General News in the 316

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KWCH - U.S. Figure Skating Championship coming to Wichita

Visit Wichita and INTRUST Bank Arena will announce that Wichita was selected as a host city for a “prestigious, national sporting event – one that has never been held in Wichita or in Kansas.”

Visit Wichita said the event will attract national attention and bring thousands of visitors to the city.

Wichita and Intrust Bank Arena have served as hosts to several sporting events including men’s and women’s NCAA tournament rounds, NBA, NHL, PBR and Major League Table Tennis.

KSN - Wichita to host U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Visit Wichita announced Tuesday that Intrust Bank Arena will be hosting the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2025.

It’s the first time the competition is held in the state of Kansas and it will be from January 20 to January 26, 2025.

“U.S. Figure Skating’s selection of Wichita to host this prestigious competition is an honor for the entire state,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “While these elite athletes showcase their talent on the ice, Kansas will be on full display to the skating community around the world.”

Economic impact is expected to be around $8M

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WBJ - Valley Center works with pair of Wichita developers on 130-acre development

For the past five years, some parts of Valley Center have seen some wet circumstances.

City administrator Brent Clark tells the WBJ that he has been working on resolving a drainage issue from 93rd Street North to 7th Avenue since the winter of 2019. He explained that the lack of drainage causes stormwater drops from the west side of Meridian Avenue, causing concern for residents.

"We've had quite a few residents that have been very upset over the years in our community," he said.

Now that ownership of the property in the targeted area has changed, Clark and a pair of established Wichita developers have two solutions for the drainage concerns — a mixed-use development and 15 acres worth of ponds.

The development is called Harvest Place and it has 130 acres of land which sprawls from the southeast corner of Meridian Avenue to 93rd Street. About 100 acres of the land is owned by Wichita developer Lou Robelli, who is recently known for his work in Park City. Robelli is partnering with Eric Gilbert, who owns home building companies Artistic Builders and Liberty Communities.

The remaining 30 acres of the land is owned by Valley Center, according to Clark.

Development will include 124 duplex lots and 77 single family.

6-acres will be commercial along Meridian, near the Valley Center Rec.

They're also hoping for some senior living, which I think might be on the land VC still owns.

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Also in Valley...

WBJ -- After 3D homes fall through, Valley Center orchestrates 30-acre mixed-use development

Lou Robelli and Eric Gilbert emerged as prominent developers for the next residential project — one that does not include 3D printing.

The new project is called Sunflower Valley Homes, which will have 57 duplex properties — with 114 rental units — east of Ford Street and Meridian. After breaking ground in spring 2023 and reaching the framing stage in March, the project is set to finish the phase in early summer.

The project is 30 acres in size, with 26 acres being utilized for residential purposes. The remaining 4 acres are set up for a commercial front, which will have two lots. The bigger lot will include a restaurant and a strip mall along Meridian.

This may negate my senior living comment above, at least in regards to where.

The 3D printed homes fell through because the 3D printers from Denmark have never arrived.

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More on the U.S Figure Skating Championships

WBJ - Wichita chosen as host city for 2025 national figure skating championships

“We are extremely excited to have Wichita host the most prestigious event on the U.S. Figure Skating calendar,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Tracy Marek said in a news release. “Visit Wichita and the city have held several successful skating events in recent years, and we look forward to building on that foundation."

Marek said Wichita, which has hosted NCAA men's and women's basketball events in recent years, is the perfect host for competitors and coaches. He said Intrust Bank Arena and the downtown area make it a great location for families and fans.

According to Visit Wichita, the event has the potential for significant economic impact on Wichita with past events having generated an estimated $8 million for the host markets.

"It has been an honor to host four figure skating events over the last seven years, facilitating a strong relationship with U.S. Figure Skating and giving us the chance to gain the trust and experience needed to host U.S. Figure Skating’s most prestigious event," said Visit Wichita president and CEO Susie Santo. “This is an incredible opportunity for Wichita to showcase our energetic and welcoming city to figure skating athletes and fans from around the country."

The more we land national events like this the better. More opportunities to showcase Wichita to more people from all over and gain favor with these even coordinators to come back. Millions of outside dollars being spent at local hotels, restaurants, and shops is absolutely fantastic for the community at large.

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KSN - Kelsey Grammer talks to KSN about upcoming performance with Wichita Grand Opera

He’s most known for his role on the set of “Frasier,” but Emmy Award-winning actor Kelsey Grammer will be working the vocals in “Candide” at the Wichita Opera House on April 27 and 28.

Grammer sat down for an interview with KSN on Tuesday to talk about his role in the project, which he is doing for the second time. He will be performing the role of Dr. Pangloss, which is the narrator of the piece.

