General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

Go Shockers - Shocker Basketball Partners with Elsewhere Festival

Wichita State Men's and Women's Basketball are partnering with the Elsewhere Festival & Conference to provide a one-day, youth basketball camp for children of Elsewhere Festival ticket purchasers. The camp will take place on Saturday, June 22 in Charles Koch Arena from 9 A.M. to 11 A.M.

The camp will be hosted by the Wichita State Men's and Women's Basketball staffs and student-athletes in partnership with Omnicut and The Phoenix. It will feature educational programming covering the importance of fitness and wellness, basketball skill development and competitive game circuits, and the opportunity for photos and autographs with the teams.

To be eligible to participate, kids must be between the ages of 6 and 18 years old and their parent or guardian must have already purchased Elsewhere Festival tickets. Tickets can be purchased at ElsewhereFest.com. There is no additional cost required for participation in the camp.

[SubGod22]

I missed this project in Andover.

WBJ - Business owner taps into incentive for $1.7M restaurant project in Andover

Andover might be initiating a community improvement district to support a new restaurant.

The Andover City Council unanimously approved May 28 setting a public hearing on the creation of a community improvement district that includes two parcels of land on the west side of Andover Road, just to the south of the Redbud Trail.

A CID is an incentive program that provides funds to a development project through the levy of additional sales tax — up to 2% — within the district boundary, or special assessments on real property. CIDs can be used for commercial, industrial or mixed-use projects, and the tax revenue can be used to pay for a range of capital costs and certain ongoing operating costs.

I will say one of the complaints I and others have had about Andover is that there is nearly nothing north of Central in regards to food and such. With all of the housing that continues to go in on the north end, I was always surprised that we haven't seen some development on that end of town. This would create a new option.

There is Timbuktu at 13th (cash only) and a little coffee shop whose name I forget that is only open for breakfast/brunch, but outside of that everything sits at Central or south towards Kellogg. I suppose you could count Casey's at 21st if you wanted to, but I really don't.

The restaurant is called Point Nine, which has been proposed as a restaurant, event venue and gathering space for cyclists, students and families, according to city documents. It sits just south of the Redbud Trail that goes through the city.

The restaurant, documents said, hopes to provide healthy food options and alcoholic beverages and an "ample" outdoor patio, which includes outdoor seating and fire pits for events. The restaurant will also include a merchandise shop selling biking accessories, picnic and bicycle baskets, chocolates, flower bouquets, branded apparel and gifts, the documents say.

Some events the restaurant and gathering space intends to host are family functions, graduation parties, business meetings and wine tastings.

I believe Andover schools has an open lunch policy for their HS students. This would give AHS students something that they could easily get to, and even walk to. ACHS students have a **** ton of options at Central and Andover.



I'm also curious to see what happens at the NE corner of 21st and Andover. They recently demolished the old Butler Community College building that was there that had a number of classrooms and good parking. I'd love to see a potential restaurant or two end up there to provide more options for the north end.

[SubGod22]

MSN - Little River Band coming to The Cotillion

A band that had some Top 10 hits in the 1970s and 80s is scheduled to take the stage at The Cotillion later this year.

Little River Band will perform with special guest Shooting Star on Friday, Oct. 25.

Some of the band’s big songs include “Take It Easy On Me,” “Reminiscing,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “Cool Change,” “Lady,” “The Night Owls,” and “Lonesome Loser.” Click here to visit the band’s YouTube channel.

The Cotillion says tickets are reserved seating with pricing at $46, $56, $66, $76, and $96.

[SubGod22]

Audacy - 75 years ago: formal opening for Wichita's Joyland amusement park on S. Hillside

75 years ago on this afternoon (1949) was the formal opening of Wichita’s new amusement park, Joyland Hillside, at 2801 S. Hillside.

