General News in the 316

[SHOCKvalue]

A couple of things I've never understood with Kellogg expansion over the decades:

Whomever decided to commit to only six lanes needs to be hung out to dry. We are permanently locked into that, and it will never change, short of Kellogg expansion 2.0 over the lifetimes of your children or grandchildren. Traffic loads call for more than that, and Wichita has been growing more rapidly east to west since we converted from horses to cars.

Why no large, substantially-built sound barriers in the residential areas of the older sections. That could be done retrospectively. Go to any other town the size of Wichita or larger and tell me how often you find highway/interstate expansion immediately next to residential land use and there ISN'T a huge sound barrier. Even the sound barriers in the sections done more recently (relative) through the south side of College Hill are tiny, and almost useless.

It's like EVERYTHING done in Wichita - either public infrastructure or private development - is the half-arse version of the real thing. Story of the life of Doo-Dah.

[C0|dB|00ded]

NXTUS betting on Wichita with new startup accelerator program

Apparently hosting a bootcamp of sorts for 10 regional companies.



List of companies and brief description. I'm all for anything that helps promote local entrepreneurship and hopefully future Wichita companies that grow and expand. One such success story is LawnBuddy. They now offer services coast to coast for lawncare and connect people to what they need.

NXTUS launches new round of fintech startup contest



NXTUS is what used to be known as e2e, which we used to talk about quite a bit on the defunct board. They've been big in trying to encourage and support the entrepreneurial spirit in Wichita. I'll have to look into it, but I believe they used to have some space downtown that they offered to let startups use for a certain time to help them get on their feet. If it wasn't them, it was someone that they worked with.

Being able to create some successful startups, especially in tech related fields, doesn't hurt the attraction of Wichita to bigger companies looking to expand or possibly relocate if CA continues to tax and regulate businesses to death.

Speaking of which, [/url=https://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/inno/stories/news/2022/03/07/wichita-startup-plots-path-to-1m-sales-in-2022.html]Wichita startup plots path to $1M in 2022 sales[/url]



He goes on to compliment the entrepreneurial organizations and support for and amongst startups here. He also believes Wichita has what he needs for future talent and growth.

Riverfront Partners has partnered with another Wichita based development company in Bird **** Holdings. No immediate plans for the space, but deals will be made with tenants before construction begins.

No immediate plans lol.

Not to sound like a complete negative bastard but... whatever they put on that PRIME location will be totally underwhelming, guaranteed!

I'm still smoking over the downtown casino not passing. A massive Trump/Ruffin casino hotel would have been built just north of Delano where the beautiful 225 Sycamore apartments now reside. It would have been a game changer for the Delano/Wichita business district.

Instead, we get all the financial drain of a full-size casino and absolutely NONE of the benefits (added hotel rooms, tourist traffic, conventions, tax revenue etc.). Mulvane is laughing at our stupid asses though. Ever been to that town? They could pave their entire downtown in solid gold with the subsidies they receive from Kansas Star. Good for them!

And now the Indians put another ratchety one in Park City. That would have never been built with a substantial casino in downtown Wichita. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee we're stupid.

[AZ Shocker]

No immediate plans lol.

Not to sound like a complete negative bastard but... whatever they put on that PRIME location will be totally underwhelming, guaranteed!

I'm still smoking over the downtown casino not passing. A massive Trump/Ruffin casino hotel would have been built just north of Delano where the beautiful 225 Sycamore apartments now reside. It would have been a game changer for the Delano/Wichita business district.

Instead, we get all the financial drain of a full-size casino and absolutely NONE of the benefits (added hotel rooms, tourist traffic, conventions, tax revenue etc.). Mulvane is laughing at our stupid asses though. Ever been to that town? They could pave their entire downtown in solid gold with the subsidies they receive from Kansas Star. Good for them!

And now the Indians put another ratchety one in Park City. That would have never been built with a substantial casino in downtown Wichita. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee we're stupid.

I was still living in Wichita when this was on the docket. A lady came to our door asking for my signature to "oppose" the casino. I told her I would not sign the opposition letter for her. She immediately came unhinged and actually started arguing with me as to why on green earth would I not sign it. I told her all the benefits it would bring to the city including tax revenue, jobs, tourist, etc....and gave her examples how that would indeed help grow the city. When I was done enlightening her she responded in a calm defeated voice..."but that's when all the whores come in."

A few years later I saw that same lady saying the same thing in the movie Tommy Boy.

[WuDrWu]

I think I like her idea.

