General News in the 316

[SubGod22]

KSN - Rob Schneider bringing Rescue Husband comedy tour to Wichita

Rob Schneider is bringing his Rescue Husband comedy tour to Wichita later this year.

He is an actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director, as well as a stand-up comic and veteran of Saturday Night Live.

Schneider will be performing at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at TempleLive, 332 E. 1st St. N.

Never really seen/heard his standup, but have generally liked his roles in most movies.

[Kung Wu]

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

KSN - Wichita native makes Olympic trials



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

Outstanding!

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Faces of Biomed: Housing affordability, parking 'critical' to growing downtown campus, Fluhr says

We've got a number of projects that are moving or are accelerating forward to time with the opening of biomed. In residential, we're seeing a lot of potential there...

...We're (also) seeing companies that have extreme interest in being adjacent to the biomedical campus. There are a number of things, that are in conversation now, that would allow those types of relationships to be. One of the things that we're going to be working on with Dr. (Gregory) Hand with WSU (College of Health Professions) — as we continue to work on biomed development: What are companies or institutions that they would say it makes sense for these individual companies to be in proximity to us as we go forward? We'll be having the same conversations with (Ascension) Via Christi, because Via Christi is the northern anchor (of the biomedical corridor), and so I think that there are opportunities there to build their campus, as well.

It will be interesting to see what companies end up setting up shop in the area.

The other piece of it: We're getting ready to update Project Downtown. Project Downtown is the strategy that's been driving economic development in the core since 2010. We actually just hit $1.7 billion in completed projects in our downtown. And we have over $760 million that's in the pipeline that will be coming to fruition — so that pipeline is extremely strong. In addition to the parking systems, the master plan is going to continue to address how is it that we really work on the walkability of our downtown, the connectivity. All of those things are going to be really critical, I think, for companies to understand that we're thinking about that, so that it's giving them a viable community. What you'd really love to see happen is that a majority of your workforce that's coming in to support this campus actually lives in the core. So there's that walkability, that they're living in one location in the core and walking to the biomed or related companies that may be associated with the biomedical campus.

Improving the navigational aspect of downtown and making it feel connected and accessible will go a long way.

[SubGod22]

WBJ - Kansas snags fourth Gold Shovel Award in a row for economic development projects

For a fourth year in a row, Kansas has been recognized with high honors in Area Development Magazine’s Gold Shovel Awards for major economic developments started in 2023, including one within the Wichita area.

Kansas has won the Gold Shovel among U.S. states with populations less than 3 million people from 2021-24.

“Earning a fourth gold shovel underscores the work my administration is doing to attract business investment and increase job opportunities to continue making Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a news release.

Kelly has been far from perfect, but she has done a pretty good job trying to help Kansas grow with economical development.

Here are Kansas's top projects in 2023 highlighted by the magazine:

• $257 million: Walmart Inc. and subsidiaries in Olathe, 667 jobs
• $168 million: High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Plains, 95 jobs
• $120 million: Kiewit Corporation in Lenexa, 723 jobs
• $114 million: Camso Manufacturing in Junction City, 181 jobs
• $110 million: H&T Kansas in De Soto, 180 jobs
• $93.8 million: Koch Fertilizer in Dodge City, 0 jobs
• $77 million: Marvin Lumber and Cedar Company in Kansas City, 585 jobs
• $71 million: Oppidan in Olathe, 6 jobs
• $54 million: Southwest Plains Dairy in Syracuse, 45 jobs
• $52 million: DSM Nutritional Products LLC in Tonganoxie, 28 jobs
• $45 million: Textron Aviation in Wichita, 5 jobs
• $44 million:Orizon Aerostructures in Chanute, 200 jobs

I believe High Plains Ponderosa is also planning to build yet another massive barn for milking.

There's a large cheese manufacturing plant currently under construction in or around Dodge City.

Integra should start to move forward in the next few months.

There's the other chip plant in Burlington (I think) that should see movement.

I believe there's another large dairy going in out around Greensburg.

I have no idea how many jobs any of those produce off the top of my head, but it shows continued growth and helps set expectations for continued improvement.

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WBJ - Dallas developer to begin construction on 80-acre Goddard housing project

A Dallas-based developer is set to begin verticle construction on a residential housing development in Goddard.

After completing infrastructure, Bridger Companies, a real estate developer and operator from Dallas primarily focused on developing housing in emerging Midwest and southwest cities, will begin constructing an 80-acre residential development this week.

The development is called Pine View Valley and is located between 167th West and 183rd, on the north side of Maple Street. Bridger managing partner Fisher Wells said the development will include 168 lots — 143 duplexes and 25 single-family homes.

"We're trying to deliver a differentiated experience that Wichita hasn't seen yet," Wells said. "It's going to have that of high-end amenities and finishes that are above what's standard."

[SubGod22]

This could be some good info for some on here or people you may know.

Wichita by EB - A guide to free family activities in Wichita

Families are always looking for activities to keep their children entertained during the summer. Many of them cost money and that can add up over time. So why not sprinkle in some of the free family activities available in the Wichita area?

I’ve put together a guide of free family activities covering things to do in Wichita that are the low price of FREE.

