Over-River Arena Discussed

Officials in Wichita, Kan., are considering a proposal to build an arena on an unusual location: atop the Arkansas River.

A $185 million arena has already been given the thumbs up for the eastern part of downtown Wichita, but former county commissioner Dave Bayouth recently proposed building it on pillars over the river. The county has asked its group of arena experts to look into the concept, according to The Wichita Eagle.

“We’re moving forward on the plan that we have, but we didn’t want to dismiss this out of hand,” Assistant County Manager Ron Holt told the paper.

Holt compared building the arena over the river to building an eight- to 10-lane bridge, which raised questions about added costs and building support.

Bayouth estimated an additional $18.4 million would be needed for his proposal but had not yet supplied any studies to support that figure, the paper said.

County commissioners are said to be waiting for feedback from city and business leaders on whether Beyouth’s plan merits more study.