On the big day, the 1,200-car parking lot was full. Wichita mayor William Salome cut the tape on the roller coaster for its ceremonial opening. Newspaper accounts proclaimed the coaster was said to have the steepest drop of any in the country.

The owners said they planed to build a dance pavilion, swimming pool, miniature golf course, and baseball diamond within the next five years.

The previous Joyland location, near Central & Hydrualic, remained in operation as the new larger park opened in the south part of town.

[NOTE: ironically, it was 10 years ago on this day (2014) that workers removed the iconic Joyland sign along Hillside from the site of shuttered park, which had been closed for eight years.]

I really wish we had a park of some kind in the area. Sadly, Eastridge probably ruined any chance of that as everyone looks to that debacle as a reason why it can't work, rather than seeing he had his own issues and lacked the funding to build the park properly before trying to open.

A park could absolutely work here if someone wanted to do it right and secured the proper funding. How you open a park with zero roller coasters is something that never made sense to me and doomed the park to fail before it ever got a real chance.

Who knows, as the area grows maybe someone will take a chance.

[WstateU]

MSN - Little River Band coming to The Cotillion

One of my favorite songs...

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=3697c3e79dce3da7&sca_upv=1&q=little+river+band+reminiscing+videos&tbm=vid&source=lnms&prmd=visnbmt&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ9Oyv1taGAxVRFzQIHb14D4oQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1912&bih=966&dpr=1#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:c485935d,vid:XBETVhHpcPk,st:0

[SubGod22]

WBJ - National construction supplier Builders FirstSource expands in Valley Center

Dallas-based Builders FirstSource (NYSE: BLDR) broke ground June 3 on a 43,000-square-foot millwork facility at 801 S. Meridian in Valley Center, where the company is situated on a 25-acre campus.

Builders FirstSource is a publicly owned company that supplies structural building products and services for homebuilders. The company serves the construction, distribution and advanced manufacturing industries. It has locations in 43 states and made $17 billion in 2023 sales revenue.

Randy Jackson, area manager for Wichita and western Kansas, said the company's 35,000 square-foot facility had reached capacity.

"The new facility is going to give the warehouse space to triple our window and cabinet volume and the capacity to produce almost 400 pre-hung doors per day," Jackson said. "We currently produce about 40 doors a day, so it's a massive increase."

Should be open before the end of the year.

[SubGod22]

The Wichita Open begins tomorrow

Eagle - Wichita golfer Sam Stevens returns home to compete in Wichita Open for first time

The 27-year-old Wichita native will compete in the Korn Ferry Tour’s annual stop in his hometown for the first time, as Stevens is one of 156 players in the field competing for a share of a $1 million purse. He will tee off at No. 10 at 7:26 a.m. on Thursday, then No. 1 at 12:41 p.m. on Friday.

Stevens earned his PGA Tour card in 2022 and has notched two top-10 finishes across his 17 starts on the PGA Tour this season. He currently sits in 94th place in the FedExCup Standings.

Five players in the Wichita field are currently ranked in the top-200 of the Official World Golf rankings: Stevens (No. 126), Mason Andersen (No. 152), Peter Kuest (No. 186), Ryan Gerard (No. 188) and Cristobal Del Solar (No. 196).

Six past champions are also included in the field in Wichita: Ben Crane (2000), Scott Piercy (2008), Rob Oppenheim (2015), Ollie Schniederjans (2016), Jared Wolfe (2020) and Ricky Castillo (2023).

Castillo, the reigning champion, was just the 19th player in Korn Ferry Tour history to win in his debut start last year. This season, the 23-year-old has tallied three top-10 finishes in 12 starts and enters No. 25 on the points list.

Looking to follow in the footsteps of Castillo, recent Georgia Tech graduate Christo Lamprecht, who is ranked No. 2 in the PGA Tour University Class of 2024, is set to make his professional debut in Wichita this week.

