The tourism district Loretto Companies has planned in Olathe, featuring an ultra-accessible amusement park and a sports complex focused on youth sports, is still happening, the developer says, but the timeline is uncertain.
That’s because a lingering title issue — a carryover issue from previous land sales and property owners — has kept the project from advancing, said James Arkell, vice president of Loretto Companies.
So far, Arkell said, the company — which he runs with his father-in-law, Lamar Hunt Jr. — has been able to work through a handful of other title issues on the property located at the southwest corner of 119th Street and Renner Boulevard, but one has proven more challenging and is still getting worked out. He declined to offer more details about the matter, but he did say it was “inherited.”
However, during a recent interview with the Post, Arkell said that everything else is ready to go, and that the plan is otherwise set to go ahead as planned, though he’s unsure when exactly.
“It is all dependent on this issue,” he said. “That’s the only thing holding up putting a shovel in the ground.”
What is the plan for the STAR bond district?
The district, now dubbed Halo Ridge, will be backed by state STAR bonds as well as some planned local incentives. It will be anchored by an 11-acre sports-themed amusement park with accommodations for children with disabilities, as well as a 5,500-seat sports arena with an emphasis on hockey and youth athletics. (Find more information about the incentives the developer has requested here.)
Additionally, the development includes a hotel as well as retail and a multitude of dining options. Park space and community gathering areas are planned, too. There’s also space for an unspecified additional entertainment user.
“It’s a great piece of land; this is the perfect project to put on it,” Arkell said.
Nearby, Arkell is working with Karbank Real Estate Company to repurpose the old Farmer’s Insurance office building on 119th Street for a medical and services building designed to be a one-stop shop for things people with disabilities need. The idea, Arkell said, is to have one place to get dental care, medical supplies, a haircut, etc., while also bringing together providers that already do that work in the community. That will be called the Halo Care Collective.
The entire project, intended to be ultra-accessible, was inspired by Arkell’s son, Michael, who was born with a rare genetic condition that requires him to use a wheelchair and a feeding tube. It also takes inspiration from a fully accessible amusement park in Texas called Morgan’s Wonderland.
The future Olathe amusement park will be named after Michael, bearing the name Michael’s Wonder World.
Other details for the district are coming together
Aside from the title issue that lingers, Arkell said just about everything else is ready to go.
“Everything has been proceeding,” he said, adding that when the title issue is settled, “it’s going to be a flurry of activity over there.”
Youth sports organizations are also making commitments about using the sports complex for their sporting events and tournaments in the future as well.
Additionally, they’ve started signing tenants, particularly a mix of dining options for some of the pad sites, though Arkell said they’re not ready to be public with specifics yet.
“We’ve been working with a great mix of fast casual and quick service, as well as sit-down restaurants, that will bring an amazing local flavor to all the people visiting from out of town, as well as those that already live here,” he said.
All of that, Arkell said, bodes well. Plus, there’s been a lot of buy-in from the community and support from the city.
“This project is too important not to get done,” he said. “The number of people standing behind this and contributing is a very long list.”
Next steps:
- At one point, the plan was to open the main attractions in time for the World Cup in Kansas City next summer.
- However, since crews have yet to break ground at the site, the exact timeline at this point for the STAR bond district in Olathe is unclear.
- “We’re not making any decisions on timeline as of yet,” Arkell said.
- Plus, Loretto still needs to get final site development plan approval from the city.
Keep reading: Olathe OKs amusement park STAR bond district plan
