General News in the 316

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KFDI - Agreement approved for biomedical campus in downtown Wichita

Wichita City Council members have approved a preliminary agreement with the University of Kansas and Wichita State University for a project to construct a biomedical campus.

Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said KU and WSU identified two sites for the campus, at 200 South Broadway and at 214 South Topeka. The city will commit to transfer ownership of the properties to the universities, or enter a long-term lease. The city will also commit to constructing parking for the campus, as part of a downtown parking strategy.

Anderson said the city will continue to work with KU and WSU officials over the next few months to determine the size, scope and cost of the project, and that will lead to more formal development agreements. Wichita State University issued a statement Tuesday saying that with $205 million of the necessary $300 million raised for the project, construction on the Wichita Biomedical Campus is expected to start in early 2024 and be completed some time in 2026.

Jeff Fluhr, president of the Greater Wichita Partnership, said the new biomedical campus will provide teaching, research, innovation and new enterprise, and he said it will transform the downtown and the entire Wichita region. He said the campus could generate over $100 million in new investment in downtown over the next seven to ten years, with projects for commercial, residential, retail, hospitality and other new development.

The City Council voted 6-0, with Council member Becky Tuttle abstaining, to approve a memorandum of understanding for the project.

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WBJ - City approves KU-WSU biomedical campus site in downtown Wichita

Once it's built, the new campus — shared by the KU School of Medicine-Wichita, Wichita State University and WSU Tech — could employ as many as 12,000 people over time when you compare it to similar health centers in Houston, Phoenix and Atlanta, said Jeff Fluhr, president of the Greater Wichita Partnership and its affiliated Downtown Wichita organization.

"That's another Spirit AeroSystems — in health care," Fluhr said.
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The activity — located in a cluster of other recent downtown redevelopment projects — is estimated to spur $100 million in new investment over the next 7 to 10 years, Fluhr said, consisting of new residential, restaurant, office and other uses.

"The central location takes advantage of existing infrastructure and has services and amenities that support urban campus life," Fluhr told the Council. "Things such as conference facilities, gathering places, urban plazas, food and beverage establishments, lodging, hospitality, a growing diverse residential base, and commercial offices. Of significance, it uniquely provides a walkable environment for a creative culture of business and support services."
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Fluhr said the timing is right as Wichita grows its global prominence in aerospace engineering, advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. The biomedical campus, he said, could help put Wichita on the map in the area of medical research.

"Leading academic medical care and bioscience campuses in cities such as Houston, Atlanta and Phoenix are moving quickly towards breakthroughs," he told the Council. "... They are cultivating new enterprises, venture capital, and accelerating their respective cities' development."

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I'm sure some of you have a history with Kirby's Beer Store; they now have a companion.

Eagle - Kirby's Beer Store now has a sister business right next door: Kirby's FlipSide

Recently, Kirby’s co-owner and pinball enthusiast Ryan Bell opened a pinball arcade called Kirby’s FlipSide immediately to the west of Kirby’s, taking over part of a big space that was most recently home to a laundromat. The business, which he says will offer players an “elevated pinball experience,” started its soft opening on July 25 and will celebrate its grand opening on Aug. 12. In the meantime, the doors are open.

The new business at 3227 E. 17th St., which at 600 square feet is exactly the same size as Kirby’s, is filled with 17 pinball machines that will cycle in and out (and Bell has a couple more machines next door at Kirby’s that people can play as well.) Among the themed machines he has on the floor now are The Sopranos, Indiana Jones, Rick and Morty, Star Wars, Halloween and a Beatles-themed machine.

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Visit Wichita getting around. This time in Tulsa

KTUL - Consider Visiting Wichita, Kansas For Your Next Travel Destination!

No text to link as it's just a news/talk interview with video. Click link to watch.

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Eagle - Exploration Place installs sensory garden, carpet that gives bird's eye view of city

A “magic carpet” that provides a bird’s eye view underfoot and a sensory garden on what had been an oft-unused observation deck overlooking the Arkansas River are two new spaces at Exploration Place that will be celebrated with a grand opening starting Friday, Aug. 4.

The Magic Carpet installation features a new customized carpet, along with information panels, based on satellite imagery of a 26.2-mile stretch — the equivalent of a marathon —of the Arkansas River. The carpet covers the floor of the 145-foot walkway connecting the entrance and exhibition sections of the science museum.

The sensory garden, accessed by a door between the Explore Kansas and Kansas in Miniature exhibition spaces, features 10 planter boxes filled with more than 50 plant species and two metal sound-making sculptures that can be played. Visitors can also create a tornado in a water-filled structure on the patio, a nod to the popular tornado-making machine inside the Explore Kansas area. A curvy bench, shaded with two umbrellas, provides a place for visitors to sit and enjoy the garden and the view across the Arkansas River.