[C0|dB|00ded]

I was still living in Wichita when this was on the docket. A lady came to our door asking for my signature to "oppose" the casino. I told her I would not sign the opposition letter for her. She immediately came unhinged and actually started arguing with me as to why on green earth would I not sign it. I told her all the benefits it would bring to the city including tax revenue, jobs, tourist, etc....and gave her examples how that would indeed help grow the city. When I was done enlightening her she responded in a calm defeated voice..."but that's when all the whores come in."

A few years later I saw that same lady saying the same thing in the movie Tommy Boy.

I was going to a mega church at the time and on Sunday, at every entrance, there were fully staffed tables instructing the congregation on how to vote.

I beseeched my fellow brethren to consider the stakes wisely. We WERE going to have a major casino affecting Wichita, it was just a matter of WHERE and how little our backwards town would receive in way of benefits.

The rest is history. We voted for the most damaging choice. And here we are today.

I'm just amazed that we got the downtown arena through. A small team of very dedicated individuals (myself included) picketed, fundraised, did interviews with the local news hacks, walked door to door,... and that referendum BARELY passed. Old George Fahnestock was crying tears of joy on election night. The tide turned when the vote was counted in the east Wichita districts we canvassed. Ol' CB got into a LOT of friendly arguments those Saturday afternoons. Trolling for good. Attempting to save Wichitan's from themselves (sound familiar?).

[abdullah_sharif]

ahhh my church’s is so tasty and they dont tell me how to vote. great place to spend a late morning on a sunday

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ahhh my church’s is so tasty and they dont tell me how to vote. great place to spend a late morning on a sunday

Lifechurch knows how to "church".

Monopolistic predatory franchising for Christ!!!

Get ready little churches in Derby... your congregations are getting vacuumed next!

P.S. Every time I've attended a Lifechurch session, I've felt guilty that I didn't buy a ticket. The music is truly top notch. They are paid professionals btw. None of this volunteer bullshit I suffered through in the independent Baptist church days of my youth...

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

I'm just amazed that we got the downtown arena through. A small team of very dedicated individuals (myself included) picketed, fundraised, did interviews with the local news hacks, walked door to door,... and that referendum BARELY passed. Old George Fahnestock was crying tears of joy on election night. The tide turned when the vote was counted in the east Wichita districts we canvassed. Ol' CB got into a LOT of friendly arguments those Saturday afternoons. Trolling for good. Attempting to save Wichitan's from themselves (sound familiar?).

Thanks for all your hard work on the campaign.




We need to have a 20th anniversary reunion. Get Steve, Kim, Michael, all the gang back together.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Thanks for all your hard work on the campaign.




We need to have a 20th anniversary reunion. Get Steve, Kim, Michael, all the gang back together.

Yours too brother! We were a merry little band of arena activists. Thank Jebus it passed.....

Steve was an animal!

[SHOCKvalue]

But are we REALLY excited about how the downtown arena turned out?

If the "yes" voters are a player tossing a perfect alley-oop on a wide open half court, the folks in charge at the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County are like the third string center who catches the pass and somehow misses the backboard entirely.

There's another half dozen - at least - significant P3 projects involving the city or county over the past few decades where the same can be said, but I won't belabor. Stop voting yes or otherwise supporting P3 projects in the Wichita area. If you live literally anywhere else feel free to throw your support behind such things, but really it's just best if we stop doing so here.

[C0|dB|00ded]

But are we REALLY excited about how the downtown arena turned out?

If the "yes" voters are a player tossing a perfect alley-oop on a wide open half court, the folks in charge at the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County are like the third string center who catches the pass and somehow misses the backboard entirely.

There's another half dozen - at least - significant P3 projects involving the city or county over the past few decades where the same can be said, but I won't belabor. Stop voting yes or otherwise supporting P3 projects in the Wichita area. If you live literally anywhere else feel free to throw your support behind such things, but really it's just best if we stop doing so here.

It was a bloody miracle it passed downtown at 15k basketball seats. If they'd had only allowed for expansion like Bugaha did, it would have been the greatest cultural achievement in Wichita since the 70's. You wouldn't believe the conversations I had with people. Peterhead (john) ran a marvelous misinformation campaign. WHiTe ElePhAnTTTT... No PaRkiNggggg... I confronted the little ****er at the 2016 R primary vote at Century II. Made him eat his words. All he did was give me a ****-eating grin. He has no idea how close he was to inflicting a mortal wound to our downtown redevelopment efforts.

That 30 mo. 1 cent sales tax performed marvelously. Likely 30% of it came from those living outside of Sedgwick County.

