General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Dallas developer to begin construction on 80-acre Goddard housing project

A Dallas-based developer is set to begin verticle construction on a residential housing development in Goddard.

After completing infrastructure, Bridger Companies, a real estate developer and operator from Dallas primarily focused on developing housing in emerging Midwest and southwest cities, will begin constructing an 80-acre residential development this week.

The development is called Pine View Valley and is located between 167th West and 183rd, on the north side of Maple Street. Bridger managing partner Fisher Wells said the development will include 168 lots — 143 duplexes and 25 single-family homes.

"We're trying to deliver a differentiated experience that Wichita hasn't seen yet," Wells said. "It's going to have that of high-end amenities and finishes that are above what's standard."

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Kansas snags fourth Gold Shovel Award in a row for economic development projects

For a fourth year in a row, Kansas has been recognized with high honors in Area Development Magazine’s Gold Shovel Awards for major economic developments started in 2023, including one within the Wichita area.

Kansas has won the Gold Shovel among U.S. states with populations less than 3 million people from 2021-24.

“Earning a fourth gold shovel underscores the work my administration is doing to attract business investment and increase job opportunities to continue making Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news release.

Kelly has been far from perfect, but she has done a pretty good job trying to help Kansas grow with economical development.

Here are Kansas's top projects in 2023 highlighted by the magazine:

• $257 million: Walmart Inc. and subsidiaries in Olathe, 667 jobs
• $168 million: High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Plains, 95 jobs
• $120 million: Kiewit Corporation in Lenexa, 723 jobs
• $114 million: Camso Manufacturing in Junction City, 181 jobs
• $110 million: H&T Kansas in De Soto, 180 jobs
• $93.8 million: Koch Fertilizer in Dodge City, 0 jobs
• $77 million: Marvin Lumber and Cedar Company in Kansas City, 585 jobs
• $71 million: Oppidan in Olathe, 6 jobs
• $54 million: Southwest Plains Dairy in Syracuse, 45 jobs
• $52 million: DSM Nutritional Products LLC in Tonganoxie, 28 jobs
• $45 million: Textron Aviation in Wichita, 5 jobs
• $44 million:Orizon Aerostructures in Chanute, 200 jobs

I believe High Plains Ponderosa is also planning to build yet another massive barn for milking.

There's a large cheese manufacturing plant currently under construction in or around Dodge City.

Integra should start to move forward in the next few months.

There's the other chip plant in Burlington (I think) that should see movement.

I believe there's another large dairy going in out around Greensburg.

I have no idea how many jobs any of those produce off the top of my head, but it shows continued growth and helps set expectations for continued improvement.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Faces of Biomed: Housing affordability, parking 'critical' to growing downtown campus, Fluhr says

We've got a number of projects that are moving or are accelerating forward to time with the opening of biomed. In residential, we're seeing a lot of potential there...

...We're (also) seeing companies that have extreme interest in being adjacent to the biomedical campus. There are a number of things, that are in conversation now, that would allow those types of relationships to be. One of the things that we're going to be working on with Dr. (Gregory) Hand with WSU (College of Health Professions) — as we continue to work on biomed development: What are companies or institutions that they would say it makes sense for these individual companies to be in proximity to us as we go forward? We'll be having the same conversations with (Ascension) Via Christi, because Via Christi is the northern anchor (of the biomedical corridor), and so I think that there are opportunities there to build their campus, as well.

It will be interesting to see what companies end up setting up shop in the area.

The other piece of it: We're getting ready to update Project Downtown. Project Downtown is the strategy that's been driving economic development in the core since 2010. We actually just hit $1.7 billion in completed projects in our downtown. And we have over $760 million that's in the pipeline that will be coming to fruition — so that pipeline is extremely strong. In addition to the parking systems, the master plan is going to continue to address how is it that we really work on the walkability of our downtown, the connectivity. All of those things are going to be really critical, I think, for companies to understand that we're thinking about that, so that it's giving them a viable community. What you'd really love to see happen is that a majority of your workforce that's coming in to support this campus actually lives in the core. So there's that walkability, that they're living in one location in the core and walking to the biomed or related companies that may be associated with the biomedical campus.

Improving the navigational aspect of downtown and making it feel connected and accessible will go a long way.

[Kung Wu]

And speaking of representing the country, or at least attempting to.

KSN - Wichita native makes Olympic trials



He'll compete Thursday in the men's 50 Free.

Outstanding!

[SubGod22]

KSN - Rob Schneider bringing Rescue Husband comedy tour to Wichita

Rob Schneider is bringing his Rescue Husband comedy tour to Wichita later this year.

He is an actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director, as well as a stand-up comic and veteran of Saturday Night Live.

Schneider will be performing at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at TempleLive, 332 E. 1st St. N.

Never really seen/heard his standup, but have generally liked his roles in most movies.

[SubGod22]

And speaking of representing the country, or at least attempting to.

KSN - Wichita native makes Olympic trials

A Wichita swimmer is headed to the Olympic trials this week. The meet marks the pinnacle of a lot of swimmers’ careers.

