General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

KSN - Cirque Italia coming to Wichita in April

Cirque Italia is coming to Towne East Square, 7700 E. Kellogg Dr., from April 4 through April 7.

The show will take guests on an “exhilarating” expedition in search of a pirate’s booty.

“The story begins with our Ringmaster ‘Clown Rafinha’ fishing when he unexpectedly catches a bottle with a treasure map stuffed inside. His ensuing journey takes the audience through storms on the high seas, dreams of angelic aerialists, pirate fights, and more. You will see swashbucklers balancing upside down on a rum barrel, juggling knives, and even one having a run-in with a mermaid. Your jaws will be dropped and you will be hanging on the edge of your seats with our suspenseful Crossbow act and our dangerous Wheel of Death performances. Try not to flinch and look away if you don’t want to miss any of the excitement! Will Clown Rafinha finally defeat the other pirates who are after his treasure and claim it for himself? You’ll have to see our show for yourself to find out,” said Cirque Italia.

Show times:

• Thursday, April 4 – 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, April 5 – 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, April 6 -1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, April 7 – 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The box office, located on-site, will open on Tuesday. On days with no scheduled shows, the box office will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On days with a scheduled show, the box office will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

[SubGod22]

KMUW - Wichita Jazz Collective set to debut Thursday at Walker's Jazz Lounge

The Wichita Jazz Collective will make its debut Thursday, March 28, at Walker’s Jazz Lounge.

The 17-piece big band was assembled by Jim Pisano, Wichita State University assistant professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies, and Joel Boettger, assistant professor of Music and director of bands at Bethel College.

Pisano says that he and his colleagues had discussed assembling such an ensemble for some time, but finding a venue to accommodate the idea presented a problem. How to take the music out of a concert hall and into a club?

“There was never really a space where we could do it,” Pisano says. “There are some wonderful venues in town, but there were always logistical concerns. How could we do this in one space on a consistent basis?”

Enter Walker’s, which opened in late 2023 in Old Town.

“When they opened, we thought, ‘Wow, we can possibly have a regular place for a big band to play.’”

The idea, Pisano says, allows area musicians who may not play together on a regular basis the chance to do so.

I'd forgotten about Walker's.

Has anyone been? I know there are some jazz fans amongst us.

[ShockBand]

KMUW - Wichita Jazz Collective set to debut Thursday at Walker's Jazz Lounge



I'd forgotten about Walker's.

Has anyone been? I know there are some jazz fans amongst us.

Nice venue, cozy. Seats probably 60 at most. Drink prices to me are high, but I imagine they are in line with other upscale places. Just a few light food items, like charcuterie and hummus boards. They have a 17 piece big band playing tonight, and that will definitely fill the room with sound!

[Kung Wu]

I believe I heard that Towne East is adding 2 or 3 more tenants and seems full. Anybody on the west side have any idea why Towne West is in such a state? I would think that west Wichita along with Goddard, Maize, Haysville, and Valley Center which seem to be closer to Towne West would give it plenty of support.

My take on the situation (not even worth two cents) ...

Location
---
1) Kellogg + Rock location - one of the most premier locations in Wichita

Amazingly easy access.
Close to middle and upper middle income residences.
Tons of other strip malls nearby with quality tenants and extraordinary foot traffic/car counts.

2) Town West location - the worst engineered portion of Kellogg?

Annoyingly awkward access to/from Kellogg, Maple has too low of car counts to matter.
Lower income housing to the north and east. Some middle income to the west.
Very few surrounding businesses draw attention to TW.

The Mall
---
1) Towne East

Kept modern and fresh
Well lit
Parking lot well maintained
A generally good mix of modern and relevant tenants

2) Towne West

Last renovated while Reagan was President?
Funeral homes are cheerier
Parking lot appears to be repaired by Band-Aid
Rubber dog turds aren't that funny any more and there isn't much else to shop for

[ky-mike]

Just read on FB that Towne West closed today. Doors were locked and the vendors within the mall had no access to their stores. The larger national chains there are still open but the mall itself is effectively closed.

Kohan hasn't spoken to anyone that pays rent at the mall or any media about any of this.

