City OKs hotel tax, soccer complex Overland Park OKs soccer park, hotel tax

05/09/2007

City OKs hotel tax, soccer complex Overland Park OKs soccer park, hotel tax
Overland Park approves 9 percent guest tax for fields and proposed entertainment district.
LAURA UHLMANSIEK, The Kansas City Star

It's official. Overland Park will be the home of a 12-field soccer park.

On Monday, the City Council passed a resolution saying it intends to build the championship-quality soccer park at 135th Street and Switzer Road. Until now, the city has only shown interest in the project and done the necessary research, but made no promises.

The council also passed an ordinance raising the city's hotel guest tax from 6 percent to 9 percent to fund the construction of the park, as well as a proposed entertainment district near College Boulevard and Nall Avenue.

Starting July 1, visitors who stay in Overland Park hotels will pay the 9 percent guest tax in addition to a 7.53 percent sales tax for a total 16.53 percent tax. That means Overland Park visitors will be paying one of the highest tax rates in the area.

For comparison, guests staying at a hotel in Kansas City would pay a 7.725 percent sales tax and a 7.5 percent tourism tax for a total tax of 15.225 percent.

On the Kansas side, Shawnee hotel guests pay 12.65 percent in taxes, including the 5 percent hotel tax. Olathe visitors pay 13.53 percent in taxes.

Overland Park expects to bring in an additional $3 million each year with the increased tax.

Some of that money will help fund the construction of the soccer park, which will include 12 synthetic turf soccer fields, several concession stands, an administration building and other amenities. The city plans to rework six holes at St. Andrews Golf Course as well as some amenities at the Community Park.

The city originally estimated the total project, including the cost of reworking the golf course, would cost $35 million. On Monday, the city raised that estimate to $36 million.

"We're increasing that amount by a million for capacity purposes," City Manager John Nachbar said. "I don't know if we'll need that million."

Nachbar said the extra $1 million may come into play if the city decides to add parking for the soccer park.

City officials have said that with the current plan, there could be a shortage of parking a few times a year when the Deanna Rose Farmstead has high attendance at the same time a large soccer tournament is going on. On those days, visitors to the parks may have to park at the high school across the street and ride a bus to the park.

Nachbar said the city is still considering their options with parking.

Some of the funds from the additional hotel tax could also go to pay for the construction of the proposed entertainment district.

The city has joined with Sprint Nextel to develop a 55-acre parcel near the Sprint campus into a "world-class" entertainment destination. The city and Sprint have hired a consultant to help select a developer and design for the site.

For more information, visit www.opkansas.org.

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