Wright Park land left. Because we all know that once we build the casino there, it'll only make sense to build the SEC there too! Sorry for the rant so early in the morning...

[Bubba]

The way I understood the bill that was signed into law was, the State of Kansas owns the casino. So, that being the case, it would appear that Boot Hill Gaming is wanting to manage the casino in Dodge City for the State.

I am with you on the Wright Park location. That is the worst location that it could possibly be.

[NoLongerInRadioGuy]

At first, I agreed on the location of Wright Park being totally wrong - mainly because it is a run down area and hard to get into. But, I had heard that, if everything goes through as planned, the buildings south of Park would be taken out as well - like the out dated 4H building and all the houses on Cottonwood. Dunno if this is true or not, just what I heard. If it is true, then there would be plenty of space for consruction of the SEC, Casino, and new streets/parking areas.

[Bubba]

I would hate to see the price tag on buying all that property!

[Made in the USA]

Boothill is not owned by the City. Boothill is a private organization.

[TexKan]

So who are the owners or owner that they can get a salary from WND and be a private entitiy............ are they non profit??........... I love Boot hill and think it's a very important part of Dodge but I thought the city had something to do with it at some point.

[Army_of_One]

Wherever they decide to put the casino will have a huge effect on the entire area. If they decide to put it down by the park you won't be able to recognize the park and that area 3 years from now. Dodge City as a whole will change and change a lot. From infrastructure to lodging to business. New highways will be built, traffic patterns in SW KS will change, etc. They need to put the casino out in that area because they will buy some of the blighted area's and raze them...good riddens. Maybe with the casino's and the jobs (both at the casino and construction) will help the housing market out a bit....there is a lot to be gained from this.

[deuce91]

I wish I could figure out how to post links from the Globe. "Thorpe told the crowd gathered that Boot Hill Gaming will proceed in the development and building, and fundamentally owning, this casino." This makes sense to me. If Boot Hill Gaming were to build the casino structure, they would then lease it to the Butler National Corp. which will operate the casino. This would mean more money staying local by the fact that Boot Hill Gaming would be collecting the rent money, not some development firm from Chicago, NY, etc. receive those payments. {So we would have Boot Hill Gaming collecting the rent money, plus the county getting their 1.5% and the city getting their 1.5%} I guess my question is where will Boot Hill gaming, a subsidiary of Boot Hill museum, (the same museum we the tax payers bail out year after year for lack of funds) get the kind of capital/collateral needed to borrow $250 million? Are we as taxpayers going to pay this? Or, do private investors actually own Boot Hill Gaming and work under the umbrella of Boot Hill Museum? If the latter is the case, how can they work under the guise of a non-profit? But then how is all of that possible when I thought, like Bubba that the state was to own the casino? There just seems to be a lot of inconsistancies...which gives me an uneasy feeling.

[deuce91]

Army, I totally agree with what you said. None of the buildings down there, or anywhere in this town, that great. We need a casino badly. It would be like hitting 1 million of those imaginery oil geysers being drilled around the county presented in the state of the county address.

[Army_of_One]

I don't think people visualize the changes that will occur here. It's more than just building a building and a parking lot somewhere. It will have a huge impact on many things some positive and some negative..but you have to take the good with the bad.