NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council officially established a STAR Bond District at their meeting on Tuesday.
The STAR Bond District is along 11th and 17th and along Main, to encompass the Cosmosphere, the new Hilton Garden Inn area and the area surrounding the Landmark Building for the purposes of projects at the Cosmosphere, the Landmark and Memorial Hall.
STAR Bond Approval Process: The approval process for STAR Bonds involves several steps and Tuesday night's action was just step one.
- Approval of the STAR Bond District: The city will establish a designated area where the STAR Bonds will be used.
- Approval of the STAR Bond Project Plan: Detailed plans for each project within the district will be reviewed and approved.
- Issuance of Bonds: Once approved, the bonds will be issued to fund the projects.
"I just want to say thank you," Laura Meyer-Dick said to the council Tuesday. "This project of the Downtown Master Plan started about four years ago and the partners have been great. Debra from the Chamber could not be here tonight, but she's been instrumental, so has the community foundation and everybody else that kind of brainstormed this idea with me after Dad passed away. I'm super excited for the things it's going to do. I've had a lifelong love of the Cosmosphere and I think it's really exciting that it's going to attract more people here, and it's going to provide more STEM education to the children from states surrounding. Your city staff has been amazing, all of them."
The tax rates in those areas will not go up from what was already planned. The STAR Bonds will be paid back through the additional visitors to those areas. Meyer-Dick also gave a thumbnail sketch of the plan for the Landmark's bottom floor.
"It will have four different commercial spaces," Meyer-Dick said. "Hopefully, we will get a restaurant in the front space to showcase on Main Street, and then two retail spaces just to the west of the lobby. Then, my husband's dream is to put a speakeasy in the back, if we can make it work and find somebody to run it for us."
The next step is the full-blown feasibility study from the state to make sure that the revenue increases project to pay the bonds back.