JUNCTION CITY — A committee made up of representatives of five central Flint Hills counties today announced the results of a feasibility study that found the intersection of K-177 and I-70 to be the preferred site for the proposed Flint Hills Regional Welcome Center.

“This site is available, it has a wonderful view of protected prairie, it is located near our region’s marquee attractions, and it is central in the hills themselves,” said Wabaunsee county rancher and core committee member Barb Downey. “The entire committee endorses the consultants’ findings, and we are eager to move ahead with the next phase of this project — finding the funding to build it.”

In addition to Downey, the committee making the announcement today at the Geary County Convention Center consisted of Clark Balderson of Pottawatomie County, C. Kay Hutchinson of Morris County, Jay Nelson of Riley County, Tom Silovsky of Geary County, and Monte Volk from Fort Riley. Karen Hibbard, vice president of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, and Don Wissman, senior economist for the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, serve as the group’s facilitators.

Consultants Elaine Carmichael of Economic Stewardship, Inc., and Brad Nederhoff and Tricia Cook of Verner Johnson, Inc., prepared the study, which was funded by a grant from the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The consultants and the core committee studied six potential sites for the center, looking at a variety of factors including potential public- and private-sector tourism and commercial opportunities near each location.

This announcement comes after many years of planning for a visitor’s center, first studied in the early 1990s. In 2005, Fermata, Inc. conducted a tourism study for the State of Kansas that recommended the development of a Flint Hills Regional Welcome Center.

“In the last few decades, many of us have come to understand that we need to do a better job preserving this unique habitat for future generations — and a better job, as a region, sharing the Flint Hills with the rest of the world,” Downey said. “The center is designed to do just that — attract travelers off the interstate and into the Flint Hills to sample our attractions, food, lodging, outdoor activities, events, and people.”

The proposed center, which conceptually is about 15,000 square feet, will improve the overall visitor experience to or through the region, in hopes people will stop and spend more time and money in the area. It is designed to meet the traveler’s immediate needs for food, restrooms, Internet access, and gasoline, as well as provide visitor information and a retail store selling Flint Hills-themed goods. A proposed 90-foot observation tower will entice visitors with a 360-degree view of the prairie. A walking trail and picnic areas will allow people to easily stretch their legs and experience a quick Flint Hills adventure.

The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce holds a long-term lease on the seven-acre site, which overlooks the Konza Prairie Biological Station but will not impact the station’s work.

Now that a site is selected, the committee will turn its attention to finding sources of funding. The study estimates that the project as conceived will require a budget of approximately $9 million.