General News in the 316

[Kung Wu]

A lot of info from ASM on CII.

"She said that Century II tenants Music Theatre Wichita and Wichita Symphony accounted for eight percent of all event income yet took 45% of Concert Hall’s rental days, making it difficult to book the 2,000-seat theater for other events."

YIKES!

8% of the income is consuming 45% of the days that could be generating revenue. That's ridiculously bad. I mean ludicrously beyond comprehension, mind-boggling bad.

[SubGod22]

"She said that Century II tenants Music Theatre Wichita and Wichita Symphony accounted for eight percent of all event income yet took 45% of Concert Hall’s rental days, making it difficult to book the 2,000-seat theater for other events."

YIKES!

8% of the income is consuming 45% of the days that could be generating revenue. That's ridiculously bad. I mean ludicrously beyond comprehension, mind-boggling bad.

The reasoning behind it is understandable, but it does impact things.

[Kung Wu]

The reasoning behind it is understandable, but it does impact things.

C2 is facing an existential crisis.

If C2 is purposefully meant to be relegated to a forever publicly subsidized play-toy for the Wichita Music Theater and Wichita Symphony with a string of never-ending gun shows, then that's fine, but I don't want to ever hear about renovations of the blue-burger ever again.

If it's meant to be a national class convention center that pulls in national class tours and what-not, then it's in need of a massive renovation and there is NO WAY the public should continue subsidizing 45% of the rental opportunity to organizations generating 8% of the revenue. If C2 is to become a modern convention center, then the Music Theater and Symphony can play there but they have to raise rates, share revenue, give up concessions, and give up the practice time at that location.

It can't be both, and compromises along the way to try and make it be both will just revert it into another half-assed drain on the taxpayers.

[SHOCKvalue]

C2 is facing an existential crisis.

If C2 is purposefully meant to be relegated to a forever publicly subsidized play-toy for the Wichita Music Theater and Wichita Symphony with a string of never-ending gun shows, then that's fine, but I don't want to ever hear about renovations of the blue-burger ever again.

If it's meant to be a national class convention center that pulls in national class tours and what-not, then it's in need of a massive renovation and there is NO WAY the public should continue subsidizing 45% of the rental opportunity to organizations generating 8% of the revenue. If C2 is to become a modern convention center, then the Music Theater and Symphony can play there but they have to raise rates, share revenue, give up concessions, and give up the practice time at that location.

It can't be both, and compromises along the way to try and make it be both will just revert it into another half-assed drain on the taxpayers.

It is an absolutely classic example of the economic concept/theory of highest and best use. Cliff notes: C2 is not the highest and best use of a massive, premier, riverfront parcel of land in a downtown Wichita.

But highest and best use be damned, because by-golly-darn a segment of the Wichita populace loves it in the same way one might sentimentally love a sears christmas catalog or a rotary dial phone with cord. See also: Wichita gonna Wichita... always and forever... and ever.

And none of this is addressing the functional obsolescence that existed because of C2's ridiculous, form over function design, before the sod had even been stripped form the site over 50 years ago.

[Kung Wu]

IMO, the highest and best use would be a 100 story tower with Shockernet having the marquee signage and occupying the top 45 floors, but only paying for 8 of them.

[SubGod22]

More speculative warehousing being sought.

WBJ - Firm seeks IRBs for another spec building in Wichita's Ironhorse Manufacturing Park

The company will request a letter of intent from the Wichita City Council on Tuesday to issue IRBs up to $16.5 million for the construction of a 151,168 square-foot speculative industrial building on the southwest corner of Seneca and MacArthur within the park.

According to a City Council agenda report, the request includes "a sales tax exemption for purchases related to the project as well as a 95% ad valorem tax abatement for the first five years, and a 50% ad valorem tax abatement for the second five years subject to City Council approval after the first five years."

Aspen Funds bought the remaining vacant tracts of land at Ironhorse last year from Jeff Lange's Triple Crown Realty Trust.

"I understand the strength of that area, I understand the manufacturing base in that area," said Dan Schulte, Wichita native and Aspen Funds managing director and chief operating officer, last fall, "... so it made sense to go in there and finish it out."

The agenda report included an analysis by Wichita State University's Center for Economic Development and Business Research finding this latest Ironhorse building project has a cost-benefit ratio to the city of 1.35 to 1.

