General News in the 316

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MSN - Tallgrass Film Festival is in the running for top 10

Wichita’s Tallgrass Film Festival hopes to win a national title, but it needs your help.

USA Today is searching for the best film festivals in its “10Best” contest, and it is letting people decide the winners. As of Monday afternoon, the Tallgrass Film Festival is ranked fourth among 20 festivals. USA Today says a panel of experts nominated Tallgrass and the other 19.

Tallgrass Film Association sent an email on Monday asking people to vote for it and to shine the “spotlight on Wichita!”

If you want to vote for the Tallgrass Film Festival, click here to get to the voting page and then submit your vote.

The website describes Tallgrass as the largest independent film festival in Kansas. It says Tallgrass showcases the best films from around the world each October. It also mentions the Tallgrass parties, filmmaker discussions and filmmaking classes. It also says many films are screened at the historic Orpheum Theatre, which dates back to 1922.

At the time of this posting, it's number 2.

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KSN - Wichita Wind Surge release 2024 promotions calendar

Here’s a breakdown of the weekly promotions for the 2024 season:

• Two for Tuesdays: Get two tickets for the price of one every Tuesday home game when you show your Dillon’s Shopper Card or Dillon’s App at the Wind Surge Box Office.
• Silver Sluggers Night, plus Half Off Wednesday: Groups of 20 fans or more receive 50% off ticket purchases.
• Thirsty Thursday: Enjoy $3 sixteen-ounce select beers and $2 sixteen-ounce fountain sodas every Thursday.
• Fireworks Spectacular: Stick around after every Friday Wind Surge game for a fantastic fireworks show.
• Surge Saturday: From giveaways to character appearances to theme nights and fiestas, there is something for everyone on Saturdays at Riverfront Stadium.
• Sunday Family Fun-Day: Bring the whole family out for an afternoon matinee baseball game, complete with pre-game catch on the field and post-game Kids Run the Bases.
• The Wind Surge will continue their pregame Happy Hour for all games with $5 domestic drafts (from gates open to first pitch).

For more information and a complete listing of the Wind Surge promos, click here. Individual tickets for the Wind Surge go on sale on Feb. 29 at 3 p.m.

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KWCH - Kelsey Grammer performing with Wichita Grand Opera this spring

The Wichita Grand Opera announced upcoming performances of Leonard Bernstein’s operetta, Candide, starring “Cheers” and “Frasier” actor Kelsey Grammer, who narrates the tale and performs the role of Dr. Pangloss. The semi-staged production comes to Century II Concert Hall on April 27-28.

Grammer is best known for his Emmy Award-winning roles on two classic sitcoms. He starred as Frasier Crane on “Cheers” from 1984-93 before reprising the role in the spinoff “Frasier,” which ran originally for 10 seasons and was rebooted last year. He will be joined by a cast of singers gathered from across the U.S., along with the Wichita Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus led by WGO Artistic Director Whitney Reader. Metropolitan Opera veteran Emily Pulley returns to Wichita to direct the production and perform the role of the Old Lady.

Grammer will help tell the story of a naïve young protagonist who journeys through a world filled with misfortune and absurdity as he searches for happiness and meaning. The operetta is a conglomeration of several musical styles, including romantic grandeur, jazz, foxtrot, waltz, polka, hornpipe, bolero, barcarolle, gavotte and a tango as the story makes its way through a world of musical styles and genres.

I don't know much about the opera, nor do I know what kind of talent Mr. Grammer has in this regard, but I'll say this is kind of cool and I hope it helps draw more people to see it.

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KSN - Country award-winning artist Jelly Roll will perform at Wichita's Intrust Bank Arena

Country award-winning artist Jelly Roll announced on Thursday that he will make a stop in Wichita as part of his Beautifully Broken Tour 2024 run.

The tour will kick off on Aug. 27. Jelly Roll will perform at Intrust Bank Arena on Oct. 15. Openers include Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay.

Tickets will be available starting with various presales beginning on Monday, Feb. 26. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning on Friday, March 1 at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets for the Oct.15 tour stop in Wichita can be purchased online at jellyroll615.com or selectaseat.com, by phone at 855-755-SEAT or in person at the Select-A-Seat Box Office at INTRUST Bank Arena.

It's still a little weird seeing him as a country artists, even though he's pretty damn good. But I first started listening to Jelly Roll when he was rapping under the Strange Music label run by Tech N9ne out of KC.

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Eagle - Two of the four acres the city sold for $1 a piece just sold again - for $2.2 million

Two of the four acres the city sold for $1 each to the former Wind Surge owners have sold again — for $2.2 million.

Wichita Riverfront Limited Partnership had owned the 1.7 acres at 100 S. Sycamore, just north of Riverfront Stadium.

