The Kansas Lottery Gaming Facilities Review Board chose Kansas Crossing Casino over two other bids for a casino in Southeast Kansas at an 11-hour meeting held on June 23 at Topeka’s Ramada Hotel and Convention Center.
Kansas Crossing was estimated to cost $70 million to its developers. It is the smallest and least expensive project of all three proposals. The Camptown Casino, which would have been of a similar size, and the much more ambitious Castle Rock Casino Resort were the other two venues proposed for the area.
Bruce Christianson, a prominent Topeka-based developer, is known to be a lead investor in the chosen project. The property is to be built along U.S. 69 and U.S. 400, not far from Pittsburg.
Five of the board’s seven members voted in favor of the $70-million casino project, claiming that its size is the right one for the region. They also said that the fact it was backed by the same people who proposed the Mulvane and Dodge City was also essential to their choice.
Generally speaking, board members supported a project they believed would be a successful one and would contribute more gaming revenue to Kansas.
During the Tuesday meeting, the Kansas Crossing developers said in a presentation to the board that it had presented moderate estimates on how much their property would generate. In addition, they emphasized that the property would be run by people with considerable experience in the gambling industry.
Minutes after the end of the meeting, Mr. Christianson commented that they had considered it most important to be supported by residents of Pittsburg and the Crawford County as a whole, so as to be able to materialize their project.
Developers will break ground on Kansas Crossing in July and it would take a year to be completed. Apart from a casino floor, it is also to feature a 120-room hotel. The group has previously pointed out that a portion of the casino’s profits would be contributed to the Pittsburg State University and other local institutions and agencies.
If it had been approved, developers of Castle Rock Casino Resort would have built a $145-million property that would have featured a large gambling hall and a 200-room hotel. It would have been located along U.S. 400 and not far from Northeast Oklahoma’s Downstream Casino.
Camptown Casino was the third casino proposal for the state’s southeastern part. The property would have cost $84 million to its developers.
