General News in the 316

[JVShocker]

I don't know when the news of Timberlake's show broke, but I've already seen a couple of ads in downtown Wichita for it. Somebody made stencils and has been spray painting on sidewalks - JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DEC 8.

[SubGod22]

MSN - Improving Kellogg: Wichita gets $2.1M for interchange design

The City of Wichita is getting $2.1 million from the federal government to begin looking at ways to improve the Kellogg interchange near Eisenhower National Airport.

Senator Jerry Moran announced the grant on Monday.

“This is a grant that has been appropriated to support the City of Wichita’s efforts for preliminary design and ultimate construction of a new interchange on Kellogg as it takes you to the airport,” he said. “I’m here to announce that we were successful in the appropriations process for a $2.1M grant to accomplish that goal.”

The Wichita City Council authorized the grant application early in 2023:

• $2.4 million comes from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program
• $600,000 is a required local match

The Wichita Department of Public Works and Utilities said the obsolete design of the interchange and increased traffic are leading to “operational inefficiency and safety issues.” The interchange is used by travelers, the Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, several aviation businesses and manufacturers, and hotel, restaurant, and store customers.

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu thanked Moran for his efforts. She pointed out that Kellogg brings a lot of traffic into Wichita as travelers use U.S. Highway 400 and U.S. Highway 54. Plus, she said the airport is a catalyst for economic development for all of Wichita.

Doesn't sound like a bad idea and I'm sure traffic flow can be improved in that area. But I'm also not an engineer so we'll see what they come up with. There will also be improvements to some of the surface streets nearby.

[ShockBand]

MSN - Improving Kellogg: Wichita gets $2.1M for interchange design



Doesn't sound like a bad idea and I'm sure traffic flow can be improved in that area. But I'm also not an engineer so we'll see what they come up with. There will also be improvements to some of the surface streets nearby.

I can just barely remember the days BEFORE there was the single lane flyover for westbound Kellogg to the airport. I'm sure it was a hot mess even back then.

[shocktown]

[shocktown]

Old airport road and Kellogg.
Photo is circa 1960, grandparents farm is at the top.

[SubGod22]

Yahoo - 2 Kansas candy stores in national contest for best candy store

Two Kansas candy stores have been nominated for US Today’s 10Best Candy Stores in the United States.

For the contest, US Today consulted a panel of experts. They then selected 20 candy stores and want the public to vote for their favorite.

Two stores in Kansas made this list this year. US Today selected The Farris Wheel Candy Co. in Wichita and the Sweet Granada in Emporia.

Describing The Farris Wheel, US Today calls the family-owned gourmet candy store an “easy place to satisfy your sweet tooth.” The store offers a wide selection of treats, from fine chocolates and fancy candies to gummies and trail mixes.

The Sweet Granada, which also recently opened a second location in Kansas City, Missouri, offers a variety of treats, such as truffles, fudge, macaroons, and their dog-safe white-chocolate-dipped dog biscuits. However, they are best known for their Pop-Choc, which is buttery popcorn mixed with white and milk chocolate.

Links to vote in the article if you're interested.

[ShockTalk]

Red Lobster lists 99 restaurants closed in 28 states: See locations closing in your state (yahoo.com)

Wichita keeps both east and west, Kansas City, Salina, and Olathe lose one.

[Kung Wu]

wichita.gov is STILL down.

shoxlax what is the word on the street on this disaster?

What a cluster: https://www.wichita.gov/1199/Alert

[SubGod22]

Hartman Arena no more

WBJ - Lange Real Estate purchased Harman Arena in Park City and is changing its name

The recently sold Hartman Arena has a new name, one that no longer reflects the builder but the city where it resides — though the name change could be temporary.

The 15-year-old arena located north of 77th Street North and west of I-135 has been renamed Park City Arena effective Thursday, the city and new owner Lange Real Estate announced.

The announcement indicated, however, that arena naming rights and sponsorship opportunities are possible.

"If someone wanted to come in and be the title sponsor, we would be able to do that," said Lange Real Estate spokesperson Joe Robertson.

Robertson said if naming rights were sold, the city would likely have a name reference at the end, such as "in Park City" or "at Park City."

[SubGod22]

WBJ - $143K tourism grant bolsters Tanganyika Wildlife Park's expansion plans

Tanganyika Wildlife Park will capitalize on a $142,500 state tourism grant to expand its services and attractions.

The wildlife park in Goddard was one of 14 recipients to receive a Kansas Tourism Attraction Development Grant awarded by Kansas Tourism, a division of the Department of Commerce. On Monday, the state announced $500,000 in grant money — almost a third of which went to Tanganyika — was awarded to expand travel experiences that aim to increase visitation and generate economic impact in the state.

Matt Fouts, Tanganyika's director, said the grant will bolster a larger capital campaign.

"Now that we've got the initial grant, we're like 'Oh, this is real now,'" Fouts said. "We have a lot of big ideas, but we needed one that met their criteria, which was it needed to be built within, like, the next year to year and a half. For us, we needed to finance our projects. The grant helps get us started but we're going to need a significant amount of money to finish out the project."

Other recipients of a 2024 Kansas Tourism Attraction Development Grant within the Wichita area are Grace Hill Winery near Whitewater ($20,600) and Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine (($2,200), according to the state.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - As airport hotel construction picks up, developer eyes 2025 open

As anyone who has frequented Wichita's Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in recent months can see, a highly-anticipated new hotel project just north of the airport has made notable construction progress in recent months.