Drayden Bell learned to swim in Wichita. He was brought up in the city, swimming for nearly a decade with Wichita Swim Club and representing East High as part of their swim team. He’s now a swimmer at the University of Alabama.

For a decade, his ultimate goal was to reach the U.S. Olympic Team Swim Trials, and years of focus and dedication brought him there.

He'll compete Thursday in the men's 50 Free.

[SubGod22]

The kid may be going to KU, but still worth noting of this locals accomplishment.

Eagle - Wichita pole vaulter Bryce Barkdull earns Team USA bid for World U20 Championships

Wichita native Bryce Barkdull will represent Team USA on the world stage later this summer.

The recent Andover Central graduate cleared 17 feet, 8½ inches in the men’s pole vault at the USA Track and Field Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Ore. last Wednesday.

By finishing second in the event, Barkdull punched his ticket as one of two athletes to represent the United States in the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru from August 27-31.

Two days following his U20 performance, Barkdull was back at the prestigious Hayward Field to compete in Nike Outdoor Nationals, where he wrapped up an All-American honor by clearing 17-1¾ to finish in a tie for second place.

[SubGod22]

KAKE - Wichita golfer runner-up at Wichita Open

PGA Tour golfer Sam Stevens is no stranger to the course at Crestview Country Club, but he's never played the course in front of so many people.

"I think playing my home course this week will kind of not be as locked in," Stevens said on Friday. "Just because I'm so used to playing out here, but with people out there, it feels a little bit more like a tournament and kind of keeps me focused for sure."

The annual Wichita Open brought in thousands of golf fans who got to see Stevens' name climb the leaderboard throughout the weekend.

Tournament director Dusty Buell said that he's happy to see this tournament put Wichita on the map for professional golf.

"I love it for the Korn Ferry tour. I love it for Wichita, I love it that we had that piece where our local guy came in just short at the end," Buell said.

Unfortunately, a few bogies in the final round put Stevens in second place at the end, behind Taylor Dickson from North Carolina.

Speaking after his win, Dickson said Stevens put up a great fight.

"My job is to win, but, I mean, he's from here. They should be cheering for him," Dickson said "He's an awesome guy."

Sounds like it was once again a well attended event and Wichita continues to impress. It also goes to support kids with cancer through KU Wichita Pediatrics.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - King of Freight founder's 20-acre development plans push forward in northeast Wichita

Plans are advancing on a major northeast Wichita mixed-use development that could capitalize on — and further propel — growth in one of the fastest-expanding areas of the city.

On 20 acres at the northwest corner of 29th Street and Greenwich Road, King of Freight founder Mike Ricklefs is planning to add what could eventually total over 100,000 square feet of office space for his locally based logistics company.

That's not all.

While Topgolf has been a popular entertainment destination since it opened in late 2022, Morris said the market is ripe for additional options for families. In particular, he highlighted the growing amount of soccer tournaments at Stryker as driving demand for more food, lodging and activity options nearby.

"You got a few hours between games, and the kids need a spot to go," Morris said.

Weigand, who is director of strategic initiatives at J.P. Weigand & Sons, said he and Morris recently attended ICSC Las Vegas, a prominent real estate industry convention with a significant retail focus, where they felt the development's direction was well-received.

"We had some really good traction and conversations about how we're positioning ourselves for that development in the future and got a lot of really good feedback and interest," Weigand said. "That northeast Wichita corridor is positioned for a lot of growth and exciting conceptual ideas that Wichita has not seen before."

Expect to start construction early next year and be done with their King of Freight building by end of '25. Expected to be around a $100M project overall.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Arizona company brings aquarium, butterfly conservatory to Park City's Champtown project

The company behind a massive Arizona attraction is bringing its expertise to what is expected to be the Wichita area's first aquarium.

Arizona Boardwalk, which has eight indoor attractions within a 35-acre entertainment district in Scottsdale, will brings its OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland to Park City's planned Champtown project, a 160-acre, mixed-use development that is slated to cost $500 million.

"The destination’s central location makes it perfect for attracting visitors from all over the region while supporting local businesses and boosting the economy,” Adi Knishinsky, managing partner with Arizona Boardwalk, told the WBJ in an email. “The addition of our aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland will provide excellent educational opportunities for schools and residents as well as endless ways for families to create fond memories at every visit. We can't wait to see the positive impact it will have and are proud to be part of Park City's growth and development.”

Sean Crawford, one of the partners developing Champtown, said Arizona Boardwalk was selected to operate the aquarium for Champtown because of its success in Arizona with OdySea, a 2-million gallon aquarium, and Butterfly Wonderland.

"They built the first profitable aquarium in North America, their Boardwalk is the No. 2 tourist attraction in Arizona behind the Grand Canyon. We are thrilled to have them" Crawford said in an email to WBJ.

Crawford also said the aquarium for the Park City development will operate as a nonprofit.

