TOPEKA’S $17 MILLION HOTEL “MASTERPIECE” (THE QUARTERBACK EDITION)

Because Paying $554,000 for Experts to Tell You “Maybe Don’t Run a Hotel Yourself” Was Peak Government Brilliance – And the Guy Who Called Every Play Still Has His Job

Oh, Topeka. You never fail to impress. Back in May 2023, your fearless leaders at Visit Topeka and the Topeka Development Corporation gazed upon the struggling Hotel Topeka at City Center and proclaimed, “We’ve got this! Government will save the day!” They rolled out the fairy-tale projections like a bad infomercial: 50,000 room nights per year, $1 million in shiny new sales tax, $440,000 from Transient Guest Tax, and a magical $20 million annual economic impact that would turn the Expocentre into a cash-printing machine. “No taxpayer burden!” they swore. “This strengthens tourism!” Cue the standing ovation and the press releases. What could possibly go wrong?

Cut to October 31, 2023. Shawnee County deed 2023R16359 seals the deal: Topeka Development Corporation snags the land and building from Tucson Topeka LLC for a cool $7,668,750 (exact county record). Solid purchase, right? But why stop at buying a distressed hotel you’d never run before? Nah. They immediately dropped $554,000 on REVPAR International, a fancy Virginia consulting firm, to play hotel whisperer. Contract approved 8-2 by City Council. Scope? Asset management services, overall strategy, updated pro forma statements, branding advice, buyer hunting, technical pre-opening support, and the works.

And what did taxpayers get for that half-million-dollar expert wisdom? The “REVPAR International Summary Analysis of Hotel Topeka” was presented to the TDC Board on February 6, 2024. Here’s exactly what the report said:

Market Study + Branding Analysis: Independent hotel? Meh. Branded hotel (they specifically modeled a Hilton DoubleTree) equals an $8 million incremental asset-value uplift.

Financial & ROI Analysis: Recommend about $10 million renovation plus branding. New owner by end of 2024, renovations in 2025, profits kick in 2026 thanks to loyalty programs, and a glorious 14.4 percent Return on Investment by 2031 (roughly 17 to 19 years of payback).

2024 Budget Review: Confirmed the place was a distressed mess, 33 to 34 percent occupancy, RevPAR around $35. Projected net operating loss of about $396,000 (which later ballooned toward $1.75 million).

Next Steps: They pushed for RFP or direct outreach to private owners and operators. “Let real hotel people handle this.”

In short: The $554,000 consultant report boiled down to “Spend millions fixing it up, slap on a brand, then sell it fast, or keep losing money forever.” Exactly what the private sector (Endeavor Hotel Group) is doing right now after buying it for $1 million in December 2025.

Add the rest of the taxpayer-funded circus: millions in operations, deferred maintenance, and $14 million in financing and interest carry. Grand total sunk? $18 million. Sold for $1 million. Net loss? $17 million, yours and mine, spread over the next 20 to 35 years via new taxes (that fresh 2 percent CID sales tax just approved, plus jacked-up Transient Guest Tax).

Let’s line it up nice and ugly, because the math doesn’t lie: In the 2023 projections, the dream was 50,000 room nights per year, but reality under city ownership and the $554,000 consultant advice delivered only about 24,500 room nights per year—cut in half. They promised $1 million in sales tax plus $440,000 from Transient Guest Tax every year, but we got zero revenue while the city subsidized millions instead—100 percent reversed. The projected $20 million annual economic impact turned into a total miss as conventions fled and the hotel bled cash. And the grand assurance of “Positive ROI, no burden” became a $17 million net loss after following the expert “advice” to do what private buyers are doing now. Peak clown show.

This wasn’t incompetence. This was a taxpayer-funded masterclass in why government should stay the hell out of private enterprise. They bought a hotel, paid consultants a fortune to confirm “yeah, this needs private hands and millions in fixes,” ignored the obvious by trying to run it themselves anyway, racked up $17 million in losses, then sold it cheap to the pros who are finally executing the consultant’s own plan.

THE QUARTERBACK WHO CALLED EVERY PLAY AND STILL GOT PROMOTED: BRAXTON COPLEY

Here’s the part that should make every Topeka taxpayer’s blood boil: Braxton Copley was the official Project Manager for the entire Hotel Topeka disaster. He quarterbacked the purchase, signed off on the $554,000 consultant contract, presented the optimistic budgets, negotiated the fire-sale to Endeavor for $1 million, and is now the Deputy City Manager pushing the new taxes to make you and me pay back the $17 million hole he helped dig. This is the same guy who got promoted from Public Works Director to Assistant/Deputy City Manager right in the middle of the mess (August 2024) – now overseeing infrastructure and development for the whole city. The exact same departments that just flushed $17 million down the drain on his watch.

He stood in front of the TDC board and City Council time after time, presenting numbers, recommending next steps, and assuring everyone it would work out. When the losses hit $1.75 million a year, he was the one explaining it. When the sale finally happened, he was the one negotiating the terms. And now? He’s the one in front of committees recommending the 2 percent CID sales tax and Transient Guest Tax hikes so the city can “reimburse itself” over decades. Translation: Braxton Copley’s bad call is now your long-term bill.

This is exactly why the government never learns and why Topeka needs to wake up. In the private sector, the quarterback who leads a $17 million loss gets fired or demoted. In City Hall, he gets a bigger title, a bigger salary, and more power over your money. Braxton Copley isn’t some low-level staffer who got overruled – he was the guy calling the plays from day one. If he can’t run a single hotel without torching taxpayer dollars, how in the world can he help run an entire city’s development and infrastructure?

Topeka, your leaders didn’t just waste $17 million. They proved the point with receipts: Cities don’t run hotels. They don’t magically create $20 million miracles. They hire consultants, build financial models, pat themselves on the back, promote the quarterback who blew it, and hand you the bill. Private businesses take the risk, chase the profits, and actually deliver.

Next time a “strategic investment” like this floats by? Do the smart thing: Check the Shawnee County deed, skip the consultant circus, and tell City Hall to stick to potholes and police. Demand accountability – starting with the guy who quarterbacked this whole mess. Your wallet just filed for bankruptcy protection – and Braxton Copley still has his job. Time to wake up, Topeka.