Shawnee County outlines terms for Beacon to manage Great Overland Station; final lease to return to commissioners

Shawnee County commissioners on Thursday reviewed a near-final management lease that would let Beacon, a local event-management company, operate the historic Great Overland Station while the county retains the museum and certain facilities.

County councilor Rich Eckert explained details of the draft lease at the Aug. 28 Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners work session, saying Beacon would manage day-to-day bookings, staff, food service and event setup under a term the county and Beacon negotiated. "We're gonna enter into a 5 year term," Eckert said, and he added the company "are in it to make money. I don't want to disguise that at all." He said Beacon would use its calendar software and Beacon bookings would take priority over county requests.

The proposal would give Beacon 60% of gross revenue and the county 40%. The split would be reviewed 18 months after operations begin; if the parties cannot agree to a new split then, the 60/40 arrangement would remain in effect for the remainder of the term. Eckert said the county set a baseline for utilities at about $73,000 per year and would share any savings if utilities were reduced below that baseline.

The draft would leave the museum portion and an IT room under county control. County-owned assets such as tables, chairs, audio-visual equipment and an on-site fiber connection would remain county property but Beacon would be granted use of those items; the lease text contemplates discussions about whether certain items should be manager- or county-owned going forward. Eckert described standard lease language making Beacon's employees independent contractors, and he said the manager would handle contracting with third-party vendors.

The draft assigns routine cleaning and some maintenance responsibilities. Eckert said the county would continue day-to-day cleaning and grounds maintenance outside the manager's leased responsibilities, but managers would be responsible for setup/tear-down and for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear stemming from events. The county will allow Beacon to use on-site cleaning equipment while Beacon would provide the labor. Landscaping and mowing will continue to be performed by the county but coordinated with Beacon's calendar so work does not conflict with events.

Beacon co-owner Courtney Stimmler said the company views the project as a growth opportunity and a chance to better utilize an underused venue. "We think that this is a great opportunity for us and for the county to partner to better utilize a venue that, is being underutilized at this point," Stimmler said. Sasha Clarence, the Beacon's experience manager, said: "I'm just excited to be a part of such a historic and beautiful building in Topeka."

Eckert said the lease is roughly 95% complete; the parties still plan to attach a detailed description of the leased premises. He told commissioners the county will continue to retain museum staffing as it has previously and that Beacon may not occupy all upstairs office space immediately. Eckert said he expected the final contract and attachments to be brought back to the board within two weeks for formal consideration.

Votes at a glance A separate motion during the session sent the board into executive session to discuss negotiations with the AFSCME bargaining unit and to seek privileged legal advice regarding potential contracts with the city of Topeka. Commissioner Aaron Mays made the motion; Commissioner Rippon seconded. The motion passed, 3-0; upon return the board stated no action was taken.

Why this matters: The county has operated the Great Overland Station through Parks and Recreation but officials said the property is underused and costly to maintain. County leaders framed a private manager as a way to increase bookings, offset operating costs and keep the landmark active while preserving county ownership of historically important exhibits and equipment.

Next steps: County staff will finish the lease attachments and return the full contract to the commissioners for formal action, expected within approximately two weeks.