en-us Sat, 19 May 2012 15:48:06 -0400 Sat, 19 May 2012 15:48:06 -0400 landmarkrealestate.net http://landmarkrealestate.net/rss/Landmark_News_Articles.xml http://landmarkrealestate.net/rss/Landmark_News_Articles.xml info@landmarkrealestate.net (Managing Editor) 60 News and press releases for Landmark Commercial Real Estate As expected, Wichita has landed its second Menards store. Developer Paul Jackson on Thursday signed a deal with the Wisconsin-based company to anchor his Stonebridge development at the southeast corner of 37th and Maize Road. This follows Christian Ablahs deal earlier this month for Menards to locate at his development at K-96 and Webb Road. These are big, big deals, Jackson says. Its a real shot of confidence theyre opening two stores of this size in Wichita. Jackson and Ablah were close to final deals with Menards, a homeimprovement store, in late 2008 when the economy tanked. Even though there are continual signs of improvement, Jackson says the Menards deals are still a coup. Big box developments are just not happening around the country right now, he says. Most big box developers have kind of pulled in the reins and put the brakes on until the economy turns around. The west-side Menards will be 230,000 square feet and employ about 165 people. Menards has more than 250 stores in 12 states. Gary Snyder of Landmark Commercial Real Estate represented Menards in the Stonebridge deal. Ablah, who is with Classic Real Estate, also worked with Jackson on the deal. Now that the deal is done, Jackson will proceed with infrastructure work at Stonebridge, which will be a 37-acre retail development. What it means for us is we can go ahead with confidence, Jackson says. Menards likely will break ground in the next 30 to 60 days and open in the first quarter of 2011. Thats credibility (for) people coming to look at our development, Jackson says. Its an important turning point. Jackson says hes in talks with a number of businesses. Once infrastructure is in place, it will allow those businesses to move in quickly, he says. It puts us at that stage, which is a really nice place to be. try { // check protocol for not invoking the code for saved files // for Safari, when an html file is saved, to have all images in it, the file must be // saved as WebArchive. Then when you open the file from the disk, document.location.protocol is "http:" // so, because of that additional checking of window.opener needs var sProtocol = document.location.protocol; if (window.opener && sProtocol.indexOf("http") != -1) { var g_sCookieID = "SaveAsTip"; function getCookie(sName) { var aCookie = document.cookie.split("; "); for (var i=0; i aCookie.length; i++) { var aCrumb = aCookie[i].split("="); if (sName == aCrumb[0]) { if(aCrumb[1]) return unescape(aCrumb[1]); else return ""; } } return ""; } var agt = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase(); var sUrl = '/Default/Layout/Includes/Wichita/SaveInstructions.htm'; if (getCookie(g_sCookieID).toUpperCase() != "DONTSHOW") { if (agt.indexOf('gecko') 0) { /*FireFox, Safari*/ window.open(sUrl, "_blank", "modal=yes,height=155px,width=295px,left=200px,top=100px,status=no,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,resizable=no,scrollbars=no"); } else { /*IE*/ window.showModalDialog(sUrl, null, "dialogHeight=175px;dialogWidth=290px;left=200px;top=100px;help=no;resizable=no;scroll=no"); } } } } catch(x){} Publication:The Wichita Eagle; Date:Apr 23, 2010; Section:Business; Page:B6 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article9.php#1337456886 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article9.php WICHITA Theres a new tenant for the former space at 8512 W. Central, and it may be a surprise to some. , a Mongolian grill, will sublease the space. Its going to be right in the middle of everybody, franchisee Terry Newman says of all the neighborhoods in that area. Newman and his partner, Frank Carney, opened Wichitas first Genghis Grill at the former space at Douglas and Rock Road in January 2009. The east sides doing phenomenal, Newman says. It beat our expectations. The former Krispy Kreme space is about 4,000 square feet, which Newman says is a standard size for Genghis Grill. It doesnt faze him that Krispy Kreme didnt succeed at that spot. Thats kind of the least of my worries, if someone was successful there before us or not. Besides, he says, Were not doughnuts. Were a full-service restaurant. of handled the deal. Brad Saville was very key in making this work for us, Newman says. Krispy Kreme first went up for lease in May and then closed in August. Saville called Newman to let him know he had a west-side property that might interest him. Newman said, Thats kind of funny, because I was just sitting in the parking lot of your west location. The new restaurant should be ready within about four months. I wish it was tomorrow, Newman says. Newman and Carney also are partners in , and Newman believes its their solid reputation over many years that has also helped Genghis to succeed. Our repeat business is unbelievable, he says. In all my years of being in restaurants, this is just a tremendous opening. I dont expect anything any different out of the west side. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article8.php#1337456887 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article8.php WICHITA Theres a new development coming near the southwest corner of 21st and Maize Road behind . A group of as-of-yet unnamed developers are purchasing the former building, razing it and building a new 10,000-square-foot center for retail and restaurant space. Last year, New Medical moved to 21st and Ridge Road by . The new development group will have a total of almost three acres and may build a second phase for offices. There will be access to the development from both 21st Street and Maize Road, which makes this an extremely attractive property, says Cory Harkleroad, managing director of . Harkleroad is handling the sale of the property and has already landed two tenants. The locally owned Taco Shop will add a site there, and Harkleroad says theres a national breakfast company that will move there as well. A source says that restaurant is , but Harkleroad will not confirm thats the one. There are letters of intent for more than 70 percent of the center. That leaves 2,960 square feet to lease, which Harkleroad says can be used by a sole tenant or divided. He says tenants hope to be in no later than September. Harkleroad is feeling positive about the development. Since 21st and Maize is one of the busiest intersections in Wichita, he says, its very viable space. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article5.php#1337456888 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article5.php The new year is starting off well for Steve Robl of Robl Construction , and it may bode well for others, too. I see just a general better attitude in real estate, Robl says. There are three new tenants for his Barrington Place on 21st Street west of Ridge Road, which is where Red Bean's Bayou Grill and Jason's Deli are. Sunflower Title is taking 1,800 square feet. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is taking 1,400 square feet. And Advantage Partners , a real estate company, is taking 1,600 square feet. It creates a fantastic synergy having us three... next to each other, says Advantage owner and broker Eric Henderson . It's just a fantastic opportunity. He says that area has a prime housing market, too. It's such a great time to buy, which is one of the reasons we're moving to that west-side location, Henderson says. As far as visibility, it just makes sense for us. Advantage will open there in early April and also keep its space at Office This at 4031 E. Harry. Wells Fargo will open at Barrington Place next month. We will be expanding more, says Chad Laipple , branch manager for the state of Kansas. Sunflower Title is in a huge expansion mode. Barrington Place will be the company's seventh site within the past year. An eighth is almost complete at the Waterfront at 13th and Webb. We've got more expansion in mind, says president Richard Schodorf . We're all about convenience. He says Robl is a friend of his and also built two of his houses. It was just a natural fit, Schodorf says. I've always been a fan of Steve's. He says the site makes sense, too. The northwest is a booming area. Now may seem like a tricky time for a title company to expand, but Schodorf is confident. Everybody knows the business will come back, he says. Also, he says, Every business relies on its employees, and there's no better time to find some of the most wonderful, qualified employees... than when the unemployment is high. Commercial brokering isn't all that's working for Robl. His main business is selling houses. We've written about 15 contracts since the first of the year, which is really good, he says. There's some uptick. January is not a historically good month for houses, especially when you have the weather that we've had. But I've been real pleased. So does it give him hope for the rest of the year? It gives us a start. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article6.php#1337456889 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article6.php WICHITA and are for opening next week in front of near 29th Street North and Maize Road. But that doesnt bother owner Larry Wilson, who is . Im going to beat em, Wilson says. This is his fourth Cinnamons in Wichita. I like the traffic count, Wilson says of the area. There may be a lot of other restaurants there, he says, but theres a lot of customers also. handled the lease. Wilson, who opened his first Cinnamons in 1986, hopes to open two more here and possibly one in Derby. Dont look for the new restaurants anytime soon, though. With a tight market for financing, Wilson says, Im going to have to pull back . . . for a little while. Read more: Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article7.php#1337456890 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article7.php When Smoothie King on North Ridge Road closed, some disappointed west-siders wondered what happened. The owners are simply changing locations. The new location is in the former Picture Perfect space at 8000 W. Central. Picture Perfect recently moved to NewMarket Square at 21st and Maize Road. Smoothie Kings Gillian Gorges likes her new space for its drive-through. Don Piros of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the deal. Theres no projected opening date, but Gorges says the North Rock Road Smoothie King is offering catering in the meantime. Publication:The Wichita Eagle; Date:Apr 23, 2010; Section:Business; Page:B6 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article10.php#1337456891 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article10.php BY BILL WILSON The Wichita EagleRibbit Computers is coming to north of 21st and Maize Road, as owner Alex Harb's plan to saturate Wichita with his computer sales and service stores nears completion. But it's not the end of Ribbit's growth, Harb said, as he puts the finishing touches on a plan to bring his stores to smaller Kansas communities. Ribbit will become the final piece in an 8,960-square-foot retail center at 26th North and Maize Road, home to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Cinnamon's Deli and the first Long John Silver's on an end-cap of a retail center, developers said. Construction has not begun yet. I've been looking for a while around that area, Harb said. I'd talked to several landlords and almost made a couple of deals, but I wasn't convinced 100 percent. I didn't have that 'feeling' about the locations I was looking at. After a month's vacation, Harb spotted the Five Guys center. It just hit me right then, he said. I choose my locations by following my feelings. If I have that 'feeling' then I know it will go well. The 2,500-square-foot Ribbit will have nine employees 6 PC technicians and three Apple technicians, the latter a growing segment of Ribbit's business. Apple has been rapidly improving its product, Harb said. Used to be the cheapest computer they made was 1,500 to 1,600, but today you can get an entry-level Apple laptop for 800. Landlord Central Park Place was represented in the lease deal by Brad Saville, president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, and Christian Ablah of Classic Real Estate. Ribbit was represented by Bradley Tidemann of J.P. Weigand Sons. Saville said the strip mall, which opened on Feb. 15, has been a success thus far, with restaurants ahead of projections. The new store leaves Harb one short of his goal to saturate Wichita. I'm thinking that we'll look at the 47th and Broadway area, but before there we're going to start our Hutchinson project, he said. Harb has targeted several Kansas cities at or near 20,000 population, including Hutchinson, Salina, Garden City and Dodge City. We want to get in all of them because we'll be able to provide them something they're missing, he said. None of the bigger stores want to go there, but we will. We don't want to be Super Walmart. We just want to have our stores. Read more: Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article11.php#1337456892 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article11.php WICHITA Theres a new tenant for the former space at 8512 W. Central, and it may be a surprise to some. , a Mongolian grill, will sublease the space. Its going to be right in the middle of everybody, franchisee Terry Newman says of all the neighborhoods in that area. Newman and his partner, Frank Carney, opened Wichitas first Genghis Grill at the former space at Douglas and Rock Road in January 2009. The east sides doing phenomenal, Newman says. It beat our expectations. The former Krispy Kreme space is about 4,000 square feet, which Newman says is a standard size for Genghis Grill. It doesnt faze him that Krispy Kreme didnt succeed at that spot. Thats kind of the least of my worries, if someone was successful there before us or not. Besides, he says, Were not doughnuts. Were a full-service restaurant. of handled the deal. Brad Saville was very key in making this work for us, Newman says. Krispy Kreme first went up for lease in May and then closed in August. Saville called Newman to let him know he had a west-side property that might interest him. Newman said, Thats kind of funny, because I was just sitting in the parking lot of your west location. The new restaurant should be ready within about four months. I wish it was tomorrow, Newman says. Newman and Carney also are partners in , and Newman believes its their solid reputation over many years that has also helped Genghis to succeed. Our repeat business is unbelievable, he says. In all my years of being in restaurants, this is just a tremendous opening. I dont expect anything any different out of the west side. Read more: Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article12.php#1337456893 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article12.php The commercial real