[SubGod22]

More industrial business coming in the future to SW Wichita.

WBJ - The Paddock industrial park first in Wichita to get state designation

Recently, the Kansas Department of Commerce designated The Paddock, an industrial park being developed by Lange within southwest Wichita's Crossgate District, as a Kansas certified site. It's the first industrial site in the city with that distinction.

That means the platted and shovel-ready park, with 87 developable acres near the southwest corner of MacArthur and Meridian, is one of 10 sites that are a part of Kansas’ database of development-ready sites. The state designation is valid for three years.

"This is just one more ace in our deck that we can play to really develop out this property," said Lange Real Estate's Jeff Lowrance.

To receive the designation as part of the Kansas Certified Sites Program, launched by the Department of Commerce in 2020 to help boost economic development efforts in the state, sites must meet a set of requirements and provide details about location access, price and availability, potential site development costs, utilities and environmental records.

Lowrance said the process took about a year, but that he expects it to be worth it, as the certification gives the site added credibility and exposure to businesses needing industrial space and considering Kansas or the Wichita area.

[SubGod22]

KSN - MBA finals to be played in Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Military Basketball Association finals and championship game will be played in Wichita. The games will run May 26-28.

The majority of games will be played at the Wichita Hoops Center. The championship games will be played at Charles Koch Arena, home of the Wichita State Shockers.

The MBA’s goal is an outlet that allows service members to play basketball and to bring awareness to health concerns that veterans face, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

[SubGod22]

Big name in comedy coming back through Wichita

MSN - Bert Kreischer's 'Tops Off World Tour' coming to Intrust Bank Arena

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Bert “The Machine” Kreischer is bringing his “Tops Off World Tour” to Intrust Bank Arena.

The comedian is best known for his bit, “The Machine,” the true story about how he became involved with the Russian mafia while on a college trip to Russia in the 1990s. It has been made into a movie costarring Mark Hamill set to be released May 26.

In addition to numerous stand-up specials, Kreischer hosts the “Bertcast” podcast and co-hosts the podcast “Two Bears One Cave” with fellow comedian Tom Segura. In addition, he has a successful YouTube cooking show called “Something’s Burning.”

I believe his movie is also premiering soon.


On a somewhat connected note, Joe Gatto, formerly of the Impractical Jokers, is also bringing his standup show to Wichita later this year. He'll be at the Orpheum on December 7th.

And on another comedy related note, Whose Live Anyway? will be performing at the Orpheum on Tuesday, September 26th. I can't remember the 4th guy they had listed, but the other three are Whose Line veterans Jeff Davis, Greg Proops and Ryan Stiles.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - CPA firm with specialized focus now calls downtown Wichita home

A new accounting firm with a national reach is putting down roots in downtown Wichita.

Jorns & Associates, founded in 2021 with a focus on helping businesses obtain economic stimulus funds, has launched its flagship office in the former Pixius building at 301 N. St. Francis.

"Wichita is home," Jorns & Associates president Julie Heang said.

In less than two years, the firm started by Pratt natives and childhood friends Justin Jorns and Tony Swantek, has gone from a team of three — including Heang — to around 400 employees and contractors combined throughout the U.S.

Jorns & Associates has branches in Florida, Ohio, Mississippi and New York. The firm specializes in aiding businesses seeking to obtain the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC).

Very rapid growth is always interesting. It does sound as though they've made their mark in a specific area, they're looking at branching out and providing more services, which one would think would allow them to maintain a stable growth presence as well as retention. They claim to have helped over 13,000 clients already.

[SubGod22]

A cool little addition coming to the heart of Augusta. I really hope it works out and is a success.

WBJ - Back from holiday: Restoration project will reopen 1950s Augusta bowling alley

For five years, The Holiday Bowl in Augusta has sat empty and unused.

Until last year, when Lonny Pace and Alyssa Jameson purchased the building and began work restoring the bowling alley, which initially opened in 1958. A year later, Pace says they hope to reopen the fully restored, "vintage, not retro" alley in a month.

By trade, Pace owns a critical care veterinary clinic in California, but has started to invest in his passions — passions like bowling.