This really sucks for the small businesses trying to make a living and I feel really bad for them. They apparently have some small business chat to keep each other up to date on these things since nobody from the mall ever communicates with them.

The local news (Kentucky) posted a news story today about the closure. It's not just Wichita, but several malls owned by the same group have had temporary closures for failure to pay utility bills.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Downtown Vitality Index: How Downtown Wichita's comeback compares

Wichita ranks among the strongest when it comes to downtown recovery after the pandemic.

That’s according to the latest Downtown Vitality Index from The Business Journals, which analyzed a variety of metrics affecting downtown activity to determine which central business districts are best positioned for success in the post-pandemic world.

Wichita posted a Downtown Vitality Index score of 66.71, which ranked second among the 44 markets analyzed by The Business Journals.

That score is based on a weighted formula that looked at these factors:

• Downtown office commercial real estate trends
• Urban/central business district hotel occupancy
• Percentage of individuals working from home
• Downtown cellphone activity compared to pre-pandemic levels
• Public-transit ridership trends
• Metro population growth momentum

The formula is weighted, with office space trends, work-from-home percentage and downtown cellphone activity among the heaviest-weighted factors. With the exception of downtown cellphone activity, the category scores are compiled using percentiles that show how downtowns around the nation compare. A score of 0 is worst and a score of 100 is best.

Those obviously aren't the only factors that contribute to downtown vitality, but this project aims to put downtown recoveries in context and spotlight standout performers in these metrics in conjunction with our recent Future of Cities event.

Top 10 for reference

Miami, FL
Wichita, KS
Nashville, TN
Cincinnati, OH
Orlando, FL
Tampa, FL
Honolulu, HI
Albany, NY
Raleigh, NC
Greensboro, NC

Bottom 10 for reference, starting at dead last

San Francisco, CA
Portland, OR
Pittsburgh, PA
Denver, CO
Seattle, WA
Chicago, IL
St. Louis, MO
Minneapolis, MN
Philadelphia, PA
Louisville, KY

[WstateU]

WBJ - Downtown Vitality Index: How Downtown Wichita's comeback compares



Top 10 for reference

Miami, FL
Wichita, KS
Nashville, TN
Cincinnati, OH
Orlando, FL
Tampa, FL
Honolulu, HI
Albany, NY
Raleigh, NC
Greensboro, NC

Bottom 10 for reference, starting at dead last

San Francisco, CA
Portland, OR
Pittsburgh, PA
Denver, CO
Seattle, WA
Chicago, IL
St. Louis, MO
Minneapolis, MN
Philadelphia, PA
Louisville, KY

Not to bring in politics, but the bottom 10 are interesting, especially 1.

[SubGod22]

Eagle - Wichita cracks top 5 of Forbes' best cities to move to in 2024. Why it ranked so high

If you’re wanting to move away from Wichita anytime soon, a new ranking may change your mind.

A recent analysis from Forbes Home named the city fourth in its list of best places to move to in 2024, citing things like employment rates, housing costs and median family incomes. Wichita ranked right below Oklahoma City, Okla., and right above Colorado Springs, Colo. The top city to move to this year, according to the publication, is Omaha, Neb.

So, how does Wichita’s affordability compare to the other cities on this list? Here’s what to know.

Scoring 80.02 out of 100, Wichita gained a top spot by having a low median monthly housing cost of $930, lower than all of Forbes’ top five cities. The median family income in Wichita is $60,856, with an employment rate of 98%, according to Forbes. The company found its information through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, MIT’s Living Wage Project, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and NeighborhoodScout, a real estate platform.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Coming soon: Construction slated to begin this month on Wichita's first Love's Travel Stop

Get ready to see dirt moving at the site of Wichita's first Love's Travel Stops location.

The Oklahoma City-based company with a national footprint confirmed Monday that — weather-permitting — construction is scheduled to start next week at the northwest corner of I-135 and 21st Street within the ICT21 Industrial District. The store is expected to open by the end of the year.

"Love's is excited to join the Wichita community, serving customers with the clean spaces and friendly faces we are known for," the company said in an email. "Love’s chooses locations on highway corridors that are known to be highly trafficked by our customers and underserved by our current locations. This location off I-35 in Wichita will allow customers to get the services they need while traveling this stretch of the country and get back on the road quickly."

