An Arizona-based developer says it has secured enough land to create a $490 million entertainment hub in Bonner Springs.
Epic Resort Destinations is the developer for
Destination KCK, a massive entertainment campus planned west of the Kansas Speedway that is to include a Mattel theme park along with hotels, restaurants and other attractions. In response to an inquiry from the Kansas City Business Journal, Epic Resort Destinations CEO
Glen Bilbo said the company is under contract to purchase the land needed for the project.
“Destination KCK has secured approximately 180 acres of land in Bonner Springs and is currently in escrow, navigating the entitlement process. We cannot wait to move forward with construction to bring this exciting entertainment destination to Wyandotte County!,” Bilbo stated in an email.
The project is expected to cover roughly 180 acres at the southwest corner of State Avenue and 118th Street. Destination KCK would be positioned between Wyandotte County Park to the west and Urban Outfitters’
$403 million distribution center to the east.
In April, the Bonner Springs City Council approved the creation of a sales tax revenue (STAR) bond district to support the project.
STAR bonds help fund the development of new entertainment and tourism attractions throughout Kansas, and are paid off using sales tax revenue from the completed development.
County property records show no new deeds had been filed within the footprint of the project as of Friday.
Jenn Joseph, a spokesperson for the project, declined to identify which addresses within the 180-acre project boundary currently are under contract.
Wyandotte County property records show approximately four properties sit within the proposed project boundary, based on the STAR bond application. According to county records those properties include:
- 9.2 acres at 12301 State Ave.
- 18.4 acres at 12215 State Ave.
- 71.8 acres at 11801 State Ave.
- 79.8 acres at 720 N. 118th St.
The Destination KCK park will have eight distinct entertainment areas centered around a 10-acre, manmade lake. Preliminary plans for the development include
a $115 million Mattel Adventure Park, a theme park with attractions including a "larger-than-life" Barbie Beach House, Hot Wheels-themed roller coasters and other areas based on toys like He-Man and Thomas the Tank Engine. Also in the plans are a $73 million hotel and conference center, a $13.5 million year-round Christmas Village, a $20.5 million RV resort as well as additional hotels, restaurants and retail spaces.
Last week the Bonner Springs Planning Commission approved a request from Bilbo to amend the city’s
long-term land use plan for the property at 720 N. 118th St.
The site previously was part of the proposed
Bonner Crossingdevelopment that never materialized. It was zoned for light industrial last year. The developer now is asking for the property be reclassified from industrial back to mixed-use for the Mattel Adventure Park.
The Bonner Springs City Council is scheduled to review the developer’s request on Aug. 12. If the amended land-use plan is approved by the City Council, the developer must submit an official rezoning request as part of the planning process.
Epic Resort Destinations is developing
the first Mattel Adventure Park in Glendale, Arizona. The 9-acre project is scheduled to open later this year, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. The Mattel park in Bonner Springs is set to open in 2026.
