Web posted
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Retailers have mixed reviews
By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net
Arkansas City retailers have mixed views on how the recent flurry of casino building in the Chilocco area is affecting local business.
But Ark City realtors said Monday they have seen an increase of renting and buying activity here.
"We really are in a crunch for rental property," said Sue Turney, realtor with Dorothy Rush Realty Inc. "I have several investors, local and out-of-town, who want to buy properties and fix them up for rental houses."
Two other realtors in town agreed they had seen an upsurge of rental activity, and they connected that activity with the work going on in the Chilocco area.
While some merchants say that the out-of-town gamblers who head south to the casinos are bypassing Ark City and their businesses, others along West Madison say they have noticed an increase in business, particularly since First Council Casino opened recently. It is the newest of three in the Chilocco area and a fourth is planned.
But with the three casinos hiring hundreds of new people and construction workers being called in to work on a planned fourth casino, interest in the housing market in Ark City has increased, realtors say.
"There is a huge need for rental houses now," Turney said Monday. "I've sold several houses in the past 90 to 120 days."
Turney added that she also has noticed an increase in interest in home buying in Ark City.
"This year, it has been a busier January and February than I've had in eight years as a realtor," Turney said. "January and February are usually slow months."
She said she does not have any definite figure on how many homes have been purchased. But people are "talking about buying and excited about buying" in Ark City, even though nationally the market seems to be on the decline.
Ark City businessman and landlord Jim Sybrant said he also has seen more renters and that the casinos are having "positive effects" on housing.
"I'm definitely seeing not only renters but property owners who work at the casinos," Sybrant said.
Sybrant put a positive spin on the planned new road construction to accommodate traffic to a planned new casino to be built about 1.3 miles off U.S. 77 on Chilocco Indian School property.
Though other local businessmen complain that the proposed road improvements would lead casino-goers away from Ark City, Sybrant said the increased construction activity would have a positive effect on the local economy.
"Between the new road construction and casino construction we're going to have more house rental, apartment rentals and motel rentals," he said.
Troy Ebert, owner of The Brown's Store, has a different view.
"That would be stupid if the state put in that kind of money for gamblers," Ebert said of the planned road construction project."
He said his store on South Summit has seen no benefit from the casinos. The casino traffic is avoiding downtown Ark City.
"The Wichita people have figured out how to get to the casinos using the bypass," he said.
The owner of the Mule Barn Supper Club on South Summit said her business has not benefitted much from the casinos.
"I do not think it's the smartest idea to put a casino next to a town," Gabbert said.
But two retailers on West Madison have seen an upsurge of business due to the casino traffic.
"I think it has helped us," said Raymond Ramirez, owner of the Greendoor Restaurant. "We're right off I-35 and people come through here. I've had people stop here and say they were on the way to the casino or going home from the casino.
"We're seeing a lot of people we haven't seen before."
The restaurant's business has particularly picked up on weekends, he said.
David Rademacher recently purchased Potter's Liquor Store on West Madison.
"To be honest I haven't been here that long so it's hard to say what effect the new casino has had," Rademacher said. "Business probably is picking up."
Rademacher said he's had some new customers who have told him they are on the way back to Wichita.
Calvert's Antique Station is located on South Summit a block north from Madison. Owners Lucy and Dennis Calvert put a business sign facing south to attract casino-goers to their store.
"We do notice that more people are coming in -- not necessarily to buy but to look," Lucy Calvert said today. "Once in a while somebody will buy something."
Lucy Calvert said she is worried that the proposed new road project will decrease traffic going to the casinos from West Madison.
"If they build a new road, that would hurt us," she said.
Dawn Bowman, manager of Graves Drug downtown, said that so far she hasn't seen any increase in business because of the casinos.
"It could bring people downtown, eventually," Bowman said. "We're the closest town here if people want to get out of the casinos for a little while."
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