Wichita can now sell its land to a mostly undisclosed group of developers for $1 an acre.
The Wichita City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to sell approximately 4 acres around the new $75 million baseball stadium to Wichita Riverfront LP.
That company is connected to Lou Schwechheimer, the principal owner of the New Orleans Baby Cakes. The team already has a management agreement and a facilities agreement, but the land sale was the “third leg of the stool” in a deal to lure the Baby Cakes to Wichita, City Manager Robert Layton said. What land will be purchased has not been finalized, but it would have to be within the 24 acre footprint of the new stadium and south of Texas Street along McLean, according to an agreement signed by Mayor Jeff Longwell and Schwechheimer on Wednesday. City officials said fair market value of the land is between $750,000 and $800,000.
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