The Arena wasn't a shining achievement in its current form, but at least it emits light. Look a couple blocks over at the "waterwalk" failure to get an indication of how it likely should have gone down. A bunch of hype met with zero substance. We deserved a remodeled cow palace in Park City. God smiled down on us though... for once.

[Ta Town Shocker]

Spent the weekend in Omaha and they have 6 lanes both directions through the heart of town. I realize the population is a little larger but it sure seems they had a much better vision for the future than any traffic projects here in Wichita.

I just happened to walk by the plaque of NCAA baseball champions several years back at TD Ameritrade Park. Every visit since I stop by to feel a small sense of pride while looking at Wichita State's name amongst the baseball elite. I was reading one of the other plaques on the history of the tournament and it stated Wichita hosted in 1949 before moving to Omaha. Not sure if anyone knows the story on why Wichita didn't keep the tournament, but would be interested if so.

I know CB has noted Wichita lacks substantially in tech companies. I saw buildings for PayPal and Toast in Omaha. OKC has Paycom. Wichita has Curo touting "financial technology" on their sign here in NW Wichita, although by looking at their business profile they look to be little more than a payday loan store owner.

[shocktheheart]

Spent the weekend in Omaha and they have 6 lanes both directions through the heart of town. I realize the population is a little larger but it sure seems they had a much better vision for the future than any traffic projects here in Wichita.

I just happened to walk by the plaque of NCAA baseball champions several years back at TD Ameritrade Park. Every visit since I stop by to feel a small sense of pride while looking at Wichita State's name amongst the baseball elite. I was reading one of the other plaques on the history of the tournament and it stated Wichita hosted in 1949 before moving to Omaha. Not sure if anyone knows the story on why Wichita didn't keep the tournament, but would be interested if so.

I know CB has noted Wichita lacks substantially in tech companies. I saw buildings for PayPal and Toast in Omaha. OKC has Paycom. Wichita has Curo touting "financial technology" on their sign here in NW Wichita, although by looking at their business profile they look to be little more than a payday loan store owner.

Curo is the parent company of Speedy Cash

[MoValley John]

Spent the weekend in Omaha and they have 6 lanes both directions through the heart of town. I realize the population is a little larger but it sure seems they had a much better vision for the future than any traffic projects here in Wichita.

I just happened to walk by the plaque of NCAA baseball champions several years back at TD Ameritrade Park. Every visit since I stop by to feel a small sense of pride while looking at Wichita State's name amongst the baseball elite. I was reading one of the other plaques on the history of the tournament and it stated Wichita hosted in 1949 before moving to Omaha. Not sure if anyone knows the story on why Wichita didn't keep the tournament, but would be interested if so.

I know CB has noted Wichita lacks substantially in tech companies. I saw buildings for PayPal and Toast in Omaha. OKC has Paycom. Wichita has Curo touting "financial technology" on their sign here in NW Wichita, although by looking at their business profile they look to be little more than a payday loan store owner.

I don't know of what "vision" Omaha has with traffic projects. The streetcar project will begin next year, in conjunction with Mutual of Omaha's new highrise; the city began an express bus that runs from west omaha to downtown, but I really can't think of anything else. The streetcar system has sat on the back burner for 25 years, so I don't think that qualifies as particularly good vision. It would have been visionary had the city executed on the original streetcar plan that was to be completed with the arena in the early 2000's. The bus system doesn't interest me at all. As for the lanes, metro Omaha is expected to surpass the 1,000,000 mark either late this year or next, so all the city has really done is add lanes to an underdevelopped freeway system. Again, 20 years ago, there was talk of actually constructing an outer beltway circling from Iowa to Bellevue, west to Gretna and Noth to Bennington, and around bact to Iowa. None of that has happened. So again, I'm not seeing this great vision.

[Ta Town Shocker]

MoValley John The bar is pretty low when comparing to Wichita. Eastbound Kellogg was under construction from the time I moved to Wichita in the early 2000s until just a couple of years ago. The WB 96 and 135 intersection which is progressing quickly is only about 20 years overdue.

I have limited experience with public transportation. I tried to use it in Portland when the Shox were there several years ago. I ended up renting a car as it was awful. I have rode the rail around Bricktown in OKC and it wasn't too bad.

I'm not an expert by any means but I've traveled around other cities in the area such as KC, Tulsa, Denver, and OKC. To me the highways in Omaha seemed to have plenty of lanes and flowed better than the others mentioned. That said, I did most of my driving in Omaha on Sunday morning when there wasn't much traffic.