They just set a record for attendance and over the next handful of years I'm sure it will be set again as Exploration Place has a lot of plans to make their facility, and the land around it, bigger and better.

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Not downtown, but apparently a need in northwest Wichita.

WBJ - Luxury apartment development to bring over 100 new units to northwest Wichita

Developer Mike Brand said the goal is for the project to wrap by May 1, 2024.

"It's going to be a first-class facility," said Brand, managing partner of the development effort.

Brand said other partners in Liberty Gardens include Bob Crager, Tim Donovan, whose Cradon LLC is listed in city-county records as the owner of the land, and Brandon Wilson, the founder and former leader of Icon Structures.

Liberty Gardens will include four, three-story apartment buildings. It will be a gated community and have garage and additional covered parking on site.

"It's going to have a gorgeous clubhouse," Brand said of the amenities, which will include a pool, picnic and barbecue areas, a dog wash and plenty of green space.

Commerce Construction Services is the general contractor and SPT Architecture is the architect on the project.

According to city-county records, new commercial building permits for Liberty Gardens have a combined valuation of more than $12.3 million.

Near 135th and 13th.

Article also says to watch out for an increase of apartment development between Maize and Bel Aire in the near future.

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I didn't realize that the properties in question included the entirety of the stretch along Broadway between English and William. I'm not sure if I've simply overlooked that or if it simply hadn't been stated.

Can't wait to see what this does to the area over the next 5-10 years.

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Off topic a bit but for all of the bad things associated with the Steven family, their sports complex in Goddard has pumped life and growth into a community that has been stagnant for over a decade. Pains me to say it but they deserve some credit for that venture.

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WBJ - Spirit AeroSystems has new partnership to research hypersonic travel

That includes exploring advances in high temperature in-situ process monitoring techniques, certification of carbon and ceramic composites, additively manufactured alloys and other processes, a news release says. They will also study techniques for materials that can withstand extreme heat and harsh environments for aerospace platforms, including thermal protection systems.

"Efficiently producing these advanced material types will advance American manufacturing and do so with lower emissions through the Department of Energy's Industrial Demonstration Program," said Sean Black, who is senior vice president, chief technology officer and chief engineer at Spirit, in the news release. "With the right manufacturing techniques, machines, and tools capable of reaching a rate on products, paired with the right approach to manufacture advanced materials and a relentless drive to optimize, means success in designing and modeling fully integrated commercial and defense aerospace systems."

Based outside of Knoxville, Tenn., the Oak Ridge Laboratory Manufacturing Demonstration Facility is considered the nation's largest advanced manufacturing research facility that focuses on analysis and simulation, composites and polymer systems, metal powder systems, metrology, machine tooling, robotics, automation and other techniques.

This could eventually lead to something huge for the industry and Wichita manufacturing that has an ever growing defense and space market.

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KAKE - Forbes ranks Wichita 12th best place in U.S. for young professionals

Wichita has been ranked 12th best place to live for young professionals in the United States, according to a report from Forbes.

The report also found the Wichita metro area to be ranked the 2nd lowest for average rent, at $1,003 and 9th lowest in median home prices, at $203,900.

“Wichita - the Heart of the Country- is overflowing with passionate people of all ages and young professionals are especially important in creating a thriving and lively community,” said Susie Santo, president and CEO at Visit Wichita. “It’s exciting to see Wichita ranked highly as a city that offers ample home ownership and employment opportunities, as well as great quality of life.”

OKC and KCMO were also high on the list.

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This is the type of young mind you want to keep from getting away.

WBJ - Wichita teen's health startup is among 9 finalists in NXTSTAGE pilot competition

A Wichita-born startup is in the running.

Medic All, which offers free consultations, medical tests and prescriptions to eliminate barriers to care, was founded by Wichita Collegiate School senior Ayaan Parikh.

Four years ago, Parikh, 17, said he read "The Physics of the Future" by Michio Kaku, which started him down the path of technological exploration — namely in medicine. Parikh, who would like to study medicine and business, founded Medic All last year.

The startup, which uses tele-health services from accredited volunteers, has six members on its board of directors, three advisors and eight part-time employees.

Around 20 physicians, nurses, psychologists and exercise practitioners are consulting with more than 40 patients throughout Kansas in this test pilot program in which all services are free.

Along with following all HIPA guidelines, Medic All works with clinics across the state.

By being a part of the NXSTAGE competition, Parikh, who serves as the organization's executive director, says he sees his startup growing.

The fact that he read and understood Kaku, who is freaking brilliant, and it inspired him tells me this kid has limitless potential. I love listening to Dr. Kaku, but I've tried reading one of his books and it's complex. Not poorly written, just above my ability to process and comprehend on an adequate level. Though maybe I'll try again.