As a boy, Pace lived in the Wichita-area and said he recalls driving through Augusta, but primarily bowled at the Rose Bowl East. He looked at a few alleys available for purchase before finding The Holiday Bowl. He said the alley fit his needs, but the town of Augusta sold him on the purchase.

"(Augusta is) an amazing brick downtown, right out of a Norman Rockwell Painting," Pace said. "There was no question this was the place we wanted to be."

I'm a big fan of smaller communities having life of their own. I come from a small town that I'm hoping will develop a little of that in the future. But a town like Augusta should absolutely have it, and a bowling alley like this could absolutely be a big part of that if it's embraced by the locals. Especially at a time when three of the major bowling alley's in Wichita have been taken over by national chains that have jacked up pricing to make going bowling less of an option in my opinion for those who are more casual about it.

I always enjoyed going bowling with a group of friends or for a fun, casual date with a slight competitive nature. With the way things are now at North Rock, The Alley, and West Acres, I'm much less likely to even consider it. But I could be tempted to go to Augusta and enjoy a cool atmosphere.

[SubGod22]

KSN - Wichita Airport Authority hoping potential grant will help amidst pilot shortage

Romo says many airlines are resorting to replacing smaller airplanes with bigger ones to offset that shortage. According to the Wichita Airport Authority, the number of seats this upcoming quarter will increase by 4% over the same time in 2019. However, the number of flights will decrease by 7%.

Several aviation programs, like Hesston College’s School of Aviation, are working to remedy the shortage. Hesston College currently has 32 students in its aviation program.

Program director Mike Baker says while the employment rate for graduates currently is fairly high, training is a time-consuming process.

“They may range from two to four years that are consistent with our academic degree programs, but flight training may take longer dependent upon the student progress,” Baker said.

However, an airport authority spokesperson says in an email to KSN News that airlines hope to be fully staffed by 2024.

Sounds like ICT is trying to get another east coast connection.

From what I can see, the only direct east coast flights out of ICT are to Atlanta, Orlando, Fort Walton Beach, and Saint Petersburg. I would assume if they're trying to add another direct flight back east it would be to a more northern destination. I'm not a frequent flyer and have no idea where there might be a destination that could make sense, but one would generally think the NYC, Boston, DC, Philly region. The destination in question should be released on or around May 17th.

Discovered this site that shows the direct non-stop flights and the days they're available and such. Looks like you can compare prices and perhaps other things on it.

And just because, the following are the non-stop options out of ICT.

Denver - 5-7 flights per day, every day.
Dallas - 6-7 flights per day, every day.
Chicago - 5 flights per day, every day.
Houston - 3 flights per day, every day.
Atlanta - 2-3 flights per day, every day.
Saint Louis - 1-2 flights per day, every day.
Seattle - 2 flights per day, every day.
Minneapolis - 1 flight per day, every day.
Las Vegas - 2 flights per day, Saturday and Sunday only.
Fort Walton Beach - 1 flight per day, Thursday thru Monday.
Mesa, AZ - 1 flight per day, every day but Tuesday.
Los Angeles - 1 flight per day, Wednesday and Saturday.
Phoenix - 1 flight per day, Saturday and Sunday only.
Orlando - 1 flight per day, Wednesday and Saturday only.
Saint Petersburg - 1 flight per day, Wednesday and Saturday only.

[AndShock]

Would be nice if they added more seats or another flight to Seattle. This summer I’ll be driving to KC to fly out of there instead of ICT for the 3rd straight time due to the price difference.

[ShockTalk]

Would be nice if they added more seats or another flight to Seattle. This summer I’ll be driving to KC to fly out of there instead of ICT for the 3rd straight time due to the price difference.

Just how much difference is there? Also, is it due to the day and time you want to go? Gas alone may eat up most of one ticket difference. There has to be a value to the 6 hours of driving.

[AndShock]

Just how much difference is there? Also, is it due to the day and time you want to go? Gas alone may eat up most of one ticket difference. There has to be a value to the 6 hours of driving.

It’s around $600 difference per and there’s two of us. It is definitely a busy weekend in June but Wichita fills up a lot faster than KC does. I’m not sure how many flights KC has.

I’ll also probably lose that $600 if I leave too early and have time to swing by Hollywood casino but at least I’ll get some added entertainment out of it.