At the center of the financing logic behind a STAR Bond project is a simple premise: the project has to generate visitors — and ideally, visitors from outside Great Bend. That’s not just the city’s goal. It’s the state’s requirement. The STAR Bond project has been in development since 2022, when Great Bend Economic Development began collaborating with designers to shape what the Expo Complex expansion could look like. STAR Bond financing was created by the Kansas Legislature in 1999 as a tool for cities and counties to develop major commercial, entertainment and tourism areas.
Read more: Great Bend Tribune