“I had done this once before, about seven years ago, and it seemed like … I needed another crack at it,” Grammer said. “It’s a magnificent piece of music and I think under the capable hands of Whitney Reader … I think it’s really going to surprise people.”

Grammer is a well-known actor but also has a love of singing. He said he’s “opera-adjacent,” and his voice teacher when he was a child wanted him to get into the opera.

I always enjoyed him as an actor. He's had some fun roles in his life. I'm not really an opera guy, but having him a part of it has to be good for Wichita and I hope these are well attended/supported.


Video of the interview is in the link, as well as how to buy tickets if you're interested.

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The first, that I'm aware of, store to move out of Towne West due to the continuing issues there.

Wichita by EB - Shop Local: Rebellious Rose

A store recently relocated from Towne West Square to their new space at 2910 E. Douglas. It’s the women’s clothing store, Rebellious Rose.

What originally started as an antique furniture store, soon relocated to Towne West Square a year and a half later. Rebellious Rose originally started in a 900 square foot space but then relocated to a 2,300 square foot space due to the increase in business. It was a nice boom in business.

But due to the well documented issues at Towne West Square, the owner made the tough decision to relocate to the Douglas Design District. It’s an area of town that really fits the vibe and essence of Rebellious Rose.

The women’s store officially made the move in April 2024.

Probably not a store that effects many of us personally, but I still like to see local businesses have success and who knows, maybe some of you have wives/girlfriends/kids that shop or might want to shop here.

Sounds like they also try to work with women on fashion and have a lot to offer.

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KSN - Kelsey Grammer talks to KSN about upcoming performance with Wichita Grand Opera



I always enjoyed him as an actor. He's had some fun roles in his life. I'm not really an opera guy, but having him a part of it has to be good for Wichita and I hope these are well attended/supported.

Video of the interview is in the link, as well as how to buy tickets if you're interested.[/QUOTE]

He was outstanding in Jesus Revolution... I highly recommend the film. Take a box of tissues.

[WuDrWu]

KSN - Kelsey Grammer talks to KSN about upcoming performance with Wichita Grand Opera



I always enjoyed him as an actor. He's had some fun roles in his life. I'm not really an opera guy, but having him a part of it has to be good for Wichita and I hope these are well attended/supported.


Video of the interview is in the link, as well as how to buy tickets if you're interested.

This will be phenomenal and I would love to see and hear KG in person, but just can't make myself pull the trigger @ $300 for 2. Plenty of tickets remain though for anyone so inclined.

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WBJ - 'LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED' - Leaders of the Wichita Biomedical Campus look to Phoenix for inspiration

The other is the Phoenix Bioscience Core.

In 2019, when Muma started conversations with the leadership at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita about a shared campus with WSU and WSU Tech's health professions programs, he discovered the PBC.

The PBC is a 30-acre life sciences campus that has helped transform downtown Phoenix and its city's economy — generating a $1.3 billion annual economic impact and 9,700 jobs.

Muma has visited three times, taking delegations of leaders from the city of Wichita, KU, and the Greater Wichita Partnership.

"That wouldn't be totally out of the realm of possibility to do something like Phoenix here in Wichita," Muma said. "I wanted to show people that this is what this could be."

The potential of this campus is endless.

"There's just a lot of similarities that we're trying to do in downtown Wichita," he said. "... That's definitely what we're aiming for, kind of the same model of the Innovation Campus."

Nearly a dozen companies and organizations have a presence on WSU's 120-acre Innovation Campus, including the likes of Airbus, Deloitte and NetApp, which has been under development since 2014.

"That really has drawn all this private investment and these businesses to join our campus," Muma said, "because they have that basic research and development space if they needed it."

Private developers have already taken a keen interest in tapping into the Wichita Biomedical Campus.

Consider the medical office uses that a pair of developers are looking at — among other uses — for three nearby buildings they've recently purchased and plan to redevelop. Sedgwick County decided to locate its new COMCARE crisis center next to the biomedical campus to create a talent pipeline.

"We've been having lots of conversations about and hearing about a lot of other people, entities, who are either in the process of purchasing land or wanting to purchase land that will be complementary to the biomedical campus and patient-care areas," Muma said.

PHX has had massive downtown growth since they started their campus, and there's no reason to believe Wichita can't experience something similar. WSU already has some experience with such things with the IC, and we can be hopefully that the City of Wichita will be smart and do what they can to help try and attract the right types of businesses to that area.

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WBJ - 'LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED' - Leaders of the Wichita Biomedical Campus look to Phoenix for inspiration



The potential of this campus is endless.



PHX has had massive downtown growth since they started their campus, and there's no reason to believe Wichita can't experience something similar. WSU already has some experience with such things with the IC, and we can be hopefully that the City of Wichita will be smart and do what they can to help try and attract the right types of businesses to that area.

