The Refinery officially opens for business on Friday

Garden City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–It’s been years in the making, but on Friday, The Refinery Fieldhouse and Conference Center officially opened to the public for the first time with their grand opening in front of several hundered people.

The Refinery is over 200,000 square feet, with over 50,000 square feet of indoor turf that is for football, soccer, baseball and softball use, as well as a room with six full courts, which will be completed by January, 2026. Also inside are a conference room, suites above the basketball and football turf areas, an arcade, a restaurant and bar, a gift shop and six pickle ball courts.

The project started initially in 2018, but would be delayed until early 2023. It was renamed The Refinery to honor the founder Cecil O’Brate, who passed away in 2024. O’Brate’s birthday would’ve been on Friday.

During the ceremony, the public heard from HJ Swender, Garden City City Manager Matt Allen, Senator Roger Marshall, and Keynote Speaker, former MLB Player and Manager Robin Ventura.

Here from Denim Rogers, General Manger for the fieldhouse side of The Refinery.

Denim Rogers