(KAIR)--A proposal to change the name of the Atchison Heritage Conference Center became a near 30 minute discussion Monday evening when the issue was addressed by the Atchison City Commission. 

The name change proposal, based on a committee review, public input, and a past study commissioned by the former Atchison County Economic Development Board, was presented to the Commission by Finance Director/Assistant City Manager Becky Anderson. “After we had our initial meeting, I found a study,” Anderson told the Commission. “In it, they recommended renaming the facility. The consultant that was hired to do it was from Kaleidoscope Consulting. Her opinion was that the facility should be renamed and that a branding effort should be undertaken to broaden the understanding of its value to the community. She actually suggested just changing it to “Atchison Heritage Center” and taking the “conference” out of it because it's not really a conference center.”

The proposal, which included the possible name change “Winding River Event Center,”  sparked strong Commission discussion, including the suggestion that no change be made until it can be assured that money is not lost in the city's operation of the facility. 

That included a push to possibly hire an outside marketing firm among other suggestions. 

Anderson, during her presentation, said it had been recommended by the committee addressing the issue to create packaged deals for the facility's use in order to meet the financial needs of all guests. 

Once all of the factors, including the possibility of delaying the name change, were on the table, Vice-Mayor Allen Reavis made a motion to change the name to “Atchison Heritage Center.” 

Civic leader, and long-time Conference Center supporter Bill Murphy, was allowed to address the commission, requesting that no change be made. 

However, Mayor David Butler called the vote, and the motion passed, meaning the facility is now known as the “Atchison Heritage Center.”