By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard whispers of a whimsical new development coming to Olathe Gateway. We learned this massive sports complex + amusement park project is the latest development from the Hunt family — and now we know much more.
The amusement park
Our first big discovery? The theme park portion is dubbed Michael’s Wonder World Amusement Park.
Named for Lamar Hunt’s 10-year-old grandson, Michael Arkell, who “has a rare genetic condition, is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair,” the park will be an “ultra-accessible” experience, allowing people with disabilities to enjoy all the amenities.
Plans call for ~11 acres near the 119th Street and Renner Boulevard to be fashioned after Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio — the first theme park built to accommodate people with disabilities — likely including rides, playgrounds, picnic areas, a fishing lake, and amphitheater.
The sports arena
While we still don’t have a name for it, we do know the ~5,000 seat, 155,000-sqft arena sports arena will be ~7.5 miles northwest of the new BluHawk development. Plans for this space include hosting:
- Minor league + semi-professional sports teams
- Special Olympics events
- Various tournaments, i.e. wrestling, figure skating, mixed-martial arts, and e-gaming
- Ice skating for the general public
- Conventions + trade shows
- High-school graduations
Hotel, housing + retail
Within the 130-acre district will rest a 160-room hotel, multi-family housing units, and 132,200 sqft of retail + restaurant space. That means you’ll be able to live, eat, and breathe sports here (like Kansas Citians already do).
Cost and economic impact
Building this behemoth of a district is estimated to cost a total of ~$320 million — with $201,055,351 eligible to be covered by STAR bonds (funding the project has already filed to obtain).
Here are a few more figures expected over the next 20 years:
- ~640,000 visitors
- $600+ million generated in taxable revenue
- 987 jobs created during construction
- 1,656 jobs available upon completion
