about evergy plaza
Evergy Plaza is owned by Downtown Topeka Foundation and operated by Oak View Group. The mission of Evergy Plaza is to create a vibrant "gathering place for all" in the heart of Downtown Topeka. Evergy Plaza will offer programming that is rich in appeal, cultural heritage, arts and entertainment, as well as host large events, concerts, and festivals intended to increase the economic vitality of downtown Topeka and overnight stays from Topeka visitors. At Evergy Plaza there is something for everyone.
history of evergy plaza
In 2014 community leaders were presented with a consultant’s findings on how to recharge downtown Topeka, and the primary recommendation from that study was to build a community gathering space where the citizens of Topeka could come together and take pride in the heart of their city. The leadership of the Topeka Lodging Association began early discussions in 2014 and 2015 about the possibility of increasing the existing lodging tax by 1% to provide funding to design and build a public plaza. This effort was ultimately approved by the Topeka City Council and as a result $3.435M was set aside for the construction of a plaza. Later in the timeline the Topeka Lodging Association also approved the establishment of a $1.00 per room assessment on every hotel room sold in Topeka. This will generate approximately $400,000 each year for ten years to subsidize the daily operation of the plaza.
In January of 2017, momentum for the downtown plaza caught on in Topeka when Roger Brooks was asked to come to Topeka and be the keynote speaker at the annual Downtown Topeka Inc. banquet. After the successful groundwork laid by the Topeka Lodging Association the Downtown Topeka Foundation stepped in to take on the role as owner and developer. With the Downtown Topeka Foundation now leading the project, Capitol Federal Savings and Loan and Evergy stepped in to donate $2.5 million. In addition to major donations from the community, the Joint Economic Development Organization in Topeka committed to a $1.250 million donation. The downtown plaza was now a reality for Topeka. And in January of 2019, construction officially began on what would soon to be known as Evergy Plaza.
In January of 2017, momentum for the downtown plaza caught on in Topeka when Roger Brooks was asked to come to Topeka and be the keynote speaker at the annual Downtown Topeka Inc. banquet. After the successful groundwork laid by the Topeka Lodging Association the Downtown Topeka Foundation stepped in to take on the role as owner and developer. With the Downtown Topeka Foundation now leading the project, Capitol Federal Savings and Loan and Evergy stepped in to donate $2.5 million. In addition to major donations from the community, the Joint Economic Development Organization in Topeka committed to a $1.250 million donation. The downtown plaza was now a reality for Topeka. And in January of 2019, construction officially began on what would soon to be known as Evergy Plaza.
Once open in summer of 2020, Evergy Plaza will host hundreds of events and programs a year. Events will range from fitness classes to family movie nights, to sports watch parties and concerts. The Evergy Plaza is home to; CapFed® on 7th Stage, Crossroads Fountains, Digital Board and small stage (sponsored by Stormont Vail Heath and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas), Mars Wrigley Courtyard, 3 shade pavilions, a 16-foot fire pit and many other attractions.
meet the team
John Knight
director
Dylan Tyler
event manager
Josh Sturm
operations manager
in the news
who we are
DTF’s Mission is to raise and expend funds for the purposes of preserving, restoring and improving buildings, lands, streets, parks, monuments and other historical and cultural aspects of the downtown area of Topeka, Kansas. After completing fundraising and construction of downtown Pocket Parks and overhead arches, DTF is the developer of Evergy Plaza.
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports and live entertainment industry and currently has eight divisions across four global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, and Philadelphia). OVG is leading the redevelopment and operations of Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center as well as leading arena development projects for UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY; Moody Center in Austin, TX; New Arena in Coachella Valley, CA; and Co-op Live in Manchester, UK. OVG Global Partnerships, a division of OVG, is the sales and marketing arm responsible for selling across all OVG arena development projects. OVG Facilities, a division of OVG, is the facility management, booking, security, and sanitization services arm that performs services for both OVG's arena development projects and clients on a 3rd party basis. OVG Media & Conferences, a division of OVG, publishes Pollstar and VenuesNow, in addition to hosting live entertainment-centric conferences around the world. OVG's Arena Alliance, a division of OVG, is a collection of the top 32 venues in North America that provides a platform for booking, content, and sponsorship sales opportunities. Learn more at OakViewGroup.com,
