Okla. tribe wants old Army site

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2001

The Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, recently recognized as a separate entity, wants to develop a former Army munitions site but not for a casino.

The tribe plans on formally having the government turn over the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in Kansas. Council member Greg Pitcher said at one time the site was set aside for the tribe as a reservation.

The 9,063-acre property is surplus, so the government has to get rid of it. Tribes often receive top priority for surplus, said the General Services Administration.

The site has been under consideration for a Wizard of Oz theme park, but the deal has floundered and is all but dead.

Although the tribe says it doesn't want to develop a casino, Kansas might be the only chance for Class III gaming. Oklahoma prohibits Class III, or Vegas-style gaming.

Get the Story:
Tribe interested in Sunflower (The Lawrence Journal-World 11/6)

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