07/14/2026
# INTRUST Bank Arena: Protecting a Community Asset While Pursuing Responsible Funding Solutions
# # Executive Summary
The discussion surrounding the proposed transfer of County funds to support capital improvements and asset replacement at INTRUST Bank Arena (IBA) has generated understandable questions from taxpayers. Many citizens are asking why a facility that hosts concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities requires additional public investment. The answer is both simple and complicated.
KWCH 12 News and earlier, KSN TV did reporting but they left out details that need to be understood. Here is one of the stories: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dun3r2KrQ/
and here is the other: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EbPKfwCJk/
INTRUST Bank Arena is not merely an entertainment venue. It is a publicly owned community asset that has generated substantial economic activity, brought national events to Wichita, supported tourism, enhanced the quality of life in our region, and elevated Wichita's reputation as a destination city. At the same time, like every public facility, it requires ongoing maintenance and periodic replacement of aging infrastructure.
The policy question before the community is not whether the Arena needs capital reinvestment. It does. The real question is how those costs should be funded in a way that is fair, sustainable, and consistent with taxpayer expectations.
# # A Public Asset with Public Responsibilities
In 2004, the voters of Sedgwick County (not me) approved the construction of INTRUST Bank Arena through a temporary sales tax. Whether one personally supported the project or opposed it, the voters made a collective decision to build a major public facility. I freely admit that as a taxpayer and resident of Sedgwick County, I voted NO on the 1% sales tax. Nevertheless, that's old useless information now. The major principle here is every public asset carries with it an ongoing obligation of stewardship.
We accept this principle with our roads, bridges, parks, libraries, the Sedgwick County Zoo, and every other publicly owned facility. Once taxpayers invest hundreds of millions of dollars in a public asset, abandoning maintenance is not responsible governance.
The alternative—deferred maintenance and eventual deterioration—is far more expensive.
Communities across the nation have learned this lesson the hard way. Deferred maintenance often results in emergency repairs, major operational failures, reduced competitiveness, and ultimately discussions about replacing or demolishing facilities that could have been preserved through responsible reinvestment.
The Arena should not be allowed to follow that path.
# # The Arena's Economic Value
When evaluating INTRUST Bank Arena, it is important to consider two different forms of return:
1. The economic activity generated throughout the community.
2. The financial activity that occurs within the facility itself.
# # # A Major Economic Driver
A Wichita State University Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR) study estimated that from 2010 through 2019:
* The Arena welcomed approximately 3.76 million attendees.
* Nearly 668,000 visitors came from outside the region.
* Total economic impact approached $492 million.
* Direct visitor impact exceeded $100 million.
Out-of-area visitors spent money in:
* Hotels
* Restaurants
* Retail stores
* Transportation services
* Entertainment venues
The Arena has effectively become an importer of economic activity, bringing new dollars into the local economy that otherwise would not have been spent in Sedgwick County.
The facility has also generated substantial tax revenue through sales taxes and guest taxes that support governmental services throughout the community.
# # # National Exposure and Destination Events
The Arena has hosted:
* NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments
* NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight competitions
* U.S. Figure Skating Championships
* NHL preseason games
* Major concerts and multi-day residencies
* National conventions and special events
Events such as the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and NCAA Tournament games demonstrate that Wichita can successfully compete for national events that generate significant economic activity and showcase the community to a national audience.
These opportunities do not occur by accident.
Promoters, governing bodies, and event organizers select facilities that are modern, reliable, technologically capable, and well maintained.
# # Why Capital Investment Is Necessary
Many people hear the term "capital improvements" and imagine luxury upgrades or cosmetic enhancements. In reality, much of the Arena's asset replacement program consists of replacing aging equipment and preserving basic operational systems.
Examples include:
* Boilers
* Chillers
* HVAC equipment
* Building automation systems
* Escalators
* Security systems
* Wi-Fi infrastructure
* Lighting systems
* Ice plant equipment
* Video boards and scoreboards
* Concessions technology
* Computer and cybersecurity systems
These are not optional expenditures.
Many of these systems eventually become obsolete, unsupported by manufacturers, or increasingly expensive to repair. Others are necessary to meet modern event requirements and public safety standards.
For example:
* NCAA events require sophisticated technology and communications infrastructure.
* Modern touring productions require advanced lighting and digital systems.
* National sporting events depend upon reliable ice-making equipment, broadcast capabilities, and operational technology.
The ability to host major events is directly tied to the condition of the facility.