So when could developer Mitesh Patel's four-story hotel — dual-branded as a Homewood Suites and a Hilton Garden Inn — open?

"We're shooting for the early part of next year — probably March," he said.

After years of delays, a commercial building permit with an $8 million valuation was issued last summer for the project, which is set to have nearly 160 rooms, as well as convention space and a restaurant.

He's not joking about the insane lead times for things like transformers, which have been at least a 52 week lead time and it's been irritating everyone in the electrical industry for some time.

Hopefully this opens sooner rather than later as it will only help when it comes to Wichita hosting large events downtown, like the NCAA tournament and such. Downtown hotels are more important, but the ease of access from the airport to the Arena District still helps.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Major projects from Wichita general contractors with the largest portfolios

Wichita's top five general contractors — ranked by dollar value of completed contracts last year companywide — have built some hallmark projects across the city.

From new Class A apartment buildings to industrial warehouses, take at look at these projects from the top builders in Wichita that are either recently completed or under construction.

JE Dunn Construction — No. 1

In addition to its continued work with Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, JE Dunn, headquartered in Kansas City with an office in Wichita and throughout the country, has a major new project in its pipeline over the next two years. The company is in a joint venture alongside Wichita design-build firm Hutton to construct the first phase of the Wichita Biomedical Campus. Work on the 8-story, 350,000 square-foot building at the southeast corner of Broadway and William will gear up starting this summer.

Crossland Construction — No. 2

Among Crossland Construction’s more prominent work in the Wichita real estate space in recent years is its speculative industrial warehouses. Closely following its work in Ironhorse Industrial Park in southwest Wichita, Crossland is moving on next to Bel Aire. Working with the Overland Park-based Aspen Funds, the general contractor will build five spec buildings that will cover just over 20 acres at 53rd and Webb Road that will be geared for industrial, manufacturing, warehouse and distribution uses.

McCownGordon Construction — No. 3

McCownGordon Construction, active in recent years with projects for Wichita-area schools, is building a new east-side substation for the Wichita Police Department. The approximately $8.4 million project is nearly finished near the former Southeast High School at the southeast corner of Lincoln and Pinecrest, replacing Patrol East’s current site at 350 S. Edgemoor, about a mile to the north.

Key Construction — No. 4

Among the major projects Key Construction has recently been involved with is the highly-anticipated, mixed-use Heritage Square and Skylots Apartments in Andover. The 186-unit Skylofts started preleasing in January and earlier this month the builder provided the certificate of occupancy. The 186-unit complex has 18 three-, 81 two- and 60 one-bedroom units with 19 floor plans for all units, which include studio apartments. It's arguably the most luxury apartment complex to go up in Andover yet.

Conco Construction — No. 5

Conco Construction wrapped construction last year on a 195,000 square-foot manufacturing facility for JTM Foods, the Pennsylvania-based maker of JJ’s Snack Pies. The $40-million facility is located within the new ICT21 Industrial District at 21^st Street and I-135. In fact, Conco is the builder on the entire 130-acre, multi-million dollar industrial park taking shape on former oil refinery site in north Wichita.

Just a snap shot of some of the major projects in the area.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers continues march up annual trade publication list

A restaurant industry trade publication has again highlighted Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers as one of the most impactful brands in its space.

Earlier this month, Fast Casual ranked Freddy's No. 15 on its 2024 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list. That's an eight-spot jump from 2023 and 17 positions higher than 2022.

The list highlights innovative restaurant brands and executives that are pushing the fast casual segment forward and is comprised of 75 companies and Fast Casual's top 25 executives in the industry.

In its Freddy's analysis, Fast Casual pointed to a "historic year of development in 2023," when the Wichita-based brand opened a company-record 62 restaurants across the country and crossed the 500-location mark.

The publication also highlighted Freddy's opening its first MLB stadium restaurant last year at the St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium, its new restaurant design in the St. Louis area, and other technology and equipment advances.

They're still targeting 800 restaurants by 2026.

[SubGod22]

Eagle - Downtown Wichita building once home to 'real cute' car dealer to get new life as apartments

The 1920 building at the southeast corner of English and Broadway — once home to “one of the handsomest automobile dealers in the southwest,” according to a 1991 Eagle story — is about to get new life.

Arena South Management, which has five other buildings in that area of downtown, is converting the four-story building into apartments called the Arnold.

“What I really love about this building is its got high ceilings, and it’s got massive windows,” said Bruce Rowley, who is co-managing partners in Arena South with Alan Banta.

Rowley said there is a lot of light, which will contribute to “very open, modern-feeling apartments.”

The Broadway Autopark apartments are across from where the new units will open in fall 2025.

42 apartments on the upper floors. One bedroom and studio.

Ground floor will be retail, anywhere from one to four depending on size of business.

Market rates.

Rooftop commons area.

$5M investment.

Good location with the Biomedical campus coming.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Riordan Clinic receives $1-million donation earmarked for research, operations

A $1-million donation will help Wichita's nonprofit Riordan Clinic study intravenous vitamin C use in high doses, which in some studies have shown effectiveness in reducing cancer-related side effects.

The clinic in north Wichita said the donation from a longtime patient, who requested anonymity, will be split equally between integrative medical research and operations. The study is part of the nearly 50-year-old clinic's work in holistic medical research and cancer care.

The clinic said Michelle Niesly, a naturopathic physician, has accepted the role of director of research. Niesly most recently was at Pacific Integrative Oncology in Eugene, Ore., as well as executive director for the Pediatric Health Outcomes Initiative.