Kan. Offers $230M Package For Soccer Complex

JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials are offering incentives worth nearly $230 million in hopes of luring a corporate office complex and major league soccer stadium to Kansas City.

Kansas Commerce Secretary Dave Kerr disclosed the proposal Thursday. He said it had been forwarded to Wyandotte County officials as the state negotiates with medical software maker Cerner Corp. and the owners of the Kansas City Wizards.

Cerner spokeswoman Kelli Christman declined comment. Rob Heineman, president of OnGoal LLC, which owns the Wizards, did not return a telephone message Thursday evening.

OnGoal and Cerner are proposing a $414 million development near NASCAR's Kansas Speedway. The project includes an office complex for 4,500 Cerner employees, an 18,500-seat stadium for the Wizards and two dozen soccer fields for amateur teams.

State officials say the venture could bring 9,000 jobs to Kansas, and this week some legislators began pressuring Gov. Mark Parkinson's administration to close a deal.

"Of course, I am also obligated to be a responsible steward of tax dollars, especially in these challenging economic times," Kerr said in a statement. "The financial proposal we're presenting is aggressive, yet responsible."