General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

Wichita by EB - Wichita Riverfest announces button price increase for 2024

In a press release post on the Wichita Riverfest website, it was announced that button prices would be increasing this year.

The buttons which go on sale beginning Monday, April 15 will be $20 for adults and $10 for children 6-11, while children 5 and under are free. The last time button prices went up was in 2022 when adult buttons went from $10 to $15. There will also be no early bird pricing this year.

Buttons are a big source of revenue for the 9-day event.

Gonna be a lot of internet warriors in Wichita about this.

In good news, Hunter Hayes will be performing at Riverfest on June 1. If you're not familiar, he's a fantastic country artist that's been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards.

[SubGod22]

Heads up for travelers this year.

KWCH - I-135 southbound ramp to westbound US 54 to close next month

The exit ramp from southbound I-135 to westbound U.S. 54 will close on Monday, April 8, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The project will involve milling, patching and a concrete overlay being placed on each side consecutively. Rehabilitation work on the bridge will happen Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Work on this bridge is one of four bridge rehabilitation projects scheduled this year at the I-135/U.S. 54 interchange.

The bridge work will take place consecutively. This first project is set to conclude in late May, then the second bridge project and closures will begin. It is estimated the last bridge in the four-phase project will conclude by late November, conditions permitting.

[SubGod22]

I know everyone loves to hate them, but more things happening in Goddard.

WBJ - Genesis Health Clubs adds an apartment complex to Goddard project

This summer, Goddard will have another residential development started in its backyard.

Genesis Health Clubs, a Wichita-based health and fitness company owned by Rodney Steven II, is expanding its footprint around its youth sports complex located between 199th West and 183rd West, south of U.S. 400, with an apartment complex near the Hampton Inn hotel at 455 N. Crowne Dr., along with its 6S Sand Sports Bar and Grill already in the works.

The apartment complex will have 108 class A single- and multi-family units. The opening date for the apartment complex was not disclosed.

The 6S Sports Bar and Grill — a sister restaurant to the northwest Wichita location on 21st Street — will open sometime in late summer or early fall, according to Genesis marketing vice president Jake McCabe.

"It is a phased project," McCabe said. "We wanted to get the baseball and swim tournaments, health club, hotel, and water park up and running first, as they will help feed the sports bar."

[SubGod22]

Yahoo! - Feedback sought on planned K-96 improvements project

The Kansas Department of Transportation, the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, the City of Wichita, and Sedgwick County are hosting a second open house in April on the K-96 Improvements Project.

The project includes expanding the highway from four to six lanes, replacing the pavement, and improving the seven interchanges along K-96, including Hillside, Oliver, Woodlawn, Rock, Webb, Greenwich, and 21st Street North.

KDOT says more than 50,000 vehicles travel through the area daily. Traffic is expected to expand to nearly 100,000 over the next 25 years.

The second open house is Thursday, April 11, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in room 180 at Wichita State University’s Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex at 5015 E. 29th Street N.

Not sure what kind of feedback they're seeking here.

I also can't wait for this project to get going. It's going to be a pain in the ass while they do it, but much like the North Junction and the new exit to 96 that they're still working on, it will be well worth it when completed.

K96 can already be a bit of a nightmare at times and going to six lanes and improving the exits will go a long way in making it a better avenue to get places in NE Wichita, especially as that part of the city continues to grow.

[RoyalShock]

KSN - Kansas 50th Anniversary Tour coming to Wichita

Already got my tickets. I was hoping to see them in Salina this month, but I failed to order early and their two shows at Steifel sold out. Hopefully Phil Eheart, their original drummer will have recovered from his recent heart attack and be back touring with the band.

[RoyalShock]

Pretty much a Kansas Tribute band at this point, given the current line-up (drummer Phil Ehart is out recovering from a heart attack). Saw them a couple of years ago. OK, but nothing like they were in the 70s and 80s.

Rich Williams and Billy Greer have been long-time members of the band, as well. But it was unfortunate when Steve Walsh had to step away. If Kerry Livgren hadn't had the stroke many years ago, I could have seen him doing some touring with the group, but probably not full-time.

[SubGod22]

KWCH - Taylor Swift laser show opens at Exploration Place next month

Taylor Swift is taking over Exploration Place next month. Well, kind of.

Visitors are invited to experience some of Swift’s most iconic music inside the Dome starting April 12. Neon images of Swift will be shown on the 60-foot screen while lasers permeate the room.

The show runs will run multiple times daily through May 13. Ticket pre-sales for members have already begun. Regular tickets go on sale March 29 at 8 a.m.

The show lasts 45 minutes and is open to all ages

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Biomed and beyond: A look at 7 projects in Wichita's core poised to make major progress in 2024

The last year in downtown Wichita development has been highlighted by many long-vacant buildings being given new life: from Keycentrix's new headquarters at 423 E. Douglas and the 10-story, mixed-use The National at 150 N. Main, to HiTone Lofts in Old Town.

If plans come to fruition, much more is ahead in 2024.

Led by a transformative biomedical campus, here are seven projects expected to make significant headway this year in the city's core.

Wichita biomedical campus

Description: The first phase of the $300-million biomedical campus is expected to break ground this spring at the southeast corner of Broadway and William. Phase 1 will feature an eight-story, 350,000 square-foot building and is planned to be open in time for the fall 2026 semester.

Local government, economic development and business leaders have all expressed confidence that the campus will spark tremendous growth in the city's core. The center is expected to initially bring 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff to downtown, with the Greater Wichita Partnership projecting as many as 12,000 people could eventually be on campus. WSU president Rick Muma has called the campus "the most significant financial investment in the history of Wichita's downtown."

Petroleum Building, Kress Energy Center and McClellan Hotel building revitalizations

Description: Schellenberg and Crain's move to buy three buildings near the biomedical campus site — and put them back under local ownership — marks a huge shift in the real estate landscape within Wichita's core. The Petroleum Building, Kress Energy Center and McClellan Hotel Building (also known as the O'Rourke Title Building), have been a part of downtown Wichita's fabric since the 1920s and cover more than 125,000 square feet combined.

Developers have said the eight-story Petroleum Building, at 221 S. Broadway across the street from the campus, will be first up for a major overhaul with construction starting this spring. While the start date on Kress (224 E. Douglas) and McClellan (229 E. William) construction is to be determined, Marv Schellenberg said in a recent interview that target completion for all three buildings is no later than the biomedical center's Phase 1 opening.

The Petroleum and McClellan Hotel buildings are expected to be mixed-use, with ground-floor dining and upper floors potentially focused on medical or professional office space. Kress Energy Center is less likely to be mixed-use, but it's still possible, Schellenberg has said. Apartments are also a possibility with the properties, he added.

Riverfront Stadium area mixed-use development

Description: After delays in getting highly-anticipated development around Riverfront Stadium off the ground, the Wichita City Council's approval last year of a new agreement with EPC — that removed the development group involving the Wichita Wind Surge's previous owners from the project — and incentives is expected to clear the way for construction to begin in 2024's third quarter.

EPC's $110-million, mixed-use plans call for an eight-story, 165-room hotel, a 180-unit luxury apartment complex, a 260-stall parking garage and 10,000 square feet of retail space on the Arkansas River's west bank.

Exploration Place outdoor expansion

Description: Exploration Place is making big strides this year on a multi-component, $22-million outdoor expansion. In early March, it broke ground on an amphitheater that is set to be completed in time for this September's annual Drone Light Festival.

Then, last week, the science and discovery center announced Textron Aviation as the naming sponsor for the 6.5-acre playscape's centerpiece, which will be called Textron Aviation Flight Adventure. Located on the southeast portion of Exploration Place's property, the playscape has been described as a new generation of playground with a theme-park feel for all ages. Groundbreaking is anticipated this summer, with the new Textron Aviation exhibition expected to open in fall 2025.

Luxury apartments at Washington and Waterman

Description: In February, Vantage Point Properties CEO Paul Jackson unveiled a vision for a $90-million, 370-unit luxury apartment building at the northwest corner of Washington and Waterman, just few blocks east of Intrust Bank Arena. Since that time, issues over finalizing a lease agreement with the city over use of a nearby parking lot for tenants have meant the possibility of a smaller-scale effort — 258 units — but the project still appears poised to move forward.

The effort would transform around 3 acres that have been largely unused for decades into a Class A development at a time when local leaders have emphasized the need for more housing in Wichita's core, particularly with the planned fall 2026 opening of Wichita biomedical campus' first phase.

AC Marriott Hotel

Description: After delays from its previous 2021 opening target, construction progress has been visible in recent months on the planned 119-room hotel at the southwest corner of Douglas and Broadway. The effort involves transforming the historic, 11-story Broadway Plaza property built in 1926.

The hotel is located just north of two other prominent Tokala projects, the Kansas Health Science Center and NICHE, and is also about a block from the planned biomedical campus.

American Legion building renovation

Description: Hutton Development began renovation work earlier this year on the 14,000 square-foot former American Legion Building at 126 N. St. Francis, just north of Douglas Avenue. The company is targeting a mid-2024 wrap on construction.

Hutton Development president Kyle Blasdel said the goal is to turn the property into "a great space" for a new commercial tenant, which could include a retail or office user, for example. Honoring the property's nearly century-long history is a priority, he added.

Just a snapshot of what we have to look forward to downtown.

[SubGod22]

Just read on FB that Towne West closed today. Doors were locked and the vendors within the mall had no access to their stores. The larger national chains there are still open but the mall itself is effectively closed.

Kohan hasn't spoken to anyone that pays rent at the mall or any media about any of this.

This really sucks for the small businesses trying to make a living and I feel really bad for them. They apparently have some small business chat to keep each other up to date on these things since nobody from the mall ever communicates with them.

[SHOXAAC]

Just read on FB that Towne West closed today. Doors were locked and the vendors within the mall had no access to their stores. The larger national chains there are still open but the mall itself is effectively closed.

Kohan hasn't spoken to anyone that pays rent at the mall or any media about any of this.

This really sucks for the small businesses trying to make a living and I feel really bad for them. They apparently have some small business chat to keep each other up to date on these things since nobody from the mall ever communicates with them.

Not to mention the disappointed walkers.

[1972Shocker]

Not to mention the disappointed walkers.

If my parents were still alive and in their mall-walking days they would have been devastated. It was far more than just a little exercise for them.

[ShockTalk]

I believe I heard that Towne East is adding 2 or 3 more tenants and seems full. Anybody on the west side have any idea why Towne West is in such a state? I would think that west Wichita along with Goddard, Maize, Haysville, and Valley Center which seem to be closer to Towne West would give it plenty of support.

[pogo]

KSN - Wichita women's football team gets new name, new league



For what it's worth.

I suppose the Wichita Chili Buns would be deemed inappropriate for their new name.

[pogo]

Just read on FB that Towne West closed today. Doors were locked and the vendors within the mall had no access to their stores. The larger national chains there are still open but the mall itself is effectively closed.

Kohan hasn't spoken to anyone that pays rent at the mall or any media about any of this.

This really sucks for the small businesses trying to make a living and I feel really bad for them. They apparently have some small business chat to keep each other up to date on these things since nobody from the mall ever communicates with them.

New location for Homeless Center. When a door closes a window opens somewhere.

[SubGod22]

I believe I heard that Towne East is adding 2 or 3 more tenants and seems full. Anybody on the west side have any idea why Towne West is in such a state? I would think that west Wichita along with Goddard, Maize, Haysville, and Valley Center which seem to be closer to Towne West would give it plenty of support.

Two Korean/Asian restaurants and some store called Miniso or something like that.

I know Towne West is smaller, but I've always been amazed at how drastically different it is to Towne East. I used to work for a business that had locations at both and we'd bounce around for work. Sold a lot less at Towne West as I always interacted with fewer people. The only perk to working out there at the time was we were in a kiosk just outside American Eagle and those girls were friendly. The other side was Foot Locker which didn't completely suck.

I do think if someone other than Kohan was running it that it could find some life. I haven't been there in a long time, nor have I been to Towne East, but I believe much of the mall proper is made up of local small businesses and less national brands like Towne East is/was. I'm assuming the bulk of Towne East is still your major national brands (Champs/Lids/Foot Locker).