estate industry took a huge economic hit in Wichita in 2009 as deals dried up in a commercial credit crunch. The year ended with few or no commissions for even the citys biggest brokers as the market froze, paralyzed by the lack of available loan capital. Commercial credit was available in 2009 and will continue to be for projects that cash flow and have sufficient equity, said Brad Saville, president of Wichitas Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Savilles company did deals during the downturn, most notably a new 8,960-squarefoot retail center in front of Lowes on North Maize Road anchored by Long John Silvers, Five Guys Burgers and Cinnamons Deli. Opportunities in 2010 Downtown revitalization will move ahead dramatically in 2010, and city officials believe that local entrepreneurs will be the first to begin snapping up available commercial space downtown. Some national tenants are continuing expansion plans in the economic downturn, Saville said. Downtown developers are targeting well-capitalized local businesses as they search for the first new retailing near Intrust Bank Arena, which opens Jan. 9. In addition, properties in default and foreclosure will be good opportunities for investors sitting on the sidelines, Saville said. Challenges in 2010 Without a thaw in the commercial credit markets, projects will be reduced in 2010 to those funded by significant cash down payments, as much as 40 percent of property value. Bottom line Next year will be a slow one for commercial real estate, with projects likely limited to well-capitalized investors able to put significant money into new projects. Speculative deals will be few and far between. Bill Wilson Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article13.php#1337456894 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article13.php An apartment community with a built-in theater, free WI-fi and that's just for starters. Inwood Crossings sits along K-96 between Woodlawn and backing from the City of Wichita. Council Member Lavonta Williams helped push it through,It's not just affordable it's an attractive housing option for families and individuals who are seeking a safe, clean and permanent place to call home. Calling this place home costs between 585 and 895 a month, depending on resident's income. The complex is only for households with 60% or less of the area's median income. For the Bynums, the true of the place is not only is it spacious but also very safe. There's even a police substation on site. It's good to have a good neighborhood and a good school for the kids to go to. We really enjoy it and the kids really love it here, said Brenda. Those looking for a place to live can stop by or call. There are still units available. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article14.php#1337456895 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article14.php BY RON SYLVESTER The Wichita Eagle A new community police office is just what the neighborhood near 13th and Oliver needs to continue its rebuilding process, said the Wichita City Council member who represents the area. Lavonta Williams said Monday that the new police office is the next step in helping enhance the safety of the neighborhood surrounding the refurbished Providence Square shopping center. Dreams have led to plans and plans led to progress, and progress leads to more progress, and eventually that leads to success, Williams said as the office was officially opened by the Wichita Police Department in a ceremony Monday afternoon. The office will serve as a work station for community police officer Dan Oblinger, as well as a center for special patrol teams dealing with drug offenses and gang violence, Capt. Jeff Easter said. Easter said a conference room will also give neighborhood groups a place to hold meetings. Williams said the new police office in the former KenMar shopping center represents a step toward making the area, which has sometimes been plagued by crime, safer. The officers will also serve as role models for the young people in our community, Williams said. Mayor Carl Brewer told residents from nearby neighborhood associations that the new office is a prime opportunity to grow your neighborhood. For more information about community policing services, residents may contact Oblinger via e-mail at doblinger@wichita.gov or by phone at 316-350-3400. Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article15.php#1337456896 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article15.php Commercial projects might be drying up, but theyre not gone. Witness Mukesh Dharods Genesh Inc., which is busily growing the companys Burger King franchises across the Wichita metro area. The latest is coming in an abandoned Taco Bueno at 200 S. Rock Road. Absorbing vacated retail space for scrape-and-builds and to renovate is a growing trend in the restaurant business, said one of the brokers involved in the Burger King deal, Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial, representing Taco Bueno. People are definitely doing deals, said Phil Hammond, vice president for sales at Kansas City-based Land Source, representing Genesh. Were looking for diamonds in the rough, so people who own properties where the demographics are already there, the traffics already there are fine. Theyll move it right. Hence the companys interest in the Rock Road location, which is across the street from Towne East Square. The 2,550-square-foot building was built in 2006 and went on the market in May 2008. Dharods Genesh owns 44 Burger Kings, including 11 in Wichita a number thats growing with a new store opening on South Meridian, the Rock Road store and one going in at 71st and K-15 in Derby. The company also operates an Augusta store and properties in Great Bend, Newton, Hutchinson and El Dorado. Don Arnold of NAI John T. Arnold in Wichita is the local broker for Genesh. Theres a common theme in the Genesh projects: high-traffic locations. If you look at the areas that Mukesh is putting Burger Kings, those areas are developed, he said. They have the demographics, the traffic count, and youre not having to count on future development to be successful. Weve opened four units throughout Kansas and Missouri and (have) just blown away projections because the areas are already developed. The Rock property is being renovated by Genesh, but the other locations have been leveled and new stores are being built, Hammond said. Those kinds of projects are a growing trend, Saville said, an alternative to more costly locations like the corners of strip centers. By renovating former restaurant locations, the upfront construction cost is significantly less, he said. Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article16.php#1337456897 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article16.php Coffee and sandwich sales werent enough to keep Caffe Posto open near Douglas and Oliver, but new owners are hoping wine and food will be a hit. Jimmys Egg franchisee Whitney VinZant and some undisclosed partners plan to open Mikes Wine Dive in the former Posto space by March1. Theyre also taking the Hair Connection space next door for a total of 2,650 square feet. That business, which is still open, is losing its space after 24 years. Im really sad to see Hair Connection go, says James Smits, who owns Aspen Boutique and bought the center three years ago with his wife, Monica. Theres a lot of people there (who have) become our friends Jimmys Egg franchisee Whitney VinZant and some undisclosed partners plan to open Mikes Wine Dive in the former Posto space by March1. Theyre also taking the Hair Connection space next door for a total of 2,650 square feet. That business, which is still open, is losing its space after 24 years. Im really sad to see Hair Connection go, says James Smits, who owns Aspen Boutique and bought the center three years ago with his wife, Monica. Theres a lot of people there (who have) become our friends through the years, Smits says. On the other hand, nobody would sign a lease, and I got tired of operating without a lease there. What it did is it left this opportunity open. No one with Hair Connection could be reached for comment. VinZant doesnt want to share too many details on Mikes Wine Dive yet, but he says think eclectic. Were seeing some very neat concepts in the major markets, he says. We thought wed do something creative of our own in Wichita. Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate is handling the transaction. So who is Mike? Mikes an arbitrary figure, VinZant says. VinZant likes College Hill because its such a tight-knit area. We want to be that type of neighborhood restaurant. He likes the residential density in the area. Its terrific, he said. VinZant and the Smitses are still working out details, but James Smits is confident about the change. This brings a lot of excitement to the center that I think will really be invigorating, he says. The 1,300-square-foot Myoptix Fashion Eyewear space will soon be vacant, too. Its a good, attractive little space right between Pink Saloon and Aspen Boutique, Smits says. I see a lot of women walking between our spaces now, which is exactly what wed hoped for. Smits says things are looking good for the center. Other than looking a little empty during Christmas, I couldnt be happier. Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article17.php#1337456898 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article17.php WICHITA A and in front of near 29th and Maize. will open in 2,400 square feet next to Five Guys, which will anchor the south end of the strip center there. Long John Silvers anchors the north end. Central Park Place Retail is developing the 8,960-square-foot center. Brad Saville of and Christian Ablah of are principals in Central Park. Cook Construction is the builder. They broke ground on the project Wednesday. At a time that not many strip centers are under construction and many are sitting empty Ablah thinks the exciting tenants that we have with this kind of location is why he and Saville are able to proceed with theirs. The center is 81 percent leased. Theres 1,680 square feet left to lease, and Ablah and Saville are open to either a restaurant or retail. Look for the new restaurants to open in early 2010. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article18.php#1337456899 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article18.php Stuckys collapse sends industrial agent to LandmarkWichita Business Journal - by CHRIS MOON / WBJLandmark Commercial Real Estate President Brad Saville, left, says his firm is thrilled to add an industrial division to its company through the addition of Ted Branson, a former agent with Coldwell Banker Commercial Stucky Associates. After a failed attempt to acquire the franchise in Wichita, local broker Ted Branson has left that company to sign on as an agent with . Landmark President Brad Saville says Branson brings needed experience as a broker of industrial property, something Landmark has lacked since it was founded in 1993. Branson says the move gets him into a better situation than the one that had been spiraling downhill for the past three months at Coldwell Banker. Its a solid company, Branson says. To me, its a hand-in-glove fit. His switch was made official Tuesday. The move marks another step in the disintegration of , which still holds the franchise rights to Coldwell Banker Commercial in Wichita. In one of the biggest shake-ups of the local real estate market in years, Frank Stucky this summer was stripped of his Coldwell Banker residential franchise and has been sued by the Parsippany, N.J.-based firm for delinquent franchise fees. Stucky has held onto the commercial franchise through the tumultuous time that followed. Nearly all of his residential agents have left for other firms, and his commercial brokers scattered as well. Branson, a commercial broker since 1977, says he tried to assume the last two years of Stuckys franchise agreement with Coldwell Banker Commercial but was turned down by Coldwell Banker. He says the firm is seeking an existing company to take over the brand, rather than a single broker with plans to build the company gradually over time, which Branson says he wanted to do. I wasnt in a position to take on 10 agents, he says. Branson says Coldwell Banker Commercial wont continue with its franchise in Wichita. David Siroty, a Coldwell Banker spokesman, says its commercial franchise remains active with Stucky Associates Realtors, but he declined to comment further, citing its litigation against Stucky. Frank Stucky didnt return a call seeking comment. Finding a BrandBranson had spent 24 years at his familys firm, , before leaving for Coldwell Banker Commercial for a change of pace following his fathers death in 2002. Branson says he was drawn to Coldwell Banker by its national presence and his ability to get access to more deals with buyers and sellers from outside the Wichita metro. He says he was in charge of efforts to build the franchise in Wichita. It grew to six agents in 2008, and Branson says his business was coming to a culmination when the Stucky companies fell apart. But already Branson had been talking to Saville about joining forces. The two say they talked on and off during the past two years about Landmark taking over the Coldwell Banker Commercial brand. Saville about a year ago made a trip to New Jersey to investigate the possibility. He decided against it, but says the decision wasnt financial. In consideration of Wichita and the brand identity Landmark already has and careful conversations with our agents, ... were not sure it was as much a benefit to us as it would be to them, Saville says. Branching OutInstead, Branson landed at Landmark, Wichitas third largest commercial brokerage for number of agents. The independent real estate brokerage has specialized over the years in office and retail leasing, along with development. Saville says the company typically has only a half dozen industrial listings at a given time. With all the industrial owners and manufacturers, thats a full-time discipline, he says. Branson says 60 to 70 percent of his portfolio of business is industrial and land projects. He says hell work to bring 40 to 50 listings to Landmark. He says he has no pending contracts with Stucky. Jerry Gray, vice president and general manager of s commercial division, says the move isnt that significant to the overall brokerage scene in Wichita. Teds been a respected competitor for a long time. Hes got a good block of business, Gray says. Moving from Coldwell Banker to Landmark, I dont think that changes anything. He says the move into the industrial sector should be a good one for Landmark. That has been one area where they havent been as active. It makes sense for Brad Saville to do that, Gray says. From our perspective, it didnt change the competitive landscape because Teds been in the business for a long time. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article19.php#1337456900 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article19.php WICHITA Sit @ Thai Bistro is getting ready to open. Great Wall is going to open its 11th location in the greater Wichita area, this time in 1,300 square feet by the at 21st and Amidon. represented the center and said there were numerous Asian restaurants that looked at the space. I thought it was interesting, she says. , Kelleys colleague at Landmark, represented Great Wall in the transaction. Kelley thinks the restaurant will do well. Theres a great lunch crowd in that area. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article20.php#1337456901 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article20.php BY BILL WILSON AND KAREN SHIDELER The Wichita Eagle A Wichita commercial real estate firm has jumped full tilt into a new niche: developing and brokering medical real estate. Brad Saville's Landmark Commercial Real Estate has opened the city's first medical division out of the brokerage office at 156 N. Emporia. The goal is a one-stop shop for medical office building development, leasing and investment -- everything from financing to site and contractor selection. Landmark agent Austin Kinzle coordinates the division. We kept hearing from doctors who wanted to expand their practice, Saville said. Maybe they owned a building and wanted to lease a building. Maybe they don't want to be in the real estate business. They're making too much money in health care. Sometimes they get into the real estate side with partners and find out ownership isn't all it's cracked up to be. But if they have an investor, it's 'Please buy our building, and we'll lease the building back.' So we kept running into more and more clients needing assistance -- a builder, an investor, someone to select a site for them. Saville, Kinzle and new agent Lewis Kelley, who brings experience in health care management, are staffing the division. Landmark spent about six months marketing the division to prospective clients. They've devoted a portion of the company Web site, , to medical properties. The centerpiece of those offerings this month is a sale/leaseback deal for the Abay Neuroscience Medical Plaza at 3223 N. Webb Road, listed for 9.74 million. The 29,807-square-foot building adjacent to the Kansas Spine Hospital has a variety of medical tenants. The medical real estate business is a growth industry in Wichita, said Roger Weast, president of J.P. Weigand Sons, Landmark's primary competition in the field. There's been a tremendous amount of medical growth over the past few years, Weast said. It may have tailed off a bit recently, but it's definitely been strong. There's hospitals growing and expanding, doctors moving around, all these surgery centers and specialized offices. Weast said his company hasn't discussed forming a separate medical division. We've got a lot of agents who specialize in different types of commercial sales, and a lot of them deal with medical, Weast said. Kelley said the migration of medical services into the suburbs is driving much of that local growth. Other doctors with their practices went to smaller satellite offices in different areas of town rather than coming downtown or (going to) a different group of 30 to 40 doctors, Kelley said. Now a lot of them are talking about it, breaking up and going into satellite offices. Medical real estate needs are different from some other commercial real estate needs, said representatives of the Wichita Clinic and the Medical Practice Association at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. It's just designed differently, said Gary Bue, Wichita Clinic's director of clinical operations. The flow of patients and the services you're going to provide direct how it's going to be laid out. The Medical Practice Association earlier this year bought 105 acres on the northeast corner of K-96 and Greenwich for a health care and commercial development. The association worked with an agency to find the site and is working with an architectural firm on master planning of it. Lorene Valentine, executive director of the association, said the practice, which is independent of the medical school, looked at lots of built property but they were not to the configuration or the location or the size. Bue said the Wichita Clinic has worked with several agencies to find land for new locations but usually proceeds on its own once land is purchased. The services that Landmark's providing -- it looks fairly comprehensive, everything from just obtaining the land, design-build, that type of thing, he said. Picture Below: (L-R) Austin Kinzle, Lewis Kelley and Brad Saville stand in front of their 10 million medical listing, Abay Neurosurgery. Saville's Landmark Commercial Real Estate company is getting a medical division off the ground to broker and develop health care facilities for doctors and other groups. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article21.php#1337456902 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article21.php Despite the residential melt-down and tightening of credit requirements, commercial financing is still available. It's just a little harder to find. Now more than ever, obtaining a commercial loan is based on a borrower's relationship with the lender and the fundamentals of the deal. If the borrower has the relationship with the lender, the fundamentals of the loan proposal are sound and the borrower has the ability to carry the loan for a period of time if the project flounders, borrowers will find financing. It may take time to locate the right lender. For instance, some lenders might decline bidding on a loan opportunity if they feel their portfolio is not balanced with their preferred percentage of retail, office, multifamily or industrial loans. In a recent focus group meeting I attended, Jeff Ronen of Value Place Hotel Group said it is not uncommon to visit with 10 to 15 lenders before finding one who is looking for hotel loans in certain sub-markets. Also, in preparing to get a new commercial loan, allow additional time for underwriting, approvals and time to provide additional information to the lender. For large projects, it simply takes more time to get all of the parties on the team comfortable with the project. The lender is part of the team. Another key consideration in commercial real estate development is construction costs. For years we have heard about the increases in costs of building materials. However, with the recession and major changes in economic indicators, contractors and developers may find that certain materials' costs have not increased as suppliers and vendors bid jobs or materials more competitively. Another question developers must answer is timing. When is the right time to start a project? How much time does it take to get the project from the cocktail napkin to producing income? Do the market and demand support the project? If the financing and construction costs are in order, the final element is the tenants. In Wichita, there are a lot of national tenants waiting for the right time to enter the market or to add locations. Reasons for a delay include soft sales systemwide or adjustments to expansion plans. Other national tenants have decided to continue expansion and negotiate the best deal they can in this volatile time. The retail demand in Wichita has slowed over the past 12 months, and we see that trend continuing for at least another six months. There are some great projects that when completed will define new sub-markets in north Wichita and south Wichita when the anchor tenants are ready to come to the table. Developers will continue to work on land, entitlements and zoning on certain tracts to be ready to make deals and start construction when the time is right. In the meantime, well-located real estate will continue to thrive as the remaining tenants seek out the best locations available. Brad Saville is president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article22.php#1337456903 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article22.php Unlike a lot of markets where new stores have been put on hold, Wichita now has another large national retail store. Lowe's at Central Park Place on Maize Roadhad a soft opening this weekend (the grand opening is Friday), and there are other retailers on the way. The good news is... this was a site that Lowe's decided to open, says developer Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. They had stores on their list that they decided not to open. Saville and Christian Ablah of Classic Real Estate own Eastside Investments, which is developing the 26-acre Central Park Placeacross from SuperTarget at NewMarket Square. They're in negotiations with several other businesses that could locate at the center next year. The thing about commercial real estate in Wichita is, even in these economic times... there's still plenty of interest for good locations, Saville says. We're very proud of this location and think we've got a good piece of real estate. There will be a 10,000-square-foot center in front of Lowe's where we've got just all kinds of interest, Saville says. He's talking with several restaurants -- there's probably room for two -- and a couple of service businesses and a retail shop. Across Central Park Avenue, which divides the property, there will be about four buildings along Maize Roadwith more restaurants, retail and possibly a freestanding bank. In the back of the lot, adjacent to Lowe's, there's room for several smaller retailers or one large one. Saville says he's talking with one large retailer who might want all the space. They're going to look after the first of the year, he says. Most of the businesses Saville is working with are national retailers or restaurants. We're going to be in a good position to work with the prospects out there, he says. Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article23.php#1337456904 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article23.php The national economic slowdown has had its affects among local retail developers, even as the Wichita economy remains strong. Developers say they've noticed prospects putting the brakes on their expansion plans, making signed leases and forward-moving projects more difficult. You have to divide it into two categories, says 's Gary Oborny, who is working on several retail projects in the metro. The bigger box stores, they've slowed down quite a bit. The smaller niche (stores), they're cautious, but still evaluating. It has made developers slow down on their own plans. Occidental recently began construction on a retail center near its Northrock office complex at 32nd and Rock Road. The center was about 65 percent leased when construction began. Several years ago, Oborny says, the company would have started work when the project was 35 to 40 percent leased. Under these conditions, we're more apt to pull the trigger at 50-60 percent. We, too, have become a little more cautious, he says. Tough Times Slow sales nationally have caused some retailers to pull back on their expansion plans and even close stores. is one example. and have announced fewer store openings. Other companies are seeing tougher financial times, leaving expectations among developers low. Chico's, a high-end clothing chain based in Florida, as of last week had seen its stock plummet 70 percent during the past year. , another high-end retailer, has seen its stock drop 67 percent. Both companies have stores in Wichita, making them potential targets for other developers here. Things have absolutely changed in the last couple years, says ' Mark McPherson, which is developing the Derby Marketplace project, featuring Dillons and stores. There is a lot of caution out there, more on the larger guys than the smaller guys -- and with the free-standing restaurants. Building on speculation is a thing of the past, developers say. And retailers who are out shopping for sites are expecting more, says 's Brad Saville. They're getting to the point that while there's so many developers wanting deals, they're asking for more incentives -- cheaper or free dirt. They're looking for special deals, because that's what's being thrown at them, he says. But as construction prices keep climbing, developers are less able to make those projects work, he says. The retail tenants, they don't really get it. Their sales are steady. They want the same rent, but the costs are up to build it. You really have to sharpen your pencil on this stuff, he says. Election Time Developers also say credit has continued to tighten. Banks in the area, which largely have avoided the loan losses seen in other markets, have reported heightened scrutiny of their commercial loan portfolios by federal regulators. Developers say that has caused banks to toughen their underwriting standards. And Oborny says some national retailers have said the November presidential election contributes to their caution. But he questions that logic. Certainly for the banking and energy sectors a new administration could bring major changes. But not necessarily retail development. I don't know if that's always the case, whether these business people will lock into that, Oborny says. I think you factor it in, but you always have to ask what impact is that in the decision process? I think it's a small percentage, at least in our industry. Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article24.php#1337456905 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article24.php Jimmy's Egg franchisee Whitney VinZant and a group of partners have major expansion plans for the greater Wichita market. They've already announced their first location, which is at 21st and Rock. Next up is Central and Tyler in the former Godfather's Pizza space. It's a great entry point into the west side of Wichita, VinZant says. The location is optimal for a Jimmy's Egg. He thinks the entire market is optimal. Within the restaurant industry, breakfast is an underserved sector, VinZant says. Breakfast options are just terribly few. VinZant plans a total of about five Jimmy's Eggs by 2010. That likely will include sites in Andover and Derby. Don Piros of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the lease at Central and Tyler and is helping VinZant find other locations. Ink Construction is extensively remodeling the Godfather's space and will help with future construction as well. Ink owner Wink Hartman Sr. is one of the Jimmy's partners. So is Morrie Sheets, who is the real estate contact for the local franchises. The Rock Road Jimmy's opens Nov. 17. The Central and Tyler space should be ready in March. We're very excited, VinZant says. Look for an announcement about a third site within weeks. Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article25.php#1337456906 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article25.php For the first time in its 25-year history, Kobe Steak House of Japan is getting a second Wichita location. The restaurant is taking the former Tokyo Steakhouse space in North Maize Place on Maize Road just north of 21st Street. We've always wanted to go out there and never found the right opportunity, says Jim Hamlin, who is partners with Jim West in Kobe Management Inc. We feel like there's been some exciting growth both in retail and in population on the west side, West says. The restaurant, which will be open by December, will seat 90 at its teppanyaki tables and another 40 or so in its lounge. That's slightly smaller than the Kobe at Carriage Parkway. Brad Saville and Nick Esterline of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. handled the transaction. We will be bringing the same cuisine and things we've done for years, Hamlin says. Kobe has become a tradition in Wichita, West says. We're serving a third generation of customers. West and Hamlin have owned the restaurant for six years and also have Kobe Steak Houses in St. Louis and Omaha. They're looking for a new east-side location, too. We'd like to move our restaurant farther east, Hamlin says of the Carriage Parkway Kobe. They'd prefer the Rock Road or Webb Road areas, and they'd like the chance to build their own building. Over at North Maize Place, part of the appeal is that they wouldn't have to do much remodeling for their new space, which is part of what makes the move easier in tough financial times. If we were starting a new concept in a new area, it might be scary, Hamlin says. But he says there's great opportunity on the west side. It doesn't seem out of line to us at all. A trip to the Gym As Have You Heard? hinted last week, Bradley Fair's newest tenant is going to be Gymboree. The San Francisco-based chain, which has 600 stores in the United States and Canada, sells children's clothing and accessories from newborn to age 12. Gymboree is leaving its space in Towne East Square to move into 2,500 square feet of former Restoration Hardware space at Bradley Fair. That still leaves 6,000 square feet of former Restoration space for what likely will be a single tenant. The new store will open Oct. 23, which coincides with the 18th anniversary of Bradley Fair. Hello? Hello, hello? It's been one year almost to the day since Kelly Donham last talked with us regarding his plans to convert the former Caldwell-Murdock Building at 111 E. Douglas into a hotel. Like last year, people continue to ask questions. That's because Donham got as far as knocking structures down and putting a big hole in the ground, but not much further. At the time he said the project was still going to happen, but he didn't know when. Now? Donham won't say. When we called to ask what's happening, he hung up. You don't say We're maybe back to a 301(k) today. _ Mark Ralston of AGH Wealth Advisors, who has joked about 401(k)s turning into 201(k)s during the recent financial crisis but felt a bit more optimistic after Monday's jump in the market Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article26.php#1337456907 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article26.php Friday, October 3, 2008 Wichita Business Journal - by Four patrons gathered Monday at Senor Tequila Mexican Grill for a late-afternoon lunch. Dozens of tables remained open, but the scene didnt bother co-owner Cesar Ayala. ayala, who opened the restaurant on Sept. 1, is taking his time with the new location near the intersection of Broadway and Pawnee. According to Ayala, the sign in front of the building in the Pawnee Place strip center is not right. The menu isnt quite what he wants, either. So even though the dine-in/carry-out restaurant has been open for a month, Ayala has yet to hold the grand opening. He wants things to be perfect. Its a good opportunity, he says. The location seems right, he says, a few hundred yards in front of the Wal-mart at 2750 S. Broadway, sharing Pawnee Place with national establishments like Game Stop, HR Block and Payless shoe source. But so far, restaurants, most recently China Buffet, have failed in the space. The landlord was very thorough, says Landmark Real Estates Scott Harper, who handled the property. He wasnt just going to let anyone come in there and throw up a sign and give it a try. A DIFFERENT FLAVORAyala learned the restaurant business from his uncle. Now, at 27, hes a co-owner of seven restaurants with an eighth on the way. Ayala says he and the group of Senor Tequila owners, one of whom is his father, Jose, ran as many as 13 restaurants at one time across the Midwest. They have since sold several locations. They opened their first Senor Tequila in Kansas seven years ago in Salina. Restaurants in Hutchinson, Lyons and now in Wichita have popped up. The group still owns two locations outside Kansas, as well. Ayala says Senor Tequila tries to be different, which has been a mindset that has worked at its past locations. He says the specialty is steak and fajitas. The restaurant includes a full bar in the 4,500-square-foot facility, and the decor is authentic, yet subtle. Ayala says he wanted to stay away from bright colors, which are traditional to Mexican restaurants. In two to three years, those will pass the style, he says. Mine is different. Its classier... Theres more calm colors. The chairs, the tables, everything matches. FINDING A NICHECathy Chase, owner of Lil Mexico Restaurant at 1601 E. Pawnee St., a few blocks east of Senor Tequila, is not concerned about another Mexican restaurant entering the south side. At least nine Mexican restaurants are in the area from Harry Street south to Pawnee, and Seneca east to I-135, including Lil Mexico. Its not changing anything (for us), Chase says. Senor TequilaAddress: 2570 S. Broadway St. Phone: 263-3888 Opened: Sept. 1. Operating Owner: Cesar Ayala. Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article27.php#1337456908 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article27.php Big Lots is getting a new lot in Wichita. The company is opening an approximately 24,000-square-foot store at Central and Tyler where Fadler's Market used to be and Osco Drug before that. I'm really expecting great things, says Rob Claxton, senior vice president for marketing. There will still be three Big Lots stores in the Wichita area because the Big Lots at 21st and Amidon is closing. The new location will give Big Lots more exposure and visibility and get them closer to their customers, says Brad Saville with Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc., whohandled the deal. The new store, which will employ about 30 people, will probably open in October. However, you never know when it comes to building, Claxton says. If it goes much beyond that, it wouldn't actually open until January or February, so keep your fingers crossed. Saville knows something about things taking longer than expected. We started working on this deal in 2004, believe it or not, he says. At that time we were talking about expanding the building to 30,000 square feet, Saville says. Unfortunately, Fadler Market leased the building for approximately three years. Since then, Saville says, The prototype store for Big Lots was downsized slightly so this time around the building was a good fit. Tasty addition Fans of Il Vicino in College Hill will be pleased to know the restaurant's owners are looking for a second location, this time in northeast Wichita. Owners Paul Hoover, Dave Murfin and their New Mexico partners aren't talking just yet, but it looks as if they're seriously eyeing the 13th and Webb and 21st and Greenwich areas. And that's not all. It sounds as if they have a new concept they'd like to try on the east side, too. Look for a decision on at least one of the new locations in a few weeks. Sleepy time The Sleep Medicine Center of Kansas is expanding. The center, which has two Wichita locations, is adding another sleep clinic and lab at the Kansas Heart Office Plaza on East 35th Street North by the Kansas Heart Hospital on North Webb Road. The center also has a location in Newton and in Pratt. Part of it's geography, says physician and center director Tom Bloxham. We wanted to be a little farther east, for one thing. The center has a lot of patients in Andover, Augusta and El Dorado. But the biggest part is just locating close to lots of people with cardiac problems, Bloxham says. There's just a huge amount of overlap between sleep apnea and cardiac problems. The new sleep clinic and office will open Sept. 1. The accompanying sleep laboratory will take longer to build because of all the technology that goes into it. We'll plan to expand and build the lab part within the next year, Bloxham says. Nutty idea Siena Plaza at 37th and Rock Road already has a sweet deal with Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates. Now, it's going nuts for a new business called Sweet Nut-things, a gift shop that will feature about 80 varieties of nuts and 40 types of candy. In addition, the shop will feature local art and other items. Just lots of fun things, says Angie Hall, who is opening the business next month with Shelley Riggins. Hall has been in administrative accounting for 17 years. Riggins is a cosmetologist at Sola Salon Studios at Siena Plaza. Our great hopes are that this takes off, and I can wind down on hair, Riggins says. Hall says the two are trying to create somewhere where you walk into... and it feels good. She says she's always wanted to have her own business. It's pretty scary, but very exciting, Hall says. Siena Plaza developer Chuck Caro is happy to have another tasty business leasing space at the almost 3-year-old center. It was a goal that I was hoping to achieve, having that type of little niche, he says. It's creating more of the walk-in traffic... for the center, Caro says. This is starting to pan out pretty good. Still waiting Amici still hasn't reopened at Siena Plaza since a June fire caused 300,000 in damage. They're starting construction in about 30 days, Caro says. Caro says the owners will be restructuring a few things on the inside and building a courtyard on the west side of the building. It can't happen too soon, he says. It's a sad deal, he says. I get calls weekly: 'When's Amici's going to open?' You don't say Who would have thought this many people would have spent 75 to come see Dawson Grimsley when they could have stayed home and watched him for free? --Rene Steven of Spangles, who emceed the roast for DawsonGrimsley on Tuesday, which drew more than 400 people to the Broadview Hotel Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article28.php#1337456909 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article28.php The Wichita Eagle The Wichita Country Club has entered its next-to-last phase of renovation, which started with a more than 12 million master plan in 2006. It's pretty cool from our standpoint, chief executive and golf pro Cary Cozby says of the changes, which are leading to growth. Since renovation began, 90 people with an average age of about 43 have joined the club. While we're building everything for every demographic, the future of the club is (with) younger families, Cozby says. Renovation at the main club is mostly complete. This phase, for which the club recently took out a 2 million building permit, is to build a new fitness center and Club 4 Kidz. The center will be 3,700 square feet, not including a couple of massage rooms, new locker rooms and two studios for yoga, Pilates and aerobics. Cozby says it's a pretty good-sized deal, especially for a country club fitness center. The children's area will be upgraded as well and will be open most of the time the club is. Parents can drop off their kids for more structured activities than have been offered in the past. Cozby says country clubs aren't only competing against each other anymore. There's so much more competition for a family's time, he says. You've got to offer so much more. The final renovation, which will overhaul the pool area, won't happen until 2010. It originally was scheduled for next year, but Cozby says there were some extra expenses during other phases of renovation just to make sure the finish level is what we thought it should be. South of the border South-siders sometimes complain that all the new restaurant news is on the east and west sides of town. Well, here's one for them: A Mexican restaurant called Senor Tequila is going to open in 4,500 square feet in front of Wal-Mart at 2570 S. Broadway. Cesar Ayala, who is a partner in other Mexican restaurants in Salina and Hutchinson, is opening Senor Tequila. This is our first one, he says. The restaurant, which is not affiliated with the Senor Tequila chain of restaurants in other states, will have a full bar and should be open by September. Scott Harper with Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. handled the deal. Perfect solution Perfection Structural Components LLC, which is owned by Star Lumber and Dan Zimmerman, has purchased a few more acres for a total of more than 20 acres at Santa Fe Orient Industrial Park. The new acreage, which is a couple of blocks east of Meridian on Harry, will now connect the company's property to Harry, which, of course, is an arterial, says Star's Chris Goebel. Previously, trucks entered at 1732 S. St. Clair St. Perfection makes roof and floor trusses and wall panels for residential and commercial projects. Goebel says the new space also gives us some expansion room and some breathing room. Gary Snyder and David Leyh with Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. handled the deal. Park owner Phil Ruffin still has about 15 acres available at the park, which he has owned for more than 20 years. Over at Star Lumber's new store space at K-96 and Greenwich, Goebel says sales have doubled over what they were at Central and Woodlawn. Part of that is thanks to K-96 access, he says, and part of that is because of store improvements the company made. We're pretty happy, Goebel says. You don't say I wondered, 'Where are all the cars?' I expected there to be long lines. --Wichita resident Angela Addario's reaction when she passed the Phillips 66 at 3805 W. 21st, which has a digital reading that shows unleaded gas is free (there's a problem that's causing the station to temporarily be out of unleaded, and the owner can't switch off the reading) Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article29.php#1337456910 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article29.php Twin Lakes owners are talking to big tenantsBrad Barber and his father, David, have been silent partners in the renovation of Twin LakesShopping Center but have now taken over management of the project. It was in quite a bit of a mess, says Colorado-based Brad Barber, who owns TWD Properties with his father. I had to make a lot of phone calls and calm some people down, Barber says. We had to do a few months of damage control. That was after a couple-month halt to renovations over the winter. The whole deal basically had to be restructured, Barber says. That included restructuring the financing and management. There were, like, six or seven people you had to go through to get anything done, Barber says. He's trying to create a