The Cosmosphere will not build a satellite location in Overland Park, after all.
The Smithsonian-affiliated space museum in Hutchinson had been part of the 300-acre Bluhawk development from the outset. But by this week, both the Price Brothers development company and the Cosmosphere had decided to change plans.
The Overland Park City Council heard about the Cosmosphere’s departure at its meeting Monday night from an attorney that advises that city on economic development. Todd LaSala told the council that Price Brothers didn’t consider the Cosmosphere financially feasible for the project at 159 Street and U.S. 69, the Kansas City Star reported.
Jim Remar, president and chief executive of the Cosmosphere, said Price Brothers became concerned about receiving public funding in the form of STAR bonds for both the museum and a 3,500-seat sports arena also planned at Bluhawk.
“The sports arena was part of the first phase of the project, and the developer made the decision to put the emphasis on that,” Remar said Tuesday afternoon. “The economics didn’t make sense for either the developers or the Cosmosphere.”
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)