Dodge City and Ford County have specific strategic plans underway to become the “Entertainment Capital” of southwest Kansas.

The City of Dodge City and Ford County Government have announced the building of a large Special Event Center indoor arena, to be located on the site near the Boot Hill Casino & Resort on the west side of Dodge City.

In the works for several years and paid for by the “Why Not Dodge?” special sales tax fund, the event center indoor arena is expected to have permanent seating for over 5,000 with concert seating on the main floor bringing the total to over 7,000.

The event center, run by a national management company, is expected to host a wide variety of events including concerts, conventions, indoor sports, motor-sports such as monster trucks, wrestling, indoor rodeos and a host of other indoor events.

The entire project is paid for by local sales tax and has no effect on property taxes. Local officials expect to break ground sometime within the next few months and coordinate construction and services with Boot Hill Casino as both projects progress.