[ShockTalk]

One of my favorite songs...

https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=3697c3e79dce3da7&sca_upv=1&q=little+river+band+reminiscing+videos&tbm=vid&source=lnms&prmd=visnbmt&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJ9Oyv1taGAxVRFzQIHb14D4oQ0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1912&bih=966&dpr=1#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:c485935d,vid:XBETVhHpcPk,st:0

Mine, too.

However, the group has had over 40 different members since 1975. Currently, one member joined in 1980. Another in 2004. The rest all added 2012-20.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Group of dads with Wichita ties launch baby product to give parents assist

On Thursday, Wichitans Aaron Courtney, Andy Braselton and Eric Wilson — along with Nathan Doty, who grew up in Wichita and now lives in the Washington, D.C. area — launched the Kanga, a baby stability pouch that securely attaches to shopping carts, wagons, restaurant high chairs and more.

The product is a reimagined version of the Kanga Boo, invented by Braselton's brother and sister-in-law, Phillip and Mandy Braselton, over a decade ago.

"They came up with the idea just because they just had a young one in the age range of the product," Andy Braselton said. "And my sister-in-law was looking for a way to (help) a child, who didn't have much trunk support but could definitely keep his neck up right, to sit up in a grocery cart."

After some initial success via online sales, the homemade Kanga Boo's growth slowed. Enter Matthew 25 Investments, an investment group created by Courtney, Wilson, Doty and Andy Braselton, that took the baton with the concept over a year ago after receiving the inventors' OK.
.....
"The way we've redesigned it, it works on those really popular wagons that families have to push their kids around," said Andy Braselton, adding it can fit in children's swings at the park, as well. "It's able to work in high chairs at restaurants, a variety of other high chairs and grocery carts, including the Target carts which are really big. It also doubles as sort of a changing mat. It folds out, and it's got a pocket for a diaper."

The group is focused on direct-to-consumer online sales and has priced the Kanga, designed for kids ages three months to 1 year, at $49.99.

If they find some success, they hope to move manufacturing and such to Wichita. They also hope to be able to expand into accessories and add-ons.

[SubGod22]

Plan for months of delays if you travel this way.

KSN - 45th Street bridge set for rehabilitation next week

On Monday, June 17, work will begin on the 45th Street bridge over Interstate 135 in north Wichita.

The westbound lane will be closed for rehabilitation work. The work will occur from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Kansas Department of Transportation estimates that work will be complete in October.

During construction, the speed limit will be reduced to 35 mph, and a traffic light will be installed for navigating two-way single-lane traffic.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Arizona company brings aquarium, butterfly conservatory to Park City's Champtown project

The company behind a massive Arizona attraction is bringing its expertise to what is expected to be the Wichita area's first aquarium.

Arizona Boardwalk, which has eight indoor attractions within a 35-acre entertainment district in Scottsdale, will brings its OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland to Park City's planned Champtown project, a 160-acre, mixed-use development that is slated to cost $500 million.

"The destination’s central location makes it perfect for attracting visitors from all over the region while supporting local businesses and boosting the economy,” Adi Knishinsky, managing partner with Arizona Boardwalk, told the WBJ in an email. “The addition of our aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland will provide excellent educational opportunities for schools and residents as well as endless ways for families to create fond memories at every visit. We can't wait to see the positive impact it will have and are proud to be part of Park City's growth and development.”

Sean Crawford, one of the partners developing Champtown, said Arizona Boardwalk was selected to operate the aquarium for Champtown because of its success in Arizona with OdySea, a 2-million gallon aquarium, and Butterfly Wonderland.

"They built the first profitable aquarium in North America, their Boardwalk is the No. 2 tourist attraction in Arizona behind the Grand Canyon. We are thrilled to have them" Crawford said in an email to WBJ.

Crawford also said the aquarium for the Park City development will operate as a nonprofit.

The new aquarium will be between 80,000 to 100,000 square feet, Knishinsky said, with Butterfly Wonderland adding another 20,000 square feet to the project.