Others in the running:

• Reddii Health, New York City: Offers a platform for Type 1 diabetes patients that gamifies real-time glucose data using fun, supportive and educational features that engage the user
• The GONO Food Finder, Minneapolis, Minn.: App defines whether foods are good or bad for medical conditions and wellness goals, evidenced by unbiased, peer-reviewed medical studies
• Medic All, Wichita: A tele-medical nonprofit that offers free consultations, medical tests and prescriptions to eliminate barriers to care
• Myri Health, Norman, Okla.: An evidence-based postpartum resource that provides personalized rehabilitation based on delivery type, communities for parents to connect and tracking resources in a low-cost, mobile app format
• Pear Suite, Tulsa, Okla.: Empowers community health workers to meet the social and health needs of older adults, Medicaid members, and other underserved groups through a social care navigation platform.
• Polco, Madison, Wisc.: Helps government officials understand constituent satisfaction with public services, gather public input and make data-informed decisions
• Remble, Tulsa, Okla.: A mental health app with courses, activities, and tools created by licensed therapists
• Serenity, Denver, Colo.: Brings together everyone providing care for older adults on a single platform
• Welfie, San Diego, Calif.: A health equity platform delivering health and education equity to families on Medicaid via community health workers

Personally, I'm intrigued by GONO, Medic All and Remble.

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Not sure if this is good news or bad news.

KAKE - Riverfront development future in question as land by stadium could be sold back to the city

Wichita Riverfront Limited Partnership says it wants to sell back two acres near Riverfront Stadium to the city for the same price.

"The development was an integral part of the entire deal," says Jordan Kobritz with Wichita Riverfront Limited Partnership. "We needed it in order to bring people to the ballpark."

Kobritz said that this is the company's exit ramp from negotiations with the city, and EPC Real Estate Group, after development negotiations that he says were not going anywhere.

He also said that the he sold the Wind Surge back in December, and while nothing is certain in the development plan, having a wider array of businesses near the ballpark will be important for the future success of the team and the city.

"I am proud of the history of the Wind Surge," Kobritz said. "I was part of it from day one. And I'd like to think they're in good hands. And I think they're on the road to being an integral part of this community for generations. I certainly hope so. And I think development around the ballpark will help them get there."

The original plan that was drafted back in 2019 and updated last year included a hotel, bars and restaurants, and stores in the area surrounding the ballpark.

This Kobritz cat makes it sound like the partnership, the city, and the real estate group all had different ideas about how to proceed and that has held up movement. I'm not sure I completely buy that as plans were laid out and I'm pretty sure everyone was on board with what we thought was going to go up down the right field line.

Hopefully somebody will move in and develop the area like was planned. I would think there's a lot of opportunity and potential to do what we've previously seen. Especially with the continued growth of downtown and the coming biomedical campus as well.

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A little more info on the Riverfront development.

WBJ - Wichita City Council vote could unstick development around Riverfront Stadium

On Tuesday, the City Council will vote on whether to buy back around two acres from Wichita Riverfront Limited Partnership, the development group involving the Wind Surge's previous owners, for $2. It would then sell the land — for the same price — to Overland Park-based EPC Real Estate Group, which was already a part of development plans to the east of the stadium.

On Tuesday, the City Council will vote on whether to buy back around two acres from Wichita Riverfront Limited Partnership, the development group involving the Wind Surge's previous owners, for $2. It would then sell the land — for the same price — to Overland Park-based EPC Real Estate Group, which was already a part of development plans to the east of the stadium.

EPC has plans that I'm guessing the city is on board with but the partnership group was not, for whatever reason.

According to the agenda report, there are shifts in the potential future make-up of the Ballpark District.

The report still highlights the hotel, but instead of two, six-story office buildings, EPC is now proposing a 150-unit apartment complex. Plans also call for 10,000 square feet of retail space and a 260-stall parking garage.



The city will provide up to around $11.3 million in pay-as-you-go tax increment financing district revenue, according to the report, as well as about $900,000 in industrial revenue bonds and a sales tax exemption to help finance construction.

If the Council votes to approve development agreement changes, it would also convey to WRLP two additional parcels in the area — which the entity had already purchased — without development requirements.

Sounds like the ownership group still owns land beyond left field which didn't have any requirements attached.

So it sounds like we will get a hotel, some retail space and some apartments along with the parking garage.

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They axed the pedestrian bridge too - a major aesthetic and functional component to the whole development, and part of the original sales pitch to Wichita taxpayers. Money was there for it at some point, but it just evaporated into the pockets of who knows who. Nice little City of Wichita slight of hand there. A skill they have polished to a fine jewel luster by this point in time.

And city development staff allowed the use of good ol’ high class gravel on the new parking lots to the immediate west of the ballpark. Such a Wichita move. Armpit gonna armpit.