Wichita might finally knock one out of the park… thanks to Muma’s vision. We can never discount his tutelage under The Bardo.

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FYI

KWCH - I-135, K-96 ramps closing this weekend

On May 4, the Kansas Department of Transportation will temporarily close the southbound ramp from I-135 to eastbound K-96 and the westbound K-96 ramp to northbound I-135 in Wichita.

Additionally, there will be temporary lane restrictions on northbound I-135 for new striping alignment. These closures are necessary for the removal of a crane and concrete safety barriers. The ramps will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with completion expected by late Saturday afternoon. During the closure period, detour signs will be in place to guide drivers to alternative routes. Motorists are advised to exercise caution while navigating through the area.

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Towne West is without power once again.

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Are there any other Froyo places still around Wichita? There was a period of time when Orange Leaf and a few others were huge, and then the slowly disappeared.

Wichita by EB - First look at Cuppa Yo, a new frozen yogurt shop in Andover

I can’t remember the last time a frozen yogurt shop has opened in the Wichita area. Years ago there was a big boom of new froyo spots. That has since slowed down and now that I think about it, my daughter has never experienced frozen yogurt.

So, Cuppa Yo was going to be a great opportunity to knock out a new eatery around town and show my daughter something that I’ll probably be hearing about for weeks.

At Cuppa Yo, there were multiple stations with different flavor options to choose from. My daughter was floored by it; it’s like she was shown some new technology brought down to Earth by aliens.

Everything starts by deciding the cup size. If you’re interested in a waffle cone or cake cone, those are available by request.

After that, you select the flavor you want. There were little disposable tasting cups available, so people could sample ones they were unfamiliar with.

Then it’s time to pick the toppings. Cuppa Yo had a wide arrangement of candies, boba, fruit, and sauces to layer over the top of the frozen yogurt. I’m not good at common core math, so I couldn’t determine the number of combinations, but my guess is “endless combinations”.

This part was probably the favorite of the kids, browsing through all the options and feeling like a kid in a candy store…. literally.

Anyone that's been around knows how these places work, but I'm glad to see one again. I always like Orange Leaf myself. Should be a nice addition to the Andover community and is something a little different than what you're going to get at DQ or Braums.

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WBJ - How this Love's brand will serve the trucking industry at its new Wichita location

The Love's Travel Stops brand is known by many across the country for its red and yellow heart logo and the cleanliness of its stores and bathrooms.

But, as construction on Wichita's first Love's ramps up in north Wichita with eyes toward opening by the end of the year, the Oklahoma City-based company is also bringing with it a wide range of services for professional truck drivers beyond the store itself.

As part of the Love's development on the northwest corner of I-135 and 21st Street, the company's Speedco brand will also be opening a 20,000 square-foot spacethat provides preventive maintenance and total truck care.

The Speedco will have four service bays and up to two roadside service trucks, depending on demand, a Love's spokesperson said. It'll be located on the north side of the 19-acre Love's development within the ICT21 Industrial District.

"The Speedco is set to open shortly after the store," the Loves's spokesperson said. "Typically, our truck care services open within a month after the store."

Speedco locations provide comprehensive lube, tire and light mechanical services for professional drivers and fleets. It also provides emergency roadside technicians that are available 24/7 throughout the year.

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I like.

WBJ - Novacoast shepards employment for blind cybersecurity workers

When Paul Anderson started a cybersecurity and software business 28 years ago, he knew he would be working in a cutting-edge field. What he didn't know was that he would be a pioneer.

Last year, he hired his first blind employee to work in cybersecurity. Now, he is on a mission, looking to help the visually impaired in other ways along with giving qualified blind people technical jobs.

In 2022, Anderson, the CEO of Novacoast, moved the corporate headquarters from California tothe Epic Center in downtown Wichita. But it was before the move that he learned about Envision Inc., a Wichita-based nonprofit that works to provide opportunities for those who are blind or visually impaired through employment, rehabilitation, education and research.

"The Greater Wichita Partnership are the ones that reached out to me and got me to come look at Wichita initially as a potential office location," Anderson said. "They were just introducing me to a lot of local companies."

Envision was one of those companies.

This really is a cool story. Novacoast even takes a loss financially on the training as the tuition doesn't cover salary costs. He also helps hook up these individuals with other companies if their skill set is better off elsewhere.

I've long been a fan of Envision and what they do for the visually impaired. It's pretty cool to see a company like Novacoast reaching out to that community to try and help them achieve their goals as well.

I'm also glad they set up shop in Wichita as there's a lot of potential in cybersecurity and Wichita would do well to be in the center of it.