Residents may have a chance to hear about plans for The Woodlands racetrack facility, 9700 Leavenworth Road, at a neighborhood meeting scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, at Piper Middle School, 4420 N. 107th St., Kansas City, Kan.
The property owner, Ruffin Woodlands LLC, has submitted an application for a special use permit to operate a gaming facility at The Woodlands.
The 380-acre Woodlands property value was appraised by the Unified Government at $4.5 million in 2015. The racetrack is in Kansas City, Kan., and in the Piper school district.
The horse and dog track operated from 1989 through 2008. The racetrack has been closed since 2008. After a law was passed allowing slot machines at the racetracks, former owners maintained that they needed more revenue from gaming, wanting the same percentage that the state-owned casino operators received from slot machines.
Phil Ruffin, a former Wichita resident, who owns other tracks in Kansas, bought The Woodlands in 2015, and a bill passed in the Kansas Senate that year would approve 2,800 slot machines at the track. Ruffin is a casino owner in Las Vegas, Nevada. He bought the Treasure Island hotel and casino in 2009 in Las Vegas. He also was involved in a joint business venture with the Trump International Tower.
The neighborhood meeting on Saturday, Feb. 27, is part of the Unified Government planning and zoning process. After this meeting, the special use permit would have to go through the UG Planning Commission and the UG full commission for approval.
Awesome!!
More gambling? I suggest the Woodlands developed for Eco/Agro-Tourism – not gambling! We have a prime area adjacent to a wonderful park which is better suited for a positive health activity. In addition to recycling, composting, organic and hydroponic farming, there could be zip lines, hiking trails, rope climbs and other healthy challenges. K-State, Kansas University, KCKCC, 4H, FFA projects? Combine this area with the downtown “green plan” to provide produce as well as other items. When it moves along add space at Wyandotte County Park – additional growing space, free range chickens, other animals, education & training programs, etc…
I fully support the re-opening of the Woodlands. I grew up at the races as my dad is a jockey! My best memories are at both the dog and horse races!
Lee that owned Piersal?
I’ll support it for sure.
I have owned probably 20 adopted.greyhounds over the years. I’ve been to the tracks and to the kennels where they are raised. To be honest most of the greyhounds have better lives then we do. Swimming pools, jacuzzi, massages. They are WELL taken care of. Yes there are some bad stories about what they do to some. That’s the exception it happens with any animal. Those people need to be dealt.