friendly environment for tenants. The biggest problem with this is, people for years were telling tenants the things they were going to do, Barber says. They just act like most landlords do, and that's take every penny out of it they can and run. Barber says he's talking to three or four potential major tenants for the 340,000-square-foot property. Don Piros with Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. is helping lease the space. About 1 million of the almost 2 million in renovations is complete. It's just really now taking shape, Barber says. I'm almost shaking I'm so excited about this property. Attention-getter It looks like there may be a sales contract pending on the property across from Twin Lakes where Big Lots is. No one with the center is talking, but Barber has heard about the sale, too. He says he would have been interested in the space if he didn't already have so much going on. If there is a sale along with some new tenants -- namely an occupant for the former Food-4-Less space -- it could be big news for that area. That intersection is going to catch a lot of attention shortly, Barber says. Big plans The owners of the new Amici Italian restaurant in Siena Plaza at 37th and Rock Road already have expansion plans -- and big ones at that. My idea was to expand this and expand very quickly, says co-owner Ryan Watenpaugh. I like money. He won't discuss immediate plans, but it looks like Andover (near the new library) and west Wichita are first on his list. We put together a very solid system for this, Watenpaugh says. His eventual goal is for something like 300 or 400 Amici restaurants nationally. I want to take on Outback, Watenpaugh says. He says restaurants are too corporatized these days. I believe that things can be done just a little bit better without compromising, he says. All it takes is a little bit of intelligence and some caring and heart. You don't say You know, whenever there's bad weather, I'm here. My poor dear wife and kids are the ones who have to deal with that. --Dave Freeman, the KSN, Channel 3, chief meteorologist, on the fact that he doesn't have a basement Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article30.php#1337456911 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article30.php Lowe's to build near 29th and MaizeBY BILL WILSONThe Wichita Eagle Work will begin soon on the newest Wichita Lowe's, a centerpiece of the commercial development near 29th North and Maize Road. Lowe's officials confirmed plans Friday for a 148,000-square-foot store, four days before the Wichita City Council will consider three projects to blend in the development with an adjacent wetlands area. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a plan late last month to develop the land, which will eliminate some federally protected wetlands in the body of Cadillac Lake. The new Lowe's, to open in the fall, will include 117,000 square feet of retail space, said company spokeswoman Maureen Rich. It will serve as the anchor for more than 321,000 square feet of retail and restaurant development on the east side of Maize Road. The new Lowe's will have 31,000 square feet of garden space and will create 175 jobs, most of them full time. The store will become the 11th Lowe's in Kansas. It becomes the fourth Wichita-area location, joining stores at 333 S. Ridge Road, 11959 E. Kellogg and 424 W. Patriot in Derby. The Corps action also clears the way for a 10-acre expansion on the north end of NewMarket Square, with an estimated additional investment of 18 million to 20 million, according to city officials. Tim Austin, one of Lowe's project developers, could not be reached for comment Friday. New Market developers also couldn't be reached late Friday. On Tuesday, council members will consider the dedication of 54 nearby acres for construction of wetland migration and storm water detention. Also before the council is a conservation easement to build additional wetlands on the Cowskin Creek Water Quality Reclamation Facility property. The council also is being asked to approve a project to construct an additional 20 acres of wetlands at the reclamation facility, using 300,000 donated by East Side Investments and NewMarket V. The city agreed to participate in the development in March 2007. Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article31.php#1337456912 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article31.php Lexington Square sat empty more than six months after it was built. Co-developer Mike Hampton says businesses were reluctant to be the first to go into the empty four-front shopping center just south of the busy intersection of Maple and Maize Road. But once he opened in January, two more tenants were quick to move forward with leasing space. Now, and are headed for April openings. A Mexican restaurant could eventually call the last space home, too. Hampton says he is in talks with a restaurant operator, whom he declined to name, about locating there. Work on the interior of the sites is ongoing. It's done its job of helping to fill the center, Hampton says of the more than 3,000-square-foot liquor store that features 55-degree wine and beer caves. Rolling Hills is the first liquor store in the area to feature a wine cave, which ensures the product is shipped and stored at the same temperature, Hampton says. Having Kline Meats as a neighbor, he says, is a good fit for the Rolling Hills liquor store because of the one-stop convenience it could provide for customers. We're (the businesses) going to feed off each other, he says. Located at 375 S. Maize Road, Hampton says Lexington Square benefits from being near a busy intersection and looks forward to it being filled. Other developments around the area, such as the Lillie Medical Park farther south on Maize will help the center too. We're excited, Hampton says. Lexington Square is Hampton's first development in Wichita, but the president of -- a Valley Center-based company -- also dabbles in property management for various businesses. George Shammas is the shopping center's other developer. Hampton says development is a hobby that he is using to build a portfolio. Aztec is doing the work on the remaining three spaces in Lexington Square. Real Estate is handling the leasing. Reviving 'A Wichita Tradition' Scott Kline is no stranger to the meats business. A third-generation butcher, Kline has been in the business for more than 20 years, working for several different entities along the way. But now he is starting his own business. Bringing back a Wichita tradition, Kline says. He plans to open the 2,600-square-foot Kline's Meats in Lexington Square in early April. The business, which Kline describes as a neighborhood butcher shop, will feature a variety of meats and cuts ranging from prime beef to sausages. He says he will use high-quality Nature Source Angus beef in the store as well as pork from Yoder Meats in Yoder. You're going to get the best of both worlds, he says. In addition, Kline will sell a variety of smoked meats, lunch meats, cheeses and sausages -- using his own recipe. He says he is going to try to have a little bit of everything on hand. The main goal, Kline says, is to provide good, old-fashioned service and quality at his business. Kline's Meats will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and will employ four or five people. Kline says he could eventually employ between 10 and 15. Like Hampton, Kline says the business is in a favorable location with the Maize Road traffic, and being next door to a liquor store is a natural fit. He signed a lease on the site in January, but worked on his business plan for nearly two years. Starting a business wasn't without its challenges. But it's starting to really roll right now, Kline says. The Avon business is slated for 1,100-square-foot space next door to Kline's Meats. The owner declined to comment. Better Approach With shopping centers such as Lexington Square popping up all over town, some landlords struggle to attract tenants. But Don Piros, a realtor with Landmark Commercial, says the approach to filling these shopping centers is getting better. More and more sites are pre-leasing spaces before construction starts, he says. The ability to attract business to shopping centers, Piros says, depends on traffic flow and location. I think every sector is different, he says. With Lexington Square perched along Maize Road not far from Kellogg, Piros says the shopping center is in a good location. And with Lillie Medical Park poised to employ more than 300 people just south of the site -- and the increase in traffic that could accompany it -- he says the need for retail and restaurant spaces in that area is clear. Lexington SquareAddress: 375 S. Maize Road. Owner: Lexington Square LLC. Size: 10,570 square feet in one, four-front building. Anchor: Rolling Hills Wine Spirits. jheck@bizjournals.com | 266-6172 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article32.php#1337456913 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article32.php A group of investors led by Brad Saville will convert a former eatery at 21st Street North and Maize Road into a two-tenant retail center. will be the first to occupy the former site. The company will put a retail store in 3,500 square feet of the building. Another 2,500 square feet will be available for lease. ATT declined to discuss the specifics of its plans. But, said spokesman Don Brown, ATT is always looking for ways to offer more convenience to our customers. We have a definite interest in pursuing a retail outlet at that location. Taco Bueno's presence was short-lived, opening in November 2006 and closing seven months later. Saville remained unruffled about its rapid failure -- No sales at this particular location, he joked. But he says a group of investors that owns the property -- called North Maize Place -- plan to use the space for the second phase of its project there, which is equal parts redevelopment and new construction. Our goal all along is to make this one cohesive development, says Saville, president of Bowling Alley Blowout Already, developers lured Office Max and to the 10-acre site. The Taco Bueno project will create about 6,000 square feet of retail space. is doing the work, which was valued at 450,000. And later this year, the former Countryside West bowling alley will be converted to retail following a major demolition and expansion job. The front half of the 35,000-square-foot structure will be torn down to create better visibility for Office Max, which sits on its north side. The bowling alley then will be expanded to the south at a cost of 1.5 million. A brick plaza will be constructed nearby, and the end-cap space has been slotted for a restaurant. Saville says developers have been in talks with two retailers and three restaurants about the bowling alley project. We're trying to see what needs to be done to make it happen, he says. All the buildings will have some of the same architectural features, designed by Towers will be added to the former Taco Bueno building. Competition The project adds to the retail at 21st and Maize, where the monolithic NewMarket Square dominates the scene on the west side of the street. I think it's going to bring more traffic to the area, which is a good thing. Will it change NewMarket Square? I don't think so, says April Reed, of NewMarket owner She says NewMarket commands heavy traffic thanks to its and stores. Lease rates range from 20 to 23 per square foot. We are what we are. We can command the type of rents we are asking, Reed says. Saville says space in North Maize Place leases from 18 to 28 per square foot. Meanwhile, ATT's presence will add to the already heavy saturation of cell phone dealers near 21st and Maize. Within view are , , and stores. ATT wouldn't comment about the fate of its current store a mile to the east at 21st and Tyler. It's definitely an opportunity for customers to shop a little, says Holly Kalinowski, manager of the T-Mobile store at 2441 N. Maize. They just drive through the strip. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article33.php#1337456914 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article33.php Wichita Business Journal - by president Paul Jackson, will be taking off. We're definitely pleased with the progress on Kellogg, Andover mayor Ben Lawrence says. We fully intended on that being a regional shopping attraction in our long-range plans, and it's developing just as we'd hoped. Marketplace will feature the largest branch in the Greater Wichita YMCA system, a 115,000-square-foot facility that will have an outdoor water park and is on schedule to be open this time next year. will open a 122,000-square-foot store there this fall. Big Plans Jackson just announced plans for The Shops at MarketPlace, a 15,500-square-foot retail shopping center on the west end of the development with six to 10 tenants. He plans on the announcement of at least one big-box retail store there soon. I think with Augusta, Rose Hill, Towanda -- maybe even clear out to Leon -- you've got a population that this can draw from, Jackson says. It's very convenient for those folks. That's what we're trying to capture. The Shops at Marketplace will face Andover Road. is designing that project, which will be tenant-customized for space configurations. No tenants have yet been announced. Local and National Mix The idea really is to bring in local retailers and smaller retailers to mix in with the nationals that we have, Jackson says. It gives us some nice flexibility. Dennis Schoenebeck, CEO of the , says the Andover facility will have a similar look to the Northwest Y, which is Wichita's largest at 102,000 square feet. But the Andover branch will have a learning facility. The two have the same architect, , PA, and contractor, Coonrod and Associates Construction Company. It's going to be a great addition to the area, and very visible from (Highway 54), Schoenebeck says. It's definitely a destination Y that's going to pull people from a distance. I wish it was done today. Schoenebeck predicts Marketplace will create a new hub of activity for not only Andover, but the region. I live northwest, close to NewMarket Square, Schoenebeck says. I've seen what that has done to the west side. It really has changed the center of gravity there. I'm wondering if the same thing isn't going to happen with this. Jackson says he's not sure there's a comparison. NewMarket Square's such a behemoth out there, he says. Andover's a smaller community. I don't have delusions that this is going to be NewMarket Square. I do think it sets some services out in Andover that they need on a scale that they can support. But we're not trying to develop a lifestyle center. Also included in Marketplace will be Prairie Creek Elementary School, a 64,000 square foot facility with 31 classrooms scheduled to open this fall, and a 30-acre residential housing area. Lawrence, for one, would like to see at least one sit-down restaurant in MarketPlace. I don't think it's going to change Andover, the mayor said. I think it's going to greatly enhance the quality of life and amenities that we're trying to provide for our residents that are here, and those that are to come. Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article34.php#1337456915 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article34.php BY BILL WILSON The Wichita Eagle A three-state tire store chain is expanding to Andover, the first of four new Wichita-area stores planned over the next five years. Kansasland Tire is the second retailer to join Vantage Point Properties' MarketPlace at Kellogg and Andover Road. Kansasland is the largest Goodyear dealer in Kansas, with four stores here and 30 statewide. The company also operates Nebraskaland and Missouriland locations. It's not so much about what's going on in the market, said Nick Phillippi, Kansasland's general manager and chief operating officer. What we see in the Wichita area is (there is) not a dominant player in our business. We feel like if we can get to eight stores, internally it will make better sense for us to advertise for eight stores and use the volume power that generates. It'll allow us to market that there's nowhere in the area you'll be more than 15 minutes from a Kansasland. Construction on the 7,000-square-foot facility, located on the west edge of MarketPlace on Andover Road, should begin in April, with a summer opening. Kansasland offers full-service automotive repairs in addition to tires. Kansasland is redesigning its chain of stores, using the Andover store as its prototype. The store's new customer waiting area is segmented, including a play area for children and work stations with wireless Internet. As the expansion develops, Phillippi said the company wants to add a motorist-assist vehicle roaming Wichita. But to finance those kinds of things, you've got to have enough market volume, he said. Right now, we're not in the place in Wichita we feel like the market leader needs to be. Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, who brokered the land deal, said market surveys show tire service and automotive repair is a need in Andover. We're looking to attract retail users to the project that can support a wide range of services, said developer Paul Jackson of Vantage Point Properties. We've heard the need for this kind of use frequently as we've planned MarketPlace. They're a good operator providing a service the community needs. It's a good catch for us. Other tenants at MarketPlace, a 140-acre mixed-use project at Kellogg and Andover Road, include a Dillons Marketplace that is under construction and a 50,000- square-foot YMCA. In addition, Andover's new Prairie Creek Elementary School is being built in the project. Vantage Point has been developing, managing and leasing properties for 14 years, developing more than a million square feet of commercial real estate in the Wichita area. Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article35.php#1337456916 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article35.php By Bill Wilson The Wichita Eagle The Ryan's Grill, Buffet and Bakery on West Kellogg has been sold to local developers who plan to build a hotel on the site. The sale price was 1.1 million, according to the sale's broker, Brad Saville, president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Saville wouldn't immediately identify the developers. Landmark marketed the property for the past year, Saville said. Ryan's parent company, Minnesota-based Buffets Holdings Inc., said the national economic slowdown forced it into bankruptcy Jan. 22, when it filed for Chapter 11 reorganization. The company also owns a Ryan's on North Rock Road and Hometown Buffet on West Central. Company spokeswoman Victoria Weld said the chain is closing 50 poor performing locations as part of the reorganization. She wouldn't say if any Wichita restaurants are on that list. However, officials at the North Ryan's on Rock Road said Friday afternoon that their restaurant is meeting sales goals. A Hometown manager said she was unaware of any changes. Buffets Holdings isn't the only casual-dining restaurant chain worried about performance, said Jon Rolph, executive vice president of Wichita's Sasnak Management, which operates Carlos O'Kelly's and Applebee's restaurants. We're all in the same boat, he said. All the research across the industry shows that pretty clearly. Studies show that casual restaurant traffic is down 3.1 percent since the economic downturn began last summer. About 2 percent of the traffic is trading down to fast food, Rolph said. Don Sayler, president of the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association, said Rolph is right. It's not a lot, but people aren't eating out quite as often or as much, Sayler said. Plus, with the rising cost of food, Sayler said buffets face the biggest challenges in the casual dining industry. He called them a tough business model to succeed with in tight economic times. Rolph said his company plans to attack the downturn aggressively. We've been on the road for the last three days, and the message we're giving our managers is that this is a down cycle, he said. We're well positioned for that. We have a great staff, and we're good operators. I think that what you're seeing with Buffets is that the companies positioned for growth are the ones that are going to survive. We'll come out of this and grow. Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article36.php#1337456917 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article36.php BY BILL WILSONThe Wichita EagleGoodwill Industries Easter Seals officials closed Monday on a two-acre tract in Derby for a 15,000-square-foot retail store and training center. The store, opening in about a year in the Hilltop Plaza Addition at Rock Road and Windmill Road, will offer donated goods on the retail floor, which will double as a vocational training area for people with disabilities and employment barriers. Emily Compton, Goodwill's president and chief executive, said demographics brought the group to Derby. She said that while retail possibilities drove the decision, the move also brings Goodwill closer to some of Sedgwick County's 800 people looking for employment services. It's a vibrant community, she said. We're excited about the possibilities of moving to Derby. The new building, Goodwill's 13th store in the area, will include about 8,000 to 10,000 square feet of retail space, with 5,000 square feet for offices and donation processing. When open, the center will employ between 20 and 25 people, both full- and part-time, with preference given to people with disabilities and employment barriers, Compton said. Co-tenants include Wendy's, Applebee's and Tokyo Steakhouse. The site selection and sale was handled by Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate in Wichita. It's a great fit for our city, Derby City Manager Kathy Sexton said. It's a great location because we've got a population here that will really benefit from their services. Sexton said the Goodwill facility will fit in nicely with the public transportation system started last year, the Derby Dash. We've had historically a strong group of families in Derby who've banded together for recreational activities and social networking for their kids with developmental disabilities, she said. This is a great opportunity to expand that into transportation to work. Goodwill officials have not selected an architect and contractor for the project. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article37.php#1337456918 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article37.php By: Chris Moon Wichita Business Journal WaterWalk developers are courting a St. Louis bowling alley and martini lounge to become the next major tenant in their downtown project. A deal hasn't been inked with the retro , but owner Joe Edwards says Wichita would be a good location for his 3-year-old business. Decorated with vintage pin-up posters, it features signature martinis and a dozen lanes of bowling. The Pin-Up Bowl so far has locations in St. Louis and Kansas City, Kan. There are a lot of possibilities for that concept. People really enjoy it, says Edwards, who has numerous other restaurant and entertainment venues in St. Louis. Kansas City was the right opportunity at the right time. Wichita really looks like it could be. The Pin-Up Bowl opened its second location during the past year at The Legends at Village West in Kansas City, near the . Its first location opened in 2003 in St. Louis. Edwards says no timetable has been established to hammer out a deal in Wichita. But the process provides a glimpse into the strategy of the WaterWalk developers who for years have been frustrated in their attempts to land major tenants to their public-private development, which has been priced at more than 100 million. Developers appear to be looking for more entertainment venues for the site. They also are targeting businesses that have landed recently at Village West. Brad Saville, retail leasing agent for WaterWalk, says he's negotiating with several prospects, including Pin-Up Bowl. I'd say that one's a little further along than most, he says. Kansas City Connection So far is the lone attraction to WaterWalk, which has been in the works for more than five years. But the development has gained steam this year with construction beginning on an upscale condominium tower. Also, ground broke nearby this fall on the new headquarters for the . Pat Ayars, vice president of , which is involved in WaterWalk, says developers are working on a whole scheme for a number of retail tenants, kind of a whole movement toward an entertainment district in WaterWalk. So far, the only dining establishment to commit to the mixed-use project is , a California-based Western restaurant chain with dozens of locations across the country. Saddle Ranch has a connection to the Pin-Up Bowl in that the two are neighbors at Village West. Brad Saville, president of , says he's targeted some Village West tenants as prospects. Those businesses already have experience opening shops in the Midwest. That's kind of natural, says Saville It's a little easier progression than coming from three states over. More Momentum Edwards says WaterWalk developers approached him after seeing one of his two Pin-Up Bowl locations. I'm real open to it, he says. Edwards in 2004 opened his Pin-Up Bowl concept in St. Louis' Loop area, a prominent arts and entertainment district in the city. He describes it as a good martini lounge that happened to have bowling. The location is near Edwards' top creation, , a restaurant and music club featuring live performers. Rock legend Chuck Berry still plays there. Edwards says he's been looking at several cities for additional expansion of the Pin-Up Bowl. We're interested in any place that is interested in us, Edwards says. It's still being talked about. Saville says the Pin-Up Bowl is modern and trendy, away from Friday or Saturday night league play. Edwards also has shown an ability to help rejuvenate urban areas. He understands those cycles, Saville says. The addition of a business like the Pin-Up Bowl conceivably would offer competition to the numerous Old Town bars and restaurants that control the nightlife in the city center today. and owner Melad Stephan says he'd never heard of the Pin-Up Bowl but notes entertainment has been slow in coming to WaterWalk. They need some kind of a bar down there or something, he says. Financing appears the biggest hitch in discussions to bring the Pin-Up Bowl to Wichita. Edwards says he is opening a new bowling alley this year in St. Louis, the Flamingo Bowl. He also plans to break ground later this year on a seven-story boutique hotel next door to his Pin-Up Bowl. I'm kind of tied up on what I'm doing, Edwards says. But he says he was open to a hybrid deal in which he would put some money up for a building, but not all of it. Current talks are for the Pin-Up Bowl to share a building with Saddle Ranch Chop House, Saville says. It's definitely a good fit for them to be there, he says. It's a matter of financing. WaterWalk Location: Waterman and Main, southwest corner. Phone: (316) 219-6060. Developers: City of Wichita in partnership with Dave Burk, Dave Wells and Jack DeBoer. Major tenant: Gander Mountain. Fri, 02 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article38.php#1337456919 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article38.php Rose Hill Bank buys site at Ridge, 33rd N. By Jerry Siebenmark The Wichita Eagle Rocky Waitt has finally found a location for Rose Hill Bank's west-side branch. The president of the 160 million bank, which has branches in Wichita, Rose Hill, and Augusta, said this week the bank's newest branch will be locted on the northwest corner of 33rd North and Ridge Road. Wait thinks he found the best spot for the new branch after looking for two years. It's hard to find a good location on the west side, at least for me it was, Waitt said. The problem, he said, was finding a spot with steady traffic that would be easy for customers to get in and out of. I tried to make sure we had good ingress and egree, Waitt said. We're really excited because there's been some great growth on the west side and the demographics...fit the mold of our bank a lot. Construction on the new branch probably won't begin until early 2008. Waitt expects it to be finished that same year. Plans call for the branch to be 4,500 square feet, sitting on a lot that's just over an acre. Waitt said that the branch will have about eight employees, including two loan officers. It will also have drive-through teller lands and a drive-up ATM. Selection of an architeect and general contractor is pending. Brad Saville, president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc., represented Rose Hill Bank, which bought the land from developer Jay Russell. Saville said Ridgeport Commercial, the development where Rose Hill Bank will be located, is a mix of retail, office and industrial spaces. Rose Hill's new branch will be in a ZIP code that has 281 million in deposits shared between eight banks and bank branches, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data. Intrust Bank leads the 67205 ZIP code with 119.5 million in deposits, the FDIC data said. Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article39.php#1337456920 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article39.php By: Carrie Rengers The Wichita Eagle An 18,000-square-foot OfficeMax is going to be the main anchor of the new North Maize Place at 21st and Maize Road. That's the former Chadsworth Retail Village just north of Dillons and across from NewMarket Square. Nick Esterline and Brad Saville of ES Development, a subsidiary of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc., are developing the property's 10 acres. OfficeMax should be ready to open by October. There's a lot of businesses in that northwest part of town, Esterline says. There's really kind of a hidden need for office supplies. North Maize Place is also where the new Logan's Roadhouse will open in a freestanding building next month. Taco Bueno is already open next door. There will be two strip centers at the development as well. There's the existing center where the former B.G. Bolton's was. That's where a new Emerson Biggin's is opening. Sprint also has a store there, which recently expanded by 1,000 square feet. Tokyo Steakhouse and a state tag office will remain in the center. A new 30,000-square-foot strip center will be built where Countryside West Acres is. The bowling center will close in May and will be demolished shortly after. Esterline says he has letters of intent for future regional and national tenants, but he's not announcing anything just yet. Linda Hickam of Landmark will handle leasing at the development, which is managed by Esterline and Saville's 1Point LLC. Chad Glenn and Stan Shelden of Shelden Architecture are the architects on the development. Key Construction is the contractor. We think we've got one of the top locations in northwest Wichita, Esterline says, and the tenants that we're bringing in are kind of validating it for us. Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article40.php#1337456921 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article40.php Developers are shopping for a large retailer -- perhaps a grocer -- to anchor Holland Place, a mix of shops and eateries that'll go in at Tyler and Kellogg. By Bill Wilson The WIchita Eagle It took Brad Saville five years to piece together a 12-acre jigsaw puzzle at Tyler and Kellogg. Today, the puzzle is complete, and plans are in place for a 20 million development on the northwest corner of Tyler and Kellogg. Holland Place, a 200,000-square-foot retail and restaurant project, is being developed by George Holland of Holland Paving and marketed by Saville, president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Job one is landing an anchor, Saville said. He's pursuing a major grocery chain to build a 100,000-square-foot store. Grocery stores are getting bigger, he said. Kroger is building 100,000 square-foot-stores, and there are other chains interested in coming into Wichita. Six pad sites along Kellogg and Tyler range between 21,000 and 40,000 square feet, with a variety of restaurant and retail uses possible. The project targets a rapidly growing demographic, according to a Landmark prospectus. Surveys estimate almost 50,000 people with a median income of about 60,000 will live within three miles of the development by 2008. About 90 percent of the residents are north of Kellogg and the access is very handy, Saville said. It's also a high traffic area with 56,000 cars a day, the prospectus showed. The land has been commercially zoned for two years, said John Schlegel, the city-county planning director, and was plagued by drainage problems that have bene corrected. Saville said developers needed that time -- and more -- to piece together the tract from home and business owners. It's been complex from the perspective of land assemblage, time consuming, he said. Owners at the Horn, a longtime local restaurant at 1255 S. Tyler, couldn't be reached for comment Monday. Holland Paving has a satellite office on site that will be relocated. Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article41.php#1337456922 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article41.php BY DAN VOORHISThe Wichita EagleA Kentucky developer wants to build an apartment complex on 37th Street North between Woodlawn and Rock Road. LDG Properties of Louisville is seeking to build a 29.7 million, 260-unit complex. It would sit just west of a string of large retail stores lining North Rock Road. Eighty percent of the apartments would go to tenants who qualify for subsidized rent. LDG specializes in building complexes using federal tax credits aimed at building affordable housing. Rents for the subsidized units would be 700 for two-bedroom units, 820 for three-bedroom units and 925 for a four-bedroom unit. A single person can't make more than 25,700 a year to qualify to rent. A couple can't earn more than 29,400 and a family of four, 36,700. The other 20 percent of the units would rent at market rate. The company estimates that rate at 650 per month for one bedroom, 988 for two bedroom and 1,000 for three bedrooms. Planned amenities include a large clubhouse with fitness and business centers, swimming pool and patio area, a playground, and cookout areas with picnic tables. The complex will be pretty upscale, said Mark Stanberry, housing specialist with the Housing and Community Services for the city. The area is zoned for apartments, but the state requires the developer to get the consent of the local government. When the Wichita City Council considered the matter Tuesday, it deferred action on the project to hear from more neighbors. Some area residents voiced concerns about the project at Tuesday's meeting. Some neighbors are concerned about the traffic and density brought by the complex, said Nick Esterline, the project's coordinator. There is also some concern about having subsidized housing, he said. That's why he and others will meet with neighbors next week to talk about the quality of the development and the tax credit program. Wichita has a mixed record with accepting subsidized apartment complexes. Most recently, developer Gary Hassenflu failed in his attempt to convert the former Kellogg School into an apartment complex when neighbors objected to rezoning the site. A number of other projects, however, have been approved, including the Harvester Apartments in Old Town. In these projects, a developer is awarded federal tax credits through the state. The developer then sells the credits to corporations and uses the money to reduce the need for cash flow from the rents. Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article42.php#1337456923 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article42.php By Ken Vandruff Doug Rogers decided he needed to make a move. He was spending too much time and gas money shuttling between his machine shop, Air Capital Machine Tooling Inc., in Augusta, and his material suppliers and aerospace customers in Wichita. It took fewer than 30 days to find a larger building at 2450 S. Leonine Road a location that Rogers believes puts him in a better geographic position to serve his customers, primarily other aerospace subcontractors, and win new contracts. Im kind of a long-range person, he says. You dont reap what you sow tomorrow, but if you sow the seeds right theres a lot down the road for you. The new 7,500-square-foot location solves a second problem. The one-man company that Rogers bought last summer has hired four additional employees, and theres no room to expand the existing 1,200-square-foot building. Tight Market Rogers worked with Brad Saville, president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc., to hammer out the three-year lease. Terms were not disclosed, but Saville says it was within the going rate of 4 to 5 a square foot for an industrial-gross lease, where the landlord pays the property taxes and insurance on the building. Saville says the market for the type of industrial space Rogers wanted is getting tight. If you want to lease a 10,000-square-foot building, youd struggle to find three or four properties at any one given time that make any sense at all, he says. Air Capital will occupy 60 percent of the buildings 12,500 square feet with first right of refusal should another potential tenant consider moving into the empty space. Were hoping theyll expand into it, says Ted Branson of Coldwell Banker Stucky Associates, representing the property owner, who also owns several industrial buildings in the immediate area. The building has been vacant sine previous tenant Leading Technologies Composites Inc. moved to 2626 W. May Ave. more than a year ago. Making the Move Rogers will relocate his business as soon as he can make arrangements with a crane company to move machinery. He also is working on achieving AS9100B quality certification, which he says will make it easier to win contracts from customers such as the Boeing Co., Bombardier Learjet, Cessna Aircraft Co. or Raytheon Aircraft Co. Winning those contracts would mean adding machinery and employees. Ive been given a lot of very positive feedback from the people we do business with, both at the subtier level and the first-tier level, that would encourage me to try and expand our operations, Rogers says. Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article43.php#1337456924 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article43.php By Chris Moon With two major commercial developments in the works, 47th Street South should be on the cusp of rapid growth. However, local officials say, the area between Interstate 135 and South Broadway may be just as likely to flop because of a deteriorating infrastructure. That particular area is just a quagmire of different problems, says Sedgwick County Commission Time Norton, who represents the area. If some bold action and risk isnt taken soon, well all deserve what happens down there. It can go one way or the other. For years, the area has been economically depressed. And for years, local leaders have talked about securing funding to improve it. But nearby developments are spurring a renewed effort to improve the area. At 47th Street and Broadway, there are plans for a Home Depot Store and another smaller commercial development. Meanwhile at 47th Street and I-135, 50 acres of ground are being cleared for a project by developer Jay Maxwell, who hasnt disclosed specific plans for the land. But as of today, there is no access to the ground. To have retail, youve got to have access, says Wichita City Councilman Jim Skelton, noting the Home Depot development. Thats only going to increase the pressure on the roadways. (Customers are) not going to fly in by helicopter. Skelton says he is planning to write letters to state officials asking for help in funding infrastructure improvements to the area. Last week, he was in Topeka lobbying local legislators for funding. The area marks the convergence of I-135 and the Kansas Turnpike. Just north of that is the 47th Street interchange. Still further north, I-235 merges with I-135. A key problem is the congestion created by cars trying to get off I-135 at the 47th Street bridge, which recently received minor upgrades. When I look at that bridge its holding the whole south side back economically, Skelton says. But state funding for upgrades remains elusive. No funding for 47th Street is in the current Comprehensive Transportation Plan that expires in 2009. Money for projects in the plan remains tight, says Terry Heidner, director of planning and development for the Kansas Department of Transportation. High Traffic Count Heidner says the department may begin work on future projects before 2009, but wasnt sure which ones. (47th Street is) certainly on our radar screen, he says. We hear about it every time we go down there. Without a full state commitment, Skelton says, the city and county should examine creating a transportation development district to aid the infrastructure needs of the area. He says the economic development potential for the area outweighs the public funds that would be needed for the infrastructure. But no formal talks have begun among city or council leaders. Local businesses have been waiting for improvements. The do need to do something there. Theres a pretty high traffic count, says Jim Brown, who owns three ABC Superstores in Wichita, one of them on 47th Street near I-135. He says traffic on I-135 backs up as vehicles try to exit onto 47th Street. I think it would help business. Thats the bottom line. It cant hurt it, Brown says. Linda Hickam, a real estate agent for Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc., has been looking for tenants for a shopping center at 47th and Broadway. I have often thought that has been an ignored market, she says. The center, which already houses a K-Mart, has a 7,000-square-foot vacancy. In the past, traffic from Derby had frequented 47th Street for shopping and dining, Hickam says. But developments in Derby may be keeping those shoppers in their hometown. Still, Hickam says, improved infrastructure would help shore up 47th Street. I do think it needs to be done, she says. It is sort of convoluted there, if you drive it. Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article44.php#1337456925 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article44.php BY BILL WILSON The Wichita Eagle A group of Wichita developers is targeting the intersection of Maple and Maize Road for growth, with four residential and retail projects set to open in the first half of this year. Three retail centers and 18 duplexes are being built in a high-traffic area that has swelled to about 40,000 cars a day, said Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, one of the developers. The corner is a distinct retail area that can serve the south part of Maize Road out to Goddard, said Stan Longhofer, director of the Center for Real Estate at Wichita State University. The challenge there is how long will it take the rooftops to build to support the retail, but that's a standard Wichita question, he said. The projects include: Oak Cliff Estates, an 18-duplex development. Each of 36 units is available for rent at 1,175 a month or for sale at 262,900. The project is being built northwest of the Maple and Maize intersection. Each residence is 1,740 square feet with three bedrooms, three baths, a kitchen, living room and recreation area. It's close to shopping and it seems to offer an ease of getting around town, said developer Larry Bottenberg, whose Mesa Construction is building the project. Eight units will be ready for occupancy in a month, he said. Bottenberg's company has owned the land for four years, originally signing a lease with Dickinson Theatres for a complex that fell through. Lexington Square, a 10,500-square-foot retail center southwest of the intersection. The center includes a drive-through on the south end cap. It's also near a building to the north occupied by Miller's Cleaners and a convenience store. Developer Mike Hampton, the owner of Aztec Stucco, said he and marketer Don Piros of Landmark hope to have a restaurant and coffee shop signed for the center by late spring. California developer George Shammas is a partner in the project. Smith Construction is the builder. An 8,750-square-foot retail center is being built near the northwest corner, north of the Spiffy self-service car wash built in 2005. It's scheduled for completion April 1 and has already landed a State Farm Insurance office. The former swimming club west of the intersection is being converted into an 11,200-square-foot retail center. The intersection has been a longtime development target, Longhofer said. For a lot of people, this intersection has always been a high-potential area, Longhofer said. Now, with the concentration of rooftops