By SCOTT AUST/ Greater Garden City
Friday marked not only the grand opening of the massive, state-of-the-art 200,000 square feet Refinery Fieldhouse and Conference Center, it was also a day to pay tribute to the late Cecil O’Brate, the longtime Garden City philanthropist who made the new facility possible.
O’Brate, who passed away in January 2024, long championed projects and efforts to help local kids in the community.
Friday would have been his 97th birthday.
The Refinery, located east of the bypass near Menards in Garden City, includes six basketball courts; six volleyball courts; indoor turf for football, soccer, softball and baseball; five pickleball courts; arcade; restaurant and bar; suites that overlook the courts and field; a walking track; and a gift shop. The facility also includes a flexible 11,000 square feet event and conference center that can hold more than 500 people and is planned to host weddings, corporate meetings, and other community events.
Plans for the multi-use facility initially began more than a decade ago as the City of Garden City pursued STAR Bond financing leveraging new state and local sales taxes collected here within the Schulman Crossing shopping district.
Matt Allen, Garden City’s City Manager, expressed gratitude for everyone involved in making the project become a reality, and especially for the generosity of Cecil and Frances O’Brate. He said while it’s true that a significant amount of state and local sales tax dollars went into the project as part of the STAR Bond, without the O’Brate’s financial commitment the project would be less than half of what it is today.
Allen said he was on the project site during one of Cecil’s last visits before he passed away. He said Cecil “beamed with joy” when talking about how much he thought the kids from all over Kansas and beyond would enjoy the finished product.
AJ Swender, project director, recognized and thanked the many people involved in the long process to ensure Cecil’s legacy.
“We’re excited to show you the work we’ve done over here. Without the dream, vision and philanthropy of Cecil O’Brate, The Refinery would not be possible,” he said.
Swender said the STAR Bond district, which was created in 2013, helped kick start an explosion of development in Garden City and led to the origins of The Refinery. He said Allen approached Cecil in 2016 with a request for a sports and recreation facility which grew over time.
“Matt had Cecil hook, line and sinker,” Swender said. “He wanted to do something for the youth. This is forever going to change the trajectory of Garden City.”
Swender said facility design began in 2017 and involved traveling to many different sports and recreation facilities across the country to evaluate what worked and didn’t work at those sites. Hundreds of hours went into it. He called it a total team effort.
“But all this was because of Cecil O’Brate,” Swender said. “Pretty much everybody here, if you live in Garden City, has been touched by Cecil O’Brate’s generosity in one way or another. Garden City is different because of Cecil O’Brate.”
Swender mentioned the O’Brate Foundation and its scholarships to help students go to college noting more than 700 students who have graduated, and his desire to give back to the community he loved in many ways.
O’Brate had a long history of philanthropy, not only locally but in other states. He provided $35 million for O’Brate Stadium, Oklahoma State University’s baseball stadium which was completed in 2021.
To pay respects, a contingent of people from Oklahoma State University attended Friday’s event, including former Major League Baseball player and manager Robin Ventura.
Ventura quipped that people might wonder what he’s doing in Garden City. However, he said he’s no stranger to the area.
“I learned to drive in Sublette, Kansas, when I was 12,” he said, drawing a laugh from the crowd of hundreds. “I had an uncle who was a preacher and contractor and my cousins lived there. My cousins threw me the keys when I was 12 and a big day out was coming to Garden City, so I’ve been here quite a few times and I’m happy to be back to celebrate this.”
Ventura also played and coached at OSU when O’Brate Stadium was built, calling it the best facility in the country.
“I have coached at many levels. I may be one of a handful of people who have coached t-ball up to the Major Leagues,” Ventura said. “I understand what this means. This is an incredible facility for the youth here and in western Kansas, but it’s going to be bigger. There’s going to be people coming from all over. The scope of this, and the detail of this is incredible. I couldn’t be prouder to be here.”
Swender said O’Brate had a hand in choosing the name for the facility. He said The Refinery reflects O’Brate’s involvement in the oil industry and his core values. The Refinery’s mission statement is “to hone athletic skills and also help kids learn self-discipline, sacrifice, teamwork, leadership and how to handle both success and failure, not only on the field or court but in life.”
“Although Cecil was a shrewd and successful businessman, I can assure you this — this venture we have before us is not about economic return on investment. It’s an investment in this community,” Swender said. “Cecil truly believed if we wanted to change the trajectory of our community and our country we needed to invest in our youth. The Refinery has been a labor of love, but I hope it goes beyond us. Our hope is this facility helps shape the future of all athletes who practice and compete.”
RCI Sports will be the management company for the facility. The architect was GMCN Architects.
For more information about The Refinery visit: www.refinerygc.com, and www.refinerysports.com.