A new Love's at the north Wichita site has been in the works for a while. Last spring, the City Council approved the company's request to update the zoning of more than 19 acres in the industrial park.

The Love's development — in addition to a convenience store and gas pumps — will include a restaurant, RV overnight parking, dog exercise area, electric vehicle charging and a semi-truck repair and wash.

[SubGod22]

KSN - Randy Travis tour coming to Wichita's Orpheum Theatre

Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre on Tuesday announced that the Randy Travis: The More Life Tour will take the historic stage on Friday, June 7.

Tickets to see the Randy Travis: The More Life Tour at 7:30 p.m. go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Apr. 5.

The show features the legendary country singer and singer James Dupré. Dupré co-starred with Travis in the 2015 movie “The Price.”

In the Wichita concert, Dupré and Randy’s band will perform all 16 of Travis’ iconic No. 1 hits, including “On The Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” and “Three Wooden Crosses.” Travis will make a special appearance, and VIP passes are available that include a meet and greet with the country icon himself.

Randy is one of my all-time favorite country artists.

[SubGod22]

KSN - Heart Royal Flush Tour 2024 coming to Wichita

A band known for powerful hits like “Crazy on You” and “These Dreams” is going to take center stage at Intrust Bank Arena later this year.

Rock-and-roll legend Heart is bringing its Royal Flush Tour 2024 to Wichita on Saturday, Nov. 16. The band will be joined by Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening.

Heart’s career spans nearly five decades. The band, led by Nancy and Ann Wilson, has been in the Rock Hall of Fame since 2013. It has sold over 35 million albums worldwide with 20 Top 40 singles.

And for the classic rock fans, this is another nice one.

[SubGod22]

And the Dam Jam is on!

KSN - The Dam Jam Music Festival announces new location

The Dam Jam Music Festival, also known as the biggest lake party in Kansas, announced a new location for their musical festival on Monday.

Dam Jam will now take place at 1744 S. 183rd St. West in Goddard.

“This vibrant new setting promises a bright future for our festival. Goddard’s openness and enthusiastic support for our event shine as a testament to community resilience,” said Dam Jam in a news release.

In February, Sedgwick County commissioners denied the bid for Dam Jam to be held at Lake Afton this summer following multiple concerns being raised. The festival is expecting thousands of people, so finding a new location was a must.

This is wonderful for Goddard and the area as a whole.

Festival will include Brantley Gilbert, Stone Temple Pilot, JoDee Messina, Ryan Upchurch, Wheeler Walker Jr., and Demun Jones.

[SubGod22]

KSN - Kool & the Gang bringing 'Celebration' to Wichita Riverfest

The Wichita Riverfest is bringing Kool & the Gang to this year’s big party on the river.

The legendary band will perform on Saturday, June 8, and will play many of their iconic hits: “Celebration,” “Cherish,” and “Jungle Boogie.”

In March, organizers announced the first concert for this year’s Riverfest. Hunter Hayes will perform on the first Saturday of the festival.

[WstateU]

KSN - Kool & the Gang bringing 'Celebration' to Wichita Riverfest

Very nice...

[SubGod22]

More growth at Jabara

WBJ - Wichita City Council approves bonds for new Clemens Aviation hangar at Jabara Airport

Clemens Aviation LLC, a fixed-base operator at Jabara Airport, asked for approval on a letter of intent to issue $4 million of airport special facility revenue bonds to build a new hangar at the airport, which are in high demand in the Wichita area. The company will also install a small paint booth.

"The bonds will provide a sales tax exemption only on construction materials," said Tim Goodpasture, economic development analyst for the city.

Since 2020, Clemens has constructed four 18,000 square-foot hangars and one 6,000 square-foot storage facility at 3622 N. Jabara Road, on the north end of the airport. The new facility will be of a similar size to the four existing hangars and will be located close to the other hangars.

Along with selling gas, Clemens performs maintenance on planes, provides aircraft storage and charter operations, as well as aircraft management and pilot services.

As the property is on land owned by the city's airport authority, Clemens will not have any property tax abatement.