The aquarium is expected to be completed and fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2026.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - King of Freight founder's 20-acre development plans push forward in northeast Wichita

Plans are advancing on a major northeast Wichita mixed-use development that could capitalize on — and further propel — growth in one of the fastest-expanding areas of the city.

On 20 acres at the northwest corner of 29th Street and Greenwich Road, King of Freight founder Mike Ricklefs is planning to add what could eventually total over 100,000 square feet of office space for his locally based logistics company.

That's not all.

While Topgolf has been a popular entertainment destination since it opened in late 2022, Morris said the market is ripe for additional options for families. In particular, he highlighted the growing amount of soccer tournaments at Stryker as driving demand for more food, lodging and activity options nearby.

"You got a few hours between games, and the kids need a spot to go," Morris said.

Weigand, who is director of strategic initiatives at J.P. Weigand & Sons, said he and Morris recently attended ICSC Las Vegas, a prominent real estate industry convention with a significant retail focus, where they felt the development's direction was well-received.

"We had some really good traction and conversations about how we're positioning ourselves for that development in the future and got a lot of really good feedback and interest," Weigand said. "That northeast Wichita corridor is positioned for a lot of growth and exciting conceptual ideas that Wichita has not seen before."

Expect to start construction early next year and be done with their King of Freight building by end of '25. Expected to be around a $100M project overall.

[SubGod22]

KAKE - Wichita golfer runner-up at Wichita Open

PGA Tour golfer Sam Stevens is no stranger to the course at Crestview Country Club, but he's never played the course in front of so many people.

"I think playing my home course this week will kind of not be as locked in," Stevens said on Friday. "Just because I'm so used to playing out here, but with people out there, it feels a little bit more like a tournament and kind of keeps me focused for sure."

The annual Wichita Open brought in thousands of golf fans who got to see Stevens' name climb the leaderboard throughout the weekend.

Tournament director Dusty Buell said that he's happy to see this tournament put Wichita on the map for professional golf.

"I love it for the Korn Ferry tour. I love it for Wichita, I love it that we had that piece where our local guy came in just short at the end," Buell said.

Unfortunately, a few bogies in the final round put Stevens in second place at the end, behind Taylor Dickson from North Carolina.

Speaking after his win, Dickson said Stevens put up a great fight.

"My job is to win, but, I mean, he's from here. They should be cheering for him," Dickson said "He's an awesome guy."

Sounds like it was once again a well attended event and Wichita continues to impress. It also goes to support kids with cancer through KU Wichita Pediatrics.

[SubGod22]

The kid may be going to KU, but still worth noting of this locals accomplishment.

Eagle - Wichita pole vaulter Bryce Barkdull earns Team USA bid for World U20 Championships

Wichita native Bryce Barkdull will represent Team USA on the world stage later this summer.

The recent Andover Central graduate cleared 17 feet, 8½ inches in the men’s pole vault at the USA Track and Field Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Ore. last Wednesday.

By finishing second in the event, Barkdull punched his ticket as one of two athletes to represent the United States in the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru from August 27-31.

Two days following his U20 performance, Barkdull was back at the prestigious Hayward Field to compete in Nike Outdoor Nationals, where he wrapped up an All-American honor by clearing 17-1¾ to finish in a tie for second place.

[SubGod22]

And speaking of representing the country, or at least attempting to.

KSN - Wichita native makes Olympic trials

A Wichita swimmer is headed to the Olympic trials this week. The meet marks the pinnacle of a lot of swimmers’ careers.

Drayden Bell learned to swim in Wichita. He was brought up in the city, swimming for nearly a decade with Wichita Swim Club and representing East High as part of their swim team. He’s now a swimmer at the University of Alabama.

For a decade, his ultimate goal was to reach the U.S. Olympic Team Swim Trials, and years of focus and dedication brought him there.

He'll compete Thursday in the men's 50 Free.