More info in the link.

The basics

Sunflower Summer App - Over 200 attractions that I believe are free or at least discounted for children.

Wichita Public Library Experience Passes - Passes will get you into some museum and zoo options.

Old Cowtown Museum

OG Pizza Hut Museum

Wichita Art Museum

Wichita Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum

Ulrich Museum of Art - Wichita State

Bradley Fair Summer Concert Series

KEYN Summer Concert Series

Great Plains Nature Center

Kansas Wildlife Exhibit

Keeper of the Plains Lighting

Various City Parks

Kids Bowl Free

Splash Pads

[SubGod22]

OG Towne West tenant is leaving and headed to New Market Square.

That tenant is Helzberg Diamonds.

[SubGod22]

More housing on the way.

WBJ - Southwest Wichita mixed-use development gets zone change approval

A project in southwest Wichita from a prominent real estate developer has advanced.

Paul Kelsey, owner of real estate company Kick "N" Development Corp., received approval June 11 from the Wichita City Council on a zone change for his 161-acre mixed-use development called Yellowstone Addition.

Thirty acres of the Yellowstone Addition, located on the southeast corner of Pawnee and 119th Street, were approved for a zone change from single-family residential to limited commercial. The development was also approved to establish a community unit plan, which is required for a commercial development greater than 6 acres.

Yellowstone will include 240 single-family homes, 85 duplexes and 176,500 square feet of commercial space, according to a February City Council report.

According to a Metropolitan Area Planning Commission agenda report from earlier this month, the CUP will have 12 parcels of land, with parcels 1 and 2 being approximately 10 acres located interior to the site. Parcels 3 through 12 will range from 0.75 to 1.5 acres and will be located around street frontages.

The zoning approval comes after the development was annexed into Wichita and approved for infrastructure and utilities in February. Kelsey said the District Advisory Board approved Yellowstone in May. Since then, he said plans for the development have been in the works.

Not overly familiar with this area.

[Veritas]

Interesting that SE and SW Wichita are both areas that have slow growth.
Derby is growing but drawing a line between Derby and Andover and Haysville and Godard appears to be mainly farms.
OTOH, a line between Andover and Park City and Park City to Goddard are exploding in growth.

Extension of K96 connecting Kellogg going slightly south of Derby connecting to 35 would certainly create growth IMO

[SubGod22]

Interesting that SE and SW Wichita are both areas that have slow growth.
Derby is growing but drawing a line between Derby and Andover and Haysville and Godard appears to be mainly farms.
OTOH, a line between Andover and Park City and Park City to Goddard are exploding in growth.

Extension of K96 connecting Kellogg going slightly south of Derby connecting to 35 would certainly create growth IMO

I've often thought about how nice it would be if K96 kept going towards Derby/Rose Hill area. Just like it'll be nice when it eventually ties into Kellogg out near Goddard.

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WBJ - Projects in the pipeline for Wichita's 5 largest architecture firms

Tessere — No. 1


Renamed earlier this year from GLMV Architecture, Tessere is Wichita's largest firm with 24 licensed architects, according to the WBJ list. One of its larger projects in the pipeline is the design for the $101.5 million, 104-bed adult psychiatric hospital that's going to be built in southwest Wichita near Meridian and MacArthur. Sedgwick County is leading the construction effort, which also involves Pulse Design Group out of Kansas City, Mo., before turning it over to the state once it's completed in late 2026. The design phase for the hospital, which will serve individuals there by court order and those there for acute patient care, is expected to wrap this fall. A builder has not yet been announced.

LK Architecture — No. 2


No. 2 on the WBJ list with 20 licensed architects, LK Architecture is contributing to the design of a prominent downtown riverfront development. The firm was hired by the city in January to design the pedestrian walkways, landscaping and other improvements surrounding EPC Real Estate Group's vision for a $110-million mixed-use development along the west of bank of the Arkansas River. EPC's plans involve a hotel, apartment complex, retail space and parking garage just east of Riverfront Stadium. Construction is anticipated to begin in the third quarter .

Shaefer Architecture — No. 3


With a dozen licensed architects, Shaefer Architecture is third on the WBJ's list of largest architecture firms. It has several projects that have been in the news lately, including the recently reopened Andover YMCA, a Credit Union of America expansion in northwest Wichita, and a downtown expansion for Professional Engineering Consultants. Schaefer is also involved in the design team behind Exploration Place's outdoor Destination Playscape, which also involves Monstrum, a global play manufacturer out of Denmark, Dondlinger Construction and the Kansas City-based Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects.

Alloy Architecture — No. 4


Alloy Architecture lands fourth on the ranking of largest firms with 11 licensed architects. Among its prominent recent projects is the design of a 28,000 square-foot expansion for Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics. The Wichita aerospace supplier plans to add manufacturing laboratories, a research and development test lab, inspection area, offices and shipping and receiving space at its northeast Wichita headquarters. Another Alloy project is the design for a new collaborative education hub called Learning Lab Wichita that's expected to open in August at Union Station.

SPT Architecture — No. 5


Fifth on the WBJ's architecture firms list with 10 architects, SPT Architecture is leading the design Phil Ruffin's highly anticipated Golden Circle Casino in Park City. Set for a September 2025 opening, the renovation of the former Wichita Greyhound Park adds historic horse-racing machines, a Golden Circle Sports Bar and a Gilley's Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que inspired by the one inside Ruffin's Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Other recent SPT-designed projects in Wichita include First Tee Greater Wichita's new $1.8-million learning center, The National apartment complex at 1st Street and Main, and a renovation of a Delano District office building at 2nd and McLean.

Just a snapshot of a few large projects in the works.

I'm really excited about the movement at Exploration Place as well as the Riverfront area. Really excited to see how that plays out.

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WBJ - Wichita real estate company requests incentives for Phase 2 of Bel Aire industrial park

Bel Aire is set to welcome an expansion to one of its business parks.

The Bel Aire City Council unanimously approved Tuesday a letter of intent for industrial revenue bonds for Wichita-based real estate company WAM Investments to expand the footprint of Bel Aire Industrial Park on the north side of 45th Street between Rock and Webb in Bel Aire.

The expansion project is scheduled for a public hearing in a July 2 City Council meeting. If approved, WAM Investments will receive $3.7 million in IRBs in the next 10 years, with a 95% property tax exemption for the first five years and a 75% property tax abatement for the following five years. The company will build two new buildings totaling 28,000 square feet east of the current buildings.
.....
Despite the delays caused by the pandemic, Madsen said the business park leased out spaces to 11 tenants in total in the first phase, which reached max capacity by the final quarter of 2023. The tenants included a Bel Aire-based window cleaning company called Warsh My Windows, a fence company called Claxton Fence and a flooring company called Floor Coverings International.

Madsen also said the employment numbers within the industry park exceeded the predicted 10 new jobs by creating 48 job opportunities.

"I would say this is the first physical location outside their home for probably 60% of the businesses we have," Madsen said. "So, it's a neat gateway for people trying to build a new business and get it up and off the ground. This kind of business model works well for them because it's hard to find a standalone building that gives you a size that's small enough to where these people can make that all work."

Madsen said plans for Phase 2 were a strategic decision because of the local real estate market lacking smaller warehouse spaces, along with demand from current and potential tenants reaching maximum capacity and looking to expand operations in the park.

The big warehouses get a lot of publicity for obvious reasons, but it is nice to have smaller options available for small, young businesses to operate out of.

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KSN - New urban farm being installed in downtown Wichita

ICT Farms will hold a groundbreaking for a new urban farm at The Salvation Army on Friday at 9 a.m.

Thomas Montiel joined KSN News to talk about the event. Montiel said the goal is to provide a sustainable source of fresh fruits and vegetables for local residents, promote healthy eating habits, and offer educational opportunities about gardening and nutrition.

“The Salvation Army has multiple food banks and ways to distribute food and instead of just utilizing canned space, we figured it would be an amazing opportunity to grow fresh for those who are food insecure,” Montiel said

I like things like this. Can be a really big benefit to communities.

[SubGod22]

Cool local story and accomplishment.

KSN - Wichita golfer Emerie Schartz competing with first U.S. Junior National Team

The USGA released the roster for it’s inaugural U.S. Junior National Team earlier this year. One player making the cut is Wichita’s own Emerie Schartz.

The 16-year-old Andover High student spends most of her time training at Crestview Country Club.

“Every day, a lot of the day,” said Schartz, “We get here pretty early in the morning and just constant practice and playing throughout the day.”

Her dedication paid off. After applying to the team, she was happy to hear she made the roster.

“I was really surprised by I was so excited. It was just so surreal to be chosen among the top players in the world,” she added,” It’s just really wonderful to learn from the girls and to have this opportunity. And just thanks to the USGA for putting this all on for us, and Coach [Chris] Zambri and the national team.”

The recognition is well-deserved. In 2023, Schartz became the youngest player to ever win the Kansas Women’s Amateur. She also claimed the 2023 Kansas Girls’ Junior title, and was one of just four players to ace during the 2023 U.S Girls’ Junior.

Sounds like little sister is pretty damn good as well.

[SubGod22]

Chick N Max making bold plans for invasion

WBJ - Next leg of Chick N Max's U.S. expansion plans includes updated restaurant prototype

Chick N Max is bringing an updated restaurant look to its next targeted region for U.S. growth.

The Wichita-based fast-casual chain announced Thursday that a new phase of national expansion will focus on the southeastern part of the country — specifically Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Chick N Max currently has seven restaurants across the central U.S., including four in Wichita, two in Texas and one in South Dakota.

"The southeast boasts a well-established fast-casual chicken restaurant market, and we’re aiming to establish a strong presence of our own and capture market share," said Jeff Frahm, Chick N Max’s vice president of franchise sales and development, in a news release. "Our focus will be on identifying high-potential areas that are currently underserved or have room for additional options."

As part of the expansion push, Chick N Max has unveiled a 2,100 square-foot restaurant prototype that seats up to 80 customers.

Early stages but the South has a lot of well established chicken restaurants.

They expect to open up to 5 restaurants this year in their current footprint here in the central US, but have more than 50 planned in Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, and Texas.