While the Century II Citizens Committee convened “not to referee a debate about whether Century II should remain part of Wichita’s skyline but rather to thoughtfully outline a path forward for performing arts facilities that can serve our community with excellence for decades to come,” the committee of 12 Wichitans did unanimously decide that Century II should not be the future home of Wichita’s performing arts.
Most agree that in its current state, Century II is keeping Wichita from hosting top-tier traveling tours like “Hamilton” and landing conventions that similar-sized cities with modern facilities attract. But there’s considerable disagreement as to what to do with the building: renovate it for performing arts and/or conventions, repurpose it or tear it down?
Here’s a look at the main arguments for keeping it versus replacing it.
A version of this article appears in the Fall 2019 issue of The Journal, a publication of the Kansas Leadership Center. To learn more about KLC, visit http://kansasleadershipcenter.org. Order your copy of the magazine at the KLC Store. For a subscription to the printed edition of The Journal, visit https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/store/one-year-subscription-to-the-journal-4-upcoming-issues/.
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