General News in the 316

[MoValley John]

That's a "C'mon man"... 99% of Wichita emissions end up in Nebraska; just ask MoValley John

Maybe.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Ascension converts St. Francis unit to serve cardiothoracic patients

Sounds like it is aimed at improving the post surgery recovery needed.

Ascension Via Christi has converted 4SW, a former medical/surgical unit at St. Francis hospital, into a Cardiothoracic Progressive Care Unit (CTPCU).

With the goal of improving outcomes for patients undergoing structural heart, vascular and cardiothoracic procedures and surgeries, the new 16-bed unit will have private rooms and serve as an extension of the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU) at the Wichita hospital, according to a news release.

A physician- and nursing-lead initiative, the new unit is in keeping with the best practices of other high-performing heart care centers, said Missi King, service line director for Cardiovascular Services at Ascension Via Christi.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Wichita cracks top 10 in national luxury apartment report

StorageCafe specifically highlighted 225 Sycamore, a luxury apartment complex in Delano, and Seventeenth Apartments, a multi-building apartment complex targeted toward college students.

River Vista and The Baltimore are additional Class A downtown pieces of the city's luxury apartment footprint.

StorageCafe defines luxury apartments "as apartments with the following improvement rates: A+, A, A- and B+, based on a patented property rating categorization from Yardi Matrix." The attractiveness of the architecture, unit size, uniqueness of floor plans, amenities and construction quality all play a role in the ratings.

Link to the original study results

Wichita lures in lifestyle renters with amenity-laden communities


Some of Wichita’s best attributes are an affordable cost of living and a dynamic economy centered around manufacturing and aviation, with companies such as Spirit AeroSystems, Cessna, Bombardier Learjet and Koch Industries being major employers in the area.

One attribute for which Wichita, Kansas, might not be on everyone’s radar is luxury living – however, almost 95% of the over 2,600 apartments built in the city over the past decade are premier apartments, helping the city rank 10^th nationally. Luxury apartments in Wichita are, on average, 130 square feet larger than the non-luxury units.

One of Wichita's recent premier communities, 225 Sycamore, offers features such as an infinity-edge pool, a golf simulator, a sea salt sauna, a hammock garden and much more. Similarly, the student housing sector in Wichita is also aiming to impress. The Seventeenth, a multi-building apartment complex that caters mainly to college students, offers a mix of stylish amenities and eco-friendly features, including lounge pools, sand volleyball courts, grilling stations, stainless steel appliances and smart thermostats.

I will keep talking about the need for more luxury apartments in downtown. Not that they can't be offered elsewhere, but if we're trying to make something of the center of the city, you absolutely have to have people living down there. And being that it's relatively affordable to do so, we were ranked #1 in that category in another report, there's no reason not to.

I really hope that when they announce plans for Riverfront Village that a fairly large apartment offering is a part of it. I know they'll be tempted with office space, but I do think that there's an energy developing downtown that can be capitalized on with this area. Street level shops and restaurants just off the river with three to five levels of apartment offerings above them. Based on the renderings and my horrible ability to guess at things, I think there would be a minimum of 100 new apartments in that development. Those businesses that would go in there would benefit from those living on top of them, as well as the offices and hotel down at Ballpark Village. And there are a number of already established small businesses in that area that would definitely welcome the boost and extra foot traffic.

For someone who doesn't go downtown, I get way too excited about the possibility of what could be and the images I get in my head.

[SubGod22]

AOL - Building that once held Wichita's Walt's Klassics to be auctioned, must be moved off lot

Bidding will start at $5,000. An open house, where prospective buyers can view the building, is set for 4 to 6 p.m. on July 18.

Walt’s Klassics, which opened in 1997, had its last day of business on March 30. Shannon Seiter, who for 25 years ran the restaurant that her parents Ken and Lou Dobbs owned, made an emotional post on the restaurant’s Facebook page announcing the closing. She now works at the Walt’s at 800 E. Ross St. in Clearwater and says she misses her customers from Kellogg and Tyler.

You can buy it, but you also have to move it. Lange is planning on developing that lot with two new restaurants, but nothing specific has been announced just yet.

[SubGod22]

Interesting

KAKE - Valley Center, Kansas company hoping to build state's first-ever 3D-printed home community

VALLEY CENTER, Kan. (KAKE) - The City of Valley Center is in talks to build Kansas’s first-ever community of 3D-printed homes.

