With the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 National Men’s Basketball Tournament in town this week, Hutchinson and Reno County have had an influx of visitors from across the country in town. Not many cities can boast that they’ve hosted a national event for more than seven decades, but Hutchinson can. That doesn’t happen by accident.
For decades, locals have stepped up to provide the best experience possible for the teams and their fans who come to Hutchinson for the tournament.
This year more teams and their fans are able to stay in Hutchinson for the entirety of the tournament than in years past thanks to the Hilton Garden Inn and Convention Center opening last year. The additional hotel rooms and meeting spaces are thanks to the partnerships between the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce and local government who all worked together with private business owners to make it happen.
More visitors staying in Hutchinson and Reno County means not only more sales tax revenue but more opportunities to show what Hutchinson and Reno County have to offer in terms of quality of life and economic development opportunities.
Strataca, the Cosmosphere, Dillon Nature Center, Carey Park, and the Hutchinson Zoo are just a few of the great things visitors can enjoy while they’re here for a basketball tournament or an event at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Don’t forget the Reno County Museum or the great places to eat and drink in downtown Hutchinson either. We’re proud of those, but frankly, we’d like to see more.
The Landmark nearing completion is a great start towards the revitalization of downtown Hutchinson, and we’re confident that once it’s fully operational it will be a must-see on visitors’ lists when they come to Hutchinson. We hope that it provides the spark that ignites a complete renewal of downtown Hutchinson, because honestly, right now downtown Hutchinson is a hodge podge of vibrancy and drab that doesn’t exactly scream vibrancy. Other cities like Salina have downtowns that are lively at night, and we believe Hutchinson deserves the same.
Downtowns are the hearts of cities, big and small, across the country, and we’d like to see Hutchinson’s beating strong again. That requires investment from the city, private developers, and the community itself to breathe new life into what was the place to be more than 50 years ago. When people come to Hutchinson and are looking for somewhere to enjoy nightlife, downtown should be the place to be with several options from fine dining to cocktail bars to unique retail establishments to art galleries and live music venues. There are a few great options currently, but there needs to be more, and we’re hopeful that they are coming.
Hutchinson is the host for a national horseshoe pitching tournament and the state Lions Club convention, so Hutchinson and Reno County are on the national and state radars as great places to visit, which speaks volumes about how outsiders perceive our great community. But we believe there’s more work to be done to enhance that perception and make people want to relocate to Hutchinson and Reno County instead of saying, “It’s nice to visit, but after a couple of days it’s boring.”
Hutchinson and Reno County don’t have to be boring, and it starts with the revitalization of downtown Hutchinson. Like “Field of Dreams” said, “If you build it, [they] will come,” and like the 4-H motto exhorts its members to do, “Make the best better.” If Hutchinson and Reno County leaders do those with downtown Hutchinson, we believe that Hutchinson and Reno County will soon be the places to be not only statewide, but regionally and nationally as well.
– The Hutchinson Tribune Editorial Board