Developers hope to bring entertainment district to Olathe with STAR bonds

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An ambitious new development could be coming to northeast Olathe in the next few years.

Developers hope to turn one of two open fields at 119th Street and Renner Boulevard into an entertainment district using STAR bonds. The goal is to transform the 63 acres into an amusement park, sports arena, restaurants, hotel, and medical facility.

The identity of the developer had been a secret until recently. FOX 4 has learned Loretto Properties and VanTrust Real Estate are two of the driving forces behind the endeavor.

Lamar Hunt Junior is the founder of Loretto Properties, whose father, Lamar Hunt Senior, founded Worlds of Fun in 1973.

“Now, 50 to 60 years later, Lamar Junior is trying to build something similar, but one that would take it to the next level for kids like his grandson, 10-year-old Michael,” said James Arkell, the Chief Operating Officer for Loretto Properties.

Arkell is the son-in-law and colleague of Hunt Junior and explained that the park is a tribute to Michael, who has special needs.

The amusement park may be the biggest talking point of the project. When most of us think of a theme park, places like Disney World or Universal come to mind. However, this one is much smaller with only 20 rides, according to Arkell.

“The theme park is going to feature a roller coaster, carousel, a Dumbo-like ride that goes up, Zipline, and a Ferris wheel. We’re also currently designing something similar to the teacup ride,” he said.

Italian manufacturing company, Zamperla, which has made rides for Disney and Universal is said to be helping design some of the rides, which will be accessible for kids who use a wheelchair.

The 63 acres of land could also transform into a medical facility, sports arena, hotel, restaurants, and apartments. For the sports complex, Arkell said it would cater to sports that don’t get as much attention like gymnastics, dance, volleyball, and hockey.

He said they’ve already put a schedule together that had more than 300 events a year running concurrently between the seasons for hockey, dance, cheer, and volleyball.

“What we’re really creating is a youth center family destination,” he added.

FOX4 spoke with Mallory Schwank, a Johnson County mother of four, who liked the proposal.

“I think it could be really good just to get some new tourism opportunities and have more things to do with the family,” she said.

Marion and Susan Dome, who also live in Johnson County, had similar thoughts.

“I’m always excited when progress comes to Olathe in the Midwest here. Sounds like a good thing to me.”

The idea is that there’s something for everyone, no matter your age or physical limitations. That rings true for the proposed medical assistance center. Arkell said it would look and feel like a small children’s hospital and be specifically designed for kids with special needs.

“It’s just a one-stop shop. They have physical therapy, occupational therapy, legal services, job training, a hair and nail salon. I hear people chuckle sometimes, but a lot of these kids have never had a real haircut. My son, Michael, we have to cut his hair because he’s not able to sit still and he’s too wiggly,” Arkell said.

The developers submitted an application last month to create a STAR bond district to include these two open fields at 119th and Renner. However, the amusement park and other amenities are just for the southwest corner. Loretto Properties said it’s not involved in the northeast corner.

The project is moving quickly with Arkell saying the hope is to have a STAR bond project approved by the City Council before the end of the year. On Tuesday, September 17, the Olathe City Council will hold a public hearing on the matter.

If all goes to plan and gets approved, Loretto Properties would like to open the entire project in the summer of 2026.

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