The development would include at least 100 multifamily homes, with a focus on duplexes, for rent. City Administrator Brent Clark said the speed at which these could be built would help address the city’s housing issue.

“I've only seen toys, you know, or shoes we said be 3D-printed, so house is kind of a big deal,” Tempa Huffman, who lives in Valley Center, said.

The project is in partnership with the Crain Company 3D, or CC3D. The city sold the land, near Ford and Dexter Avenue in Valley Center, to the Kansas company earlier this week.

I always talk about surrounding areas doing more to promote growth and offering something different. Well, the new Amazon facility in Park City is promoting the growth and Valley Center is offering something different with this. I need to know more about these homes and may look into it, but it's an interesting concept and if it provides a solid home and is cheaper to produce than great for them.

The article did say that Valley is expecting about a 35% growth in the next few years mostly due to the Amazon facility.

[SubGod22]

I don't have a link to it as I've only seen it posted on FB, but the Wind Surge have announced that they are, for the first time, going to host a high school football game. The 60th annual Holy War between Kapaun and Carroll will take place downtown on Friday, October 7th at 7pm.

It appears to be a two year agreement so I suppose each school will be host once. I believe games like this used to be played at Cessna Stadium from time to time.

Riverfront Stadium to Host High School Football Rivalryc

The Surge announces Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel at Riverfront Stadium

The Wichita Wind Surge announced today they will host their first high school football game, the 60th anniversary of the “Holy War” featuring rivals Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt. Carmel at Riverfront Stadium. The game will be played on Friday, October 7 at 7 pm.

“Hosting football games at Riverfront Stadium was always part of the plan when we designed the facility,” said Wind Surge Partner/CEO Jordan Kobritz. “We proved last year it could be done seamlessly when we hosted the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference championship game. The Bishop Carroll/Kapaun Mt. Carmel matchup, the premier high school game in Wichita, will allow both players and fans to enjoy a Wichita tradition in a first-class venue.

“I want to thank the leadership at Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mt Carmel for their cooperation in making the game at Riverfront Stadium a reality.”

[SubGod22]

Visit Wichita - Frontiers in Flight: McConnell Air Force Base Open House & Air Show

McConnell Air Force Base is opening its gates to the public during the Frontiers in Flight Open House and Airshow, September 24-25, 2022! Come and see how Team McConnell contributes to the Air Capital of the World as the true Home of Air Refueling.

The base will be open to the public and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds are scheduled to perform.

Admission is completely FREE to the public!

I don't recall this being posted in here, but I know we've talked before about not having an air show in a while. I believe this is the first one in four years and the legendary Thunderbirds will be on display.

[ShockerDropOut]

WBJ - Ascension converts St. Francis unit to serve cardiothoracic patients

Sounds like it is aimed at improving the post surgery recovery needed.

My wife had a heart valve transplant at St. Francis in 2019. The care in the CTICU was top notch. We did have concerns when she was discharged from CTICU onto the floor. This was approximately 4 days post op. Although the nursing was generally adequate, it was a FAR step below what we had previously experienced. All that said, I think this will be a big plus for patient outcomes.

I will say this about the doctors and nurses we came in contact with during this trying time, they were exceptional in both professionalism and skill. I will be forever grateful for everything they did so save her life. I still carry a list of our doctors and nurses in my phone. They are very special people.

[WstateU]

Visit Wichita - Frontiers in Flight: McConnell Air Force Base Open House & Air Show



I don't recall this being posted in here, but I know we've talked before about not having an air show in a while. I believe this is the first one in four years and the legendary Thunderbirds will be on display.

[SubGod22]

Definitely outside of the metro, but I'm putting it here anyway.

WBJ - Special report: $25M gift to McPherson College is among largest to a Kansas college

"Learning McPherson is the only college in the U.S. with a four-year degree in automotive restoration, as well as being extremely impressed with each individual we had met from the college, we wanted to get involved and raise awareness for the college," Richard Lundquist, a real estate developer, wrote in an emailed response to questions.

Since then, the Lundquists have become regular supporters of the college. In 2019, they gifted $1 million to the auto restoration program, and earlier this month donated the first Ferrari to the program.

Beyond the $25 million gift, Schneider says the relationship with the Lundquists is going to benefit McPherson College for many years. Richard Lundquist has been elected to the school's board of trustees, and he said he plans to advise the college in the area of real estate development as McPherson looks to modernize its campus.