# # Significant Investments Already Made
Since opening, the Arena has made substantial capital investments, including:
* Scoreboard and marquee replacement: $2.55 million
* Emergency repairs: $2.11 million
* Entrance C expansion: $1.79 million
* LED lighting conversions: $1.88 million
* Ribbon board replacement: $1.38 million
* Wireless system replacement and upgrades: nearly $2 million
* Boiler replacement: $400,000
* Chiller overhaul: $116,000
These expenditures are similar to replacing a roof, HVAC system, or major mechanical equipment in a home. They are necessary to preserve the usefulness and value of the asset.
# # Has the Arena Generated Revenue?
Yes.
Since opening, the County has received nearly $7 million in various revenues associated with Arena operations, including:
* Profit sharing
* Facility fees
* Federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant reimbursements
However, these revenues have not been sufficient to permanently fund all future capital replacement needs.
This reality should not surprise anyone.
Few public facilities—including parks, libraries, fairgrounds, and zoos—generate enough revenue to fully replace every future capital asset without some form of public support.
The key question is not whether the Arena is self-sustaining in every respect. The key question is whether the value generated by the facility justifies preserving the asset.
The evidence strongly suggests that it does.
# # Why Deferred Maintenance Is Dangerous
Deferred maintenance is often politically attractive because it postpones difficult decisions.
Unfortunately, deferred maintenance almost always becomes more expensive.
Failing equipment creates:
* Emergency repairs
* Event disruptions
* Lost business opportunities
* Higher operating costs
* Safety concerns
* Diminished competitiveness
* Damage to the community's reputation
A poorly maintained arena becomes less attractive to promoters, governing organizations, and major touring productions.
Eventually, the community may find itself facing an even larger bill to renovate or replace the facility.
# # The Funding Question
The most legitimate question being asked by taxpayers is not whether maintenance is necessary.
It is:
**How should we pay for it?**
Several possible funding approaches deserve consideration.
# # # Option 1: Property Tax Support
The current proposal includes a $2M transfer from County funds. The IBA estimate of needing $27M over 20 years to keep this facility in good repair and current would cost about $4.79/year on a $250,000 home. It might be good to also know the proposed budget would reduce the mill levy rate again this year by about 0.725 mills (equivalent to $5.879M).
While this solution may address immediate needs, many taxpayers are understandably uncomfortable using property taxes to support Arena capital expenses.
I believe property taxes are already a significant burden for homeowners and businesses. I have stated for many years that this IBA capital need should never be put on the shoulders of property taxpayers.
# # # Option 2: Increased Facility Fees or Ticket Surcharges
Increasing ticket fees could create a stronger connection between Arena users and the cost of maintaining the facility.
This idea deserves serious consideration.
However, legal and economic questions remain:
* Are additional surcharges permitted under existing agreements?
* Would higher fees reduce attendance?
* Would promoters bypass Wichita in favor of lower-cost markets?
These questions require further analysis.
# # # Option 3: Enhanced Naming Rights and Sponsorship Revenue
Future naming rights negotiations may provide meaningful opportunities.
The Arena now possesses:
* A fifteen-year operating history
* A proven event résumé
* National exposure
* Demonstrated economic impact
* Expanded sponsorship inventory
Future agreements may provide greater revenue opportunities than were available when the original naming rights were negotiated.
# # # Option 4: Dedicated Sales Tax Solutions
Another option is asking voters to consider a small dedicated sales tax that would support quality-of-life facilities and reduce reliance on property taxes.
Sales taxes distribute costs more broadly among residents, visitors, and non-residents who benefit from community amenities.
Such an approach deserves public discussion.
# # Conclusion
INTRUST Bank Arena is a significant public asset that has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, enhanced Wichita's national profile, and provided entertainment and cultural opportunities that otherwise would not exist in our community.
The Arena requires continued capital investment because all major public facilities require ongoing maintenance and periodic replacement of aging infrastructure.
The community's challenge is not determining whether maintenance is necessary.
The challenge is determining the fairest and most sustainable method of funding it.
Reasonable people can disagree about whether property taxes, facility fees, sponsorships, or dedicated sales taxes are the best solution.
What should not be controversial is this:
Allowing a valuable public asset to deteriorate through neglect is not a responsible option.
The citizens of Sedgwick County chose to build this facility. We now have an obligation to be good stewards of that investment and to ensure that INTRUST Bank Arena remains a competitive, well-maintained community asset for decades to come.