developing, that potential may be realized. Thu, 25 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article45.php#1337456926 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article45.php By Bill Wilson The Wichita Eagle The recent rapid growth of Maize is rooted in a decision three decades ago to build the best school possible. Folks got together in the mid-1970s and decided if they built a great school, a great community would follow, said Bob Scott, owner of Prairie Pines Christmas Tree Farm. Now look at us. It has, hasn't it? The 6,300-student Maize district is still committed to the best teachers it can find, superintendent Craig Elliott said. It's also remodeling a middle school at 45th and Maize Road and planning for a bond election to build the second high school for a city of only 3,000 people. That school district is the foundation for a remarkable seven years of residential and commercial growth in Maize, where property valuation has doubled in a community that swells to 8,000 when school is in session. And there's more growth coming. Maize City Manager Richard LaMunyon thinks his community will be unrecognizable in 10 years as the Andover of the west. And everyone from a statewide utility to developers agree. Westar Energy officials are working on a major expansion of the city's electricity grid to accommodate an influx of residents -- up to 7,000 more by 2017 -- and the retail destined to follow. Coming attractions There are major housing projects -- Hampton Lakes, WynWood, Watercress, a Mennonite Housing project along K-96, Scott's Fiddler's Cove at Prairie Pines. There are apartment complexes: Fieldstone, which wants to almost double the 48 units it recently completed, and the Villas. There are three new restaurants with at least one more on the drawing board, the new headquarters for SecureNet Corp., a new Goodwill retail store and training center, the Northwest Dialysis Center. There's a new strip mall, Eagle Point, at 45th and Maize, and the planned expansion of Maize Center at 53rd and Maize. Driving the growth Why all that growth? The Maize school district and location, location, location, said two developers who have bought into the city's future. The driving force up there is clearly the school district, said Brad Saville, president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Saville is developing 40 acres on the southeast corner of 37th and Maize into a retail and office development. That's a great, great school district, second to none, said Marv Schellenberg, who is developing Hampton Lakes and the Villas. Great schools draw people. Secondly, it's just a great location, minutes from all the needs people have in the midst of a small-town atmosphere. The access to K-96 is a great plus, too. Electrifying Maize The city's rapid growth has the attention of Westar officials, who are accelerating the timeline for a new multimillion-dollar substation and transmission lines at 49th and Tyler. We were looking down the road outside two years, said Greg Roy, Westar's project manager. But with the latest developments, we're looking at inside those two years now. Currently, about 78 megawatts of electricity serve the northwest Wichita area. By 2015, as Maize approaches 10,000 residents, the minimum demand is expected to be 100 megawatts, or about 28 percent higher. It's unique growth for such a small Kansas town, Roy said. LaMunyon thinks it's the tip of the iceberg. The estimate is we'll double our population to 6,000 in 10 years, and I think that's conservative, he said. I don't think 10,000 people is a stretch at all. If the construction and the growth patterns continue as they are, it's not unrealistic at all. The reason for that optimism, LaMunyon said, goes beyond the current projects list -- to inquiries for industrial development around the Coleman Co. plant and Cranmer Grass Farm near 119th and K-96. And to office and residential possibilities near and west of 53rd and Tyler. It's heady stuff for Scott, with 33 years at his tree farm. You know, when we moved out here in 1973 from Wichita, Maize was so small and this was all open farmland, he said. I remember a guy came out here once from the state and said this would be some land for the new K-96 highway. I said, 'You gotta be kidding me.' Who would have thought in 1973 that this would be a hot spot for growth? Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article46.php#1337456927 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article46.php WateWalk's first restaurant will have built-in attractions that draw out the dining experience. By Bill Wilson The Wichita Eagle Officials with the Los Angeles-based Saddle Ranch Chop House announced plans Tuesday to break ground in late spring or early summer on an 8,500-square-foot facility, the first destination restaurant in WaterWalk. Larry Pollack, Saddle Ranch president, said he hopes to be open at Water and WaterWalk Place late this year or in early 2008. The Eagle reported in August that Saddle Ranch had signed a lease at WaterWalk. We're not going to be your average restaurant where you're in and out, Pollack said. We're a restaurant where you come in to stay for two and a half or three hours. People will come in for cocktails and appetizers, have their breakfast, lunch or dinner, have cocktails and dessert and then hang around to watch people ride the mechanical bull. The restaurant will serve three distinct crowds from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week, Pollack said -- early morning breakfast-goers, the business-lunch crowd and the afternoon and evening diners who want to watch music videos or sporting events on big-screens. Saddle Ranch will offer a breakfast/brunch menu from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, Pollack said, before its focus turns to both early and late dinners. Its signature dessert is the s'more, made by diners in outdoor pits. Saddle Ranch will employ about 120 in a restaurant with a mechanical bull ring in the center, an oval bar and tables and booths surrounding all the activity. The chain is growing rapidly, with restaurants already open in California and Kansas City, two opening before Wichita in Arizona and six more on the drawing board this decade. We came down to Wichita when we opened in Kansas City in the Legends development, and we were very excited by what we saw, Pollack said. We love the buildings of Wichita, the old-style architecture, and we think that with the offices, the shops and the condos, we will be an excellent partner. Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article47.php#1337456928 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article47.php By Dan Voorhis The Wichita Eagle WaterWalk took a big step forward on Thursday as Key Construction quietly started work on the project's biggest building. The seven-story building, called WaterWalk Place, will house condominiums, a parking garage, offices and retail space. The building is set for completion in May 2008. It will run along Main Street between Waterman and Kellogg, to the east of the Gander Mountain store. The partners and the city are very excited about the next phase going into the ground, said Tom Johnson, president of WaterWalk. The 48 condominiums will range from 1,200 square feet to 4,600 square feet. The units will start at 180,000. On the first floor of the building will be 12,000 square feet of office space and 16,000 square feet of retail space. Also on the first floor, the Greater Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau has signed a letter of intent for its new location. Bureau officials liked the building's visibility and accessibility, said bureau president John Rolfe. The center will include a shop selling Wichita-labeled merchandise. The 500-space parking garage will have space for residents, tenants and the general public. It is being paid for by the city of Wichita. At the end of the month, WaterWalk will reach another milestone: Johnson will finally announce exact construction schedules for the project's first phase. That phase includes WaterWalk Place, buildings for Saddle Ranch Chop House and the Wichita Area Association of Realtors, plus city-funded amenities such as the water fountains and amphitheater. WaterWalk has had trouble attracting tenants in the past because it lacked a schedule that businesses could count on, Johnson said. Since 2002, delays have stemmed from disputes with the city over funding, design changes, uncertainty over a location for the downtown arena, and the amount of sewer and street work on the site. Gander Mountain has been alone on the 25-acre site since it opened 18 months ago. We're anxious to get some neighbors in the area, said store manager Todd Barker. With construction actually starting on the buildings, there should be more of an air of optimism about the project, said Mayor Carlos Mayans. We have gotten a lot of the incertitude because the infrastructure was not in place and because of the rerouting of streets, but we've put most of that behind us, he said. We are going to start seeing buildings being built, so I'm very happy about that. Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article48.php#1337456929 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article48.php Plans are off for the Minnesota guys to part with Triple Net Properties to sell business condominiums at Market Centre, but look for increased activity at the 155 N. Market address soon. Its a beautiful building, and its been overlooked a lot in the last couple of years, says Darryll Goodman of Triple Net, which owns the building. Each floor of the former Lassen Hotel has its own tax identification number, which was part of the attraction of doing condos there. It seemed like a perfect fit for us, Goodman says. It just didnt pan out. He may one day pursue it again. Its a class building, says the Las Vegas-based Goodman, adding, We like whats happening downtown. The occupancy rate is about 70 percent right now, but itll drop to less than 50 percent when Stelbar Oil Corp and the Adams Jones Chartered law firm make their planned moves east to the Waterfront, at 13th and Webb Road. Those are pretty big tenants that are moving out, says Brad Saville, president of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. Saville is a Market Centre tenant and is handling leasing at the building. An open house is scheduled for Nov. 16 for the owners to kick off a push to reinvigorate the building. Were enthused that theyre willing to be realist and are going to be deal makers over the next few months, Saville says. That includes dropping the rental rates, refurbishing the building and offering higher commissions to real estate agents to show the space. One of the big pushes is to get a restaurant back in therejust to have that amenity, Saville says. He says its another area in which the owners are ready to deal, especially on the lease rate. It could be a very good opportunity for somebody. Carrie Rengers The Wichita Eagle Sun, 29 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article49.php#1337456930 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article49.php A girls gotta accessorize. Most men may not understand it, but business owners do. Early next year, women will have 8,000 square feet of accessory shopping on Rock Road when Accessory City opens next to Best Buy. Its a neat, fun environment, says Ken Martin, general manager of DB Accessories LLC, which owns the store. Rocking music and lots of plasma TVs with runway footage greet shoppers as they enter. And theres a special section for husbands and boyfriends to watch football while their gals shop. So everybodys happy, Martin says. There are Accessory City stores in Tulsa and Little Rock, too. So why Wichita? We want to be the big gun in town, Martin says. In markets about the size of Wichita, he says, thats possible. The store offers merchandise 40 percent to 70 percent off of department store prices, Martin says. He likes that the store will be across from Bradley Fair. We hope to do really well there, Martin says. With cheap prices and a fun atmosphere, Martin says, its almost, like, therapeutic. You just feel good when you walk out. Brad Saville and Brad Iverson of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. brokered the deal. Carrie Rengers The Wichita Eagle Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article50.php#1337456931 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article50.php WaterWalk isn't going Western. President Tom Johnson confirmed this week that the cowboy-style -- famous for its mechanical riding bull and party atmosphere -- is planning to open a restaurant in WaterWalk. But, he says, there's no need to worry that the highly anticipated, 130 million downtown project will turn into another Cowtown. It has Western overtones, but the overall theme for the project will stay pretty much as we had planned, Johnson says. You can tastefully blend those things into the project. Johnson says he received an e-mail this week from someone wondering if WaterWalk -- tabbed as one of most upscale mixed-use developments in Wichita -- was going Western. Johnson says his goal is to create an environment that will attract a variety of visitors. Saddle Ranch, he says, hits the mark. It may be different from what some people were expecting as WaterWalk's first restaurant, but different can be good, says Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans. I think it's great, Mayans says. Being downtown, I think that the Western theme is appropriate. This fits in there. Wichita City Council Member Jim Skelton says he doesn't know much about Saddle Ranch, but has faith in the decision to bring it on board. I think the city trusts these developers as professionals, Skelton says. They tell us this is a good choice, and I don't have any reason not to believe that. Skelton says what's most important to him at this point is seeing movement at WaterWalk. Most of the concern of the public is that nothing is happening, he says. I think now that something is happening. ... We just need to keep the ball rolling and hope that things keep their momentum. Johnson says he wants to sign three or four more restaurants. He's talking with restaurants that already have a presence in Wichita, but a big part of his focus is on those that aren't here and that offer unique entertainment. We're trying to be ambitious and go after restaurants that think Wichita is too small a market for them, he says. The goal, he says, is for visitors to come to the restaurants in WaterWalk for a meal, but have enough to do that they don't leave right away. What WaterWalk is really about is an urban village, if you will, with a real 24/7 atmosphere, Johnson says. It's kind of like a more compact Old Town, but new. That plan, Johnson says, is the same as it has been since WaterWalk's inception. Upscale and Casual What happens at WaterWalk makes a big difference to many business owners around downtown. Michael Elzufon, a partner in with several condo buