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There is an effort underway to privatize Century II. Selling Century II or placing it in private hands would be a major mistake. It would be like selling part of Wichita's heritage.
Century II was funded through the passage of a special bond issue in 1961 with the promise that it would provide a venue for private and public gatherings, including the performing arts, conventions, trade shows, banquets, public exhibits and special events. As was stated in Century II's original mission statement: "The City of Wichita recognizes the need for community access and for this reason the City offers, through subsidy, affordable rates, which encourage maximum use." For 36 years Century II has fulfilled this mission, enhancing the City's quality of life and creating community involvement through the performing arts and other organizations.
The City of Wichita has a long history of supporting a wide variety of public, private and not-for profit businesses that help stimulate the economy. Providing Century II with a subsidy is consistent with this practice and simply makes sense given the sheer number of citizens who utilize the facility.
The economic and intangible benefits to Wichita are several: a major facility for performances and events, their ensuing economic impact, and far more significantly, the secondary benefits created by bringing people into the Wichita/Sedgwick county area. The local organizations who are able to use Century II because of affordable rental rates and scheduling priorities contribute to the community’s quality of life, making Wichita a more attractive place for businesses to grow and relocate.
It makes no sense to significantly change the very nature of what has been, without question, one of Wichita’s greatest success stories--Century II.
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