A new deed that was filed with Sedgwick County earlier this month shows that WRLP sold the acreage to DRE Wichita Propco LLC, a Delaware-based entity that formed the day before the sale.

On Thursday, a representative with Diamond Baseball Holdings — the current Wind Surge owner — confirmed “that an entity related to Diamond Baseball Holdings purchased the property that you are referencing.”

Previously, Diamond issued a statement to The Eagle confirming only that it had purchased land adjacent to the ballpark without saying specifically where.

I just want to see things finally start to happen around the stadium. I know there are some local businesses not excited about this as Lou apparently promised them that he'd keep a certain amount of street level parking there and that's probably not what is going to happen. Time will tell. Though at one time I think there were plans to build an apartment building where I think this property is located. Maybe there still would have been plenty of parking available, I'm not sure. I do know that construction beyond RF is supposed to begin in the next few months.

[shocktown]

If I had a buyer in this market willing to pay around $30 SF for a couple acres of land I'd sell in a NY minute.

This has to be a good sign for development on this plot. I can't imagine paying that price on speculation. Plus it should get the property back on the tax rolls.
Excited to see what's in the works!

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WBJ - Charlotte Pipe prepares to build $80-million Maize project, with room to expand

Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Co. is set to break ground in early March on its $80-million plant in Maize.

Last May, the North Carolina manufacturer of cast iron and plastic pipe fittings announced it would locate its seventh plastic pipe plant on an 80-acre lot off of 119th Street. Hutton, the general contractor on the project, expects to have the pre-fabricated, 174,000-foot steel building complete within 15 months.

"This helps diversify the economy in Wichita," Andy Buessing, president of Hutton, said during a groundbreaking event Thursday. "The company is going to be good community partners."

Terry Moege, who has more than two decades in management, including 8 years in Valley Center, will serve as the plant manager and help hire a team of 50 full-time employees over the next three years.

"I'm amazed at how much they care about their plants and their people," he said. "You can see it at every level."

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I've never rented, but I do own a home and am looking to upgrade. Based on the square footage and rent prices of the article below, it would be cheaper to purchase a similar sized home. And I know not everyone is crazy about yards and such, but the backyard they boast is insanely small. I'm a dog owner and having a yard matters. It's obviously not for me and I can find a larger house for less of a monthly expense than these rentals.

WBJ - As Wichita's housing market remains tight, developer brings unique neighborhood to the west side

Michael Malone, co-founder and president of the locally-based real estate development company, said work should wrap by late spring or early summer on Porchlight at Auburn Hills, a 76-unit project near the northwest corner of 135th and Maple featuring single-family homes that are exclusively rentals.

While the community is high-density at around 10 units per acre, it differs from other multifamily developments — like those featuring duplexes — in that the homes do not share walls with each other.

"Our whole goal is to bring you home living, but still a rental," Malone said.

As build-to-rent, single-family communities have grown in popularity around the country, Malone said ICT Capital saw an opportunity to bring the concept to the Wichita market. Already involved with commercial development at the 135th and Maple intersection, Malone said the "phenomenal location" made sense for Porchlight.

"With that part of Wichita growing and then Goddard growing — it just seemed right," he said.

Porchlight features one-, two- and three-bedroom rental options.

Two-bedroom offerings start at $1,550 per month for about 1,100 square feet. The three-bedroom houses begin at $1,700 per month for a little more than 1,300 square feet.

Meanwhile, the 950 square-foot, one-bedroom units are second-floor homes located above the community's detached garages. Those start at $1,400 per month.

I'm sure this will be successful and obviously there's a market for such places, I just don't personally get it.

[SubGod22]

I'm really curious to see how much activity begins downtown as the BioMed campus starts to move forward.

WBJ - Rose Building, a part of downtown Wichita since 1911, hits market for $1.7 million

As buzz continues to build over the planned $300-million biomedical center in downtown Wichita, a prominent property just two blocks to its north is hitting the market.

The five-story Rose Building at 200 E. 1st St., built in 1911 and also known as the Farmers & Bankers Life building, is going up for sale on Monday for $1.7 million.

"It seems like this would be an amazing opportunity for an investor, buyer or developer," said Whitney Vliet Ward, who has the listing alongside J.P. Weigand & Sons' colleague Alex Ibarra, highlighting the building's location within walking distance of the future biomedical campus.
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De León said the Rose Building's occupancy had been around 80% before it recently lost a couple of tenants. It now stands at around 60%, she said.

The building shares its northern wall with the Landmark Square building, built in 1925, and is located within a block of The Lux apartments and Emprise Bank's headquarters.
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Ward and Ibarra both said the property has elegant touches across each level, including a marble staircase visitors encounter when entering.

