Mayor: Hotel Topeka sale still on track for June 15; city to partner on conference center recovery

Mayor Spencer Duncan said the city is "still on track to sell the hotel on June 15th," calling the sale a key step in restoring the conference business Topeka lost during bankruptcy and the pandemic era. He thanked Shawnee County for a memorandum of understanding and for contributing funds to support the Manor Conference Center work, saying county cooperation has been critical to completing the deal.

Duncan said organizations that previously used the facility before COVID and the prior owner's bankruptcy are already signaling they will return once the hotel is refurbished. "Those organizations are ready to come back to this community," he said, adding that conference business generates overflow stays, restaurant and retail spending and sales tax revenue that benefit the broader city.

He acknowledged public frustration over past spending but said the hotel was an economic development decision intended to expand the tax base. Duncan also reiterated that financing the hotel did not take funding from pothole or other general fund programs and urged continued partnership with the private operator to keep the redevelopment off the general fund.

Why it matters: A completed sale and successful reopening could restore conference-related economic activity and generate sales tax dollars for local businesses; the mayor framed June 15 as a near-term milestone for the city.

What's next: Mayor and city officials will monitor closing progress toward the June 15 date; formal ownership transfer and subsequent redevelopment activity will determine the facility's return to conference rotation.