"This is a big win for the small, private (colleges) in Kansas, I think," Schneider said. "Here are a couple of folks who could do whatever they want, and they look around and they build a relationship with us and they believe in what we're doing, and I think this is a big win for all of us."

McPherson is just up the road and I believe a few on this board have some connections there.

[SubGod22]

Wichita by EB - What's Happening This Weekend in Wichita (July 8-10)

■ A Summer of Magic: Harry Potter Dome Theater Experience | July 8
Where: Exploration Place
Exploration Place is bringing the world of Harry Potter to Wichita! Each week our wizard and muggle guests will watch one movie in the series on the dome screen with booming surround sound. Before the show, participate in themed classes and interactives provided by a variety of Hogsmeade shops and magical places. Butterbeer will flow freely and there will be an opportunity to take home muggle artifacts.

■ Nico Hernandez Returns | July 9
Where: Koch Arena
Dubbed a homecoming event for Hernandez, “Nico Hernandez Returns” will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, at Charles Koch Arena. It will meld professional boxers with elite-level amateur fighters and will be the kickoff to a new fight series presented by Ares Entertainment titled “USA Fight Night.” The feature bout of the professional-level portion of the event will feature Nico Hernandez taking on a competitor to be announced in the coming days. In total, there will be five amateur bouts and five professional fights, all card and bouts subject to change.

A number of other things going on this weekend as well. There will be baseball, arena football, some arts related activities, some car related activities, farmers markets, some cultural options, and it's time for bacon, bourbon and brews again.

[SubGod22]

PR Newswire - Zillow names the best U.S. metros for singles to move to for love in 2022

Wichita, Kansas, ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for singles looking to relocate to find love. Despite not having one of the largest singles populations, Kansas' main metropolitan area rose to the top of the ranking largely because of its incredible affordability. Out of all metros analyzed, it has the highest share of rental units affordable to singles, leaving single residents with more disposable income to spend on dating and social activities, which could increase the likelihood of finding a match. Filling out the top five are Austin, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Denver, Colorado; and San Antonio, Texas.

"Remote work has opened up housing possibilities all over the country," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow home trends expert. "If untethered from an office, singles can move to places that offer more affordability and a vibrant singles scene. Metro areas like Wichita, where your housing dollar stretches further, are particularly appealing at a time when, nationally, rents are nearly 16% higher than last year."

This is funny because I'm pretty sure a month or two ago there was a list of worst places for singles and I believe Wichita was ranked as one of the five worst places, along with KC. I believe that report had more to do with social and night life opportunities and less to do with affordability, which of course a company like Zillow will be more focused on.

And I honestly hadn't thought about this aspect of remote working allowing people to pack up and move to more affordable cities where their money would go farther. Which is odd, because when I was with my last company, I'd talked to my boss about the prospect of moving for a change of scenery and if that would be acceptable and she was all about whatever would keep me happy. I never did move, but it had less to do with a better cost of living, though I did look at those things, and more to do with a change of scenery and possibly pushing me out of my comfort zone.

Anyway, Wichita is either the best place for singles or one of the worst.

[SubGod22]

This is a good get for IBA and quite the list of names.

West Fest Featuring Ice Cube and Cypress Hill; With Special Guests Bone Thugs N Harmony and Ying Yang Twins

Inner HS SG right now is pretty stoked about this announcement. I grew up listening to all sorts of music, but BTNH, Cube and Cypress Hill were a big part of my younger days. Still break them out from time to time and would probably be more excited about BTNH. I did get a little taste of Cypress Hill at Riverfest a few years back as I was walking around with a friend from out of town. Had we not had her kids with us we probably would have stayed.

[SubGod22]

KSN - See what the average commute is in Wichita

• Average commute: 20.2 minutes
• Workers with a 1+ hour commute: 2.9%
• Workers who drive to work: 91.9%
• Workers who carpool to work: 9.1%
• Workers who take public transportation to work: 0.4%
• Workers who work from home: 4.6%
• Left for work from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.: 13.3%
• Worked outside the county of residence: 32.17%

My commute is above the average. And I do work outside my county of residence.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Definitely outside of the metro, but I'm putting it here anyway.

WBJ - Special report: $25M gift to McPherson College is among largest to a Kansas college



McPherson is just up the road and I believe a few on this board have some connections there.

Jay Leno has also donated a lot of money to the university. I believe his was $10 million a while back.