Its other highlighted features include wood finishes throughout the building and a large, open lobby.

"The interior is like stepping back in time," said Ibarra, whose firm's downtown headquarters are across the street to the south. "For anyone who walks through the property, every floor has something unique."

Sounds like a cool building to work with, no matter what you do with it. I would expect there to be a fair amount of interest in any building for sale within at least five blocks of the BioMed campus. The Rose Building definitely has character.

There's a slideshow that shows off some of the building that should be free to anyone if you want to take a look.

[SubGod22]

We should keep a running tally, but Towne West has been disconnected by Evergy once again.

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WBJ - Walton's Inc. plans new Bel Aire home after recent property sale to Sedgwick County

Walton's Inc., a meat-processing equipment and supply company, plans to build a new, 100,000 square-foot headquarters within Bel Aire's Sunflower Commerce Park, president and CEO Brett Walton confirmed this week.

The move will allow Walton's, founded in 1986, to nearly double its footprint from its current location at 3639 and 3635 N. Comotara St. near 37th and Rock in northeast Wichita.

"We were really at a point where business has continued to grow, and we're really full," Walton said.

Last week, Sedgwick County Commissioners approved a $4.5-million purchase of the Walton's property for the purposes of it becoming the new Sedgwick County Election Office headquarters.

May 2025 is the completion target for the Bel Aire building. That aligns with language in the real estate agreement with the county, which states the Comotara transaction will close no later than June 2, 2025.

The new facility is expected to cost around $11M and offer them room for further expansion in the future.

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Drive-In season begins

KWCH - Starlite Drive-In begins 2024 opening weekend on Friday

Wichita’s Starlite Drive-In will open for the 2024 season this weekend, beginning Friday, March 1.

“We are looking forward to a big 2024 season,” owner Blake Smith said. “Going into the season we have sold a record number of Season Passes. Wichitans have always supported this drive in and we are anxious to get open.”

Starlite will be open weekends only through mid-May and then go to seven days a week for the summer months until mid-August, when operations will return to weekends only until the end of the season.

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Wichita by EB - Great Plains Nature Center to host free Spring Break programs

The Great Plains Nature Center welcomes the community to our free Spring Break Programs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 11 to Thursday, March 14. The Great Plains Nature Center is located at 6232 E. 29th St. N. in Wichita, KS.

Each day will feature crafts, games, education stations, a naturalist program at 11 a.m., and guided hikes at 11:45 a.m. While this 4-day event is designed for elementary age, it’s open to all ages. Attendees will get to explore food webs including the unique differences between Herbivores, Omnivores, Carnivores, and Decomposers!

• Free Admission to the Public
• No Registration Required
• All Ages

If you have younger kids, this could be something enjoyable over spring break to check out.

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KAKE - Andover YMCA set to reopen in May

The Andover YMCA is still under construction, but crews have been working on restoring it for more than a year with plans to open it in May.

"I'm very excited to see what's kind of changed a little bit. See what's all the same. It'll be nice to see the familiar faces go back," says YMCA member Amanda Taft.

Taft lives in Augusta, and was a member of the Andover YMCA before it was temporarily shut down after a devastating tornado tore it apart.

"There were a lot of us regulars who went to that Y, and just knowing some of the people that might have been there at that time is very, very emotional, very scary," Taft said.

Mim McKenzie with the Greater Wichita YMCA said that the loss of the Y signaled a loss of community for so many people.

"That was ripped out from underneath everyone that night of April 29th. So we are excited to be able to bring back that home, bring back that feeling of community and bring back those connections that people have been missing for two years."

This will be nice for the community to get back. The Y has become a big part of Andover and the loss of it nearly two years ago has had an impact on a number of people.

Plus, it's always good to see progress like this after the devastation of Mother Nature hits a community. It's a long process with rebuilding homes and such, but a large focal point like this stands out and almost concludes the restoration process of the city. Or at least gives you that kind of feel.

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KWCH - Wichita's Orpheum Theater will close for a year to complete $9.5 million renovation

The historic Orpheum Theatre is petitioning for funding to begin a yearlong renovation.

The nonprofit performing arts center, which opened in 1922, plans to fully renovate the building. This will require closure for at least a year and cost an estimate of over nine million dollars.

The theater submitted a Community Improvement District (CID) petition for $1,095,000 to assist in the project. The rest of the funds will be financed through general obligation bonds.

The Orpheum says the project includes demolition, full interior rehabilitation, façade repairs, new seating for both levels, electrical updates, stage improvements and new lighting and audio systems.

The Orpheum also says it holds a special place in American history as the first atmospheric theater in the United States and the oldest one still standing. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

I hope we never lose the Orpheum. It's a true gem in the heart of the city.