The new aquarium will be between 80,000 to 100,000 square feet, Knishinsky said, with Butterfly Wonderland adding another 20,000 square feet to the project.

The aquarium is expected to be completed and fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2026.

[SubGod22]

Plan for months of delays if you travel this way.

KSN - 45th Street bridge set for rehabilitation next week

On Monday, June 17, work will begin on the 45th Street bridge over Interstate 135 in north Wichita.

The westbound lane will be closed for rehabilitation work. The work will occur from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Kansas Department of Transportation estimates that work will be complete in October.

During construction, the speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph, and a traffic light will be installed for navigating two-way single-lane traffic.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Group of dads with Wichita ties launch baby product to give parents assist

On Thursday, Wichitans Aaron Courtney, Andy Braselton and Eric Wilson — along with Nathan Doty, who grew up in Wichita and now lives in the Washington, D.C. area — launched the Kanga, a baby stability pouch that securely attaches to shopping carts, wagons, restaurant high chairs and more.

The product is a reimagined version of the Kanga Boo, invented by Braselton's brother and sister-in-law, Phillip and Mandy Braselton, over a decade ago.

"They came up with the idea just because they just had a young one in the age range of the product," Andy Braselton said. "And my sister-in-law was looking for a way to (help) a child, who didn't have much trunk support but could definitely keep his neck up right, to sit up in a grocery cart."

After some initial success via online sales, the homemade Kanga Boo's growth slowed. Enter Matthew 25 Investments, an investment group created by Courtney, Wilson, Doty and Andy Braselton, that took the baton with the concept over a year ago after receiving the inventors' OK.
.....
"The way we've redesigned it, it works on those really popular wagons that families have to push their kids around," said Andy Braselton, adding it can fit in children's swings at the park, as well. "It's able to work in high chairs at restaurants, a variety of other high chairs and grocery carts, including the Target carts which are really big. It also doubles as sort of a changing mat. It folds out, and it's got a pocket for a diaper."

The group is focused on direct-to-consumer online sales and has priced the Kanga, designed for kids ages three months to 1 year, at $49.99.

If they find some success, they hope to move manufacturing and such to Wichita. They also hope to be able to expand into accessories and add-ons.

[ShockTalk]

One of my favorite songs...

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=3697c3e79dce3da7&sca_upv=1&q=little+river+band+reminiscing+videos&tbm=vid&source=lnms&prmd=visnbmt&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ9Oyv1taGAxVRFzQIHb14D4oQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1912&bih=966&dpr=1#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:c485935d,vid:XBETVhHpcPk,st:0

Mine, too.

However, the group has had over 40 different members since 1975. Currently, one member joined in 1980. Another in 2004. The rest all added 2012-20.

[SubGod22]

The Wichita Open begins tomorrow

Eagle - Wichita golfer Sam Stevens returns home to compete in Wichita Open for first time

The 27-year-old Wichita native will compete in the Korn Ferry Tour’s annual stop in his hometown for the first time, as Stevens is one of 156 players in the field competing for a share of a $1 million purse. He will tee off at No. 10 at 7:26 a.m. on Thursday, then No. 1 at 12:41 p.m. on Friday.

Stevens earned his PGA Tour card in 2022 and has notched two top-10 finishes across his 17 starts on the PGA Tour this season. He currently sits in 94th place in the FedExCup Standings.

Five players in the Wichita field are currently ranked in the top-200 of the Official World Golf rankings: Stevens (No. 126), Mason Andersen (No. 152), Peter Kuest (No. 186), Ryan Gerard (No. 188) and Cristobal Del Solar (No. 196).

Six past champions are also included in the field in Wichita: Ben Crane (2000), Scott Piercy (2008), Rob Oppenheim (2015), Ollie Schniederjans (2016), Jared Wolfe (2020) and Ricky Castillo (2023).

Castillo, the reigning champion, was just the 19th player in Korn Ferry Tour history to win in his debut start last year. This season, the 23-year-old has tallied three top-10 finishes in 12 starts and enters No. 25 on the points list.

Looking to follow in the footsteps of Castillo, recent Georgia Tech graduate Christo Lamprecht, who is ranked No. 2 in the PGA Tour University Class of 2024, is set to make his professional debut in Wichita this week.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - National construction supplier Builders FirstSource expands in Valley Center

Dallas-based Builders FirstSource (NYSE: BLDR) broke ground June 3 on a 43,000-square-foot millwork facility at 801 S. Meridian in Valley Center, where the company is situated on a 25-acre campus.

Builders FirstSource is a publicly owned company that supplies structural building products and services for homebuilders. The company serves the construction, distribution and advanced manufacturing industries. It has locations in 43 states and made $17 billion in 2023 sales revenue.

Randy Jackson, area manager for Wichita and western Kansas, said the company's 35,000 square-foot facility had reached capacity.

"The new facility is going to give the warehouse space to triple our window and cabinet volume and the capacity to produce almost 400 pre-hung doors per day," Jackson said. "We currently produce about 40 doors a day, so it's a massive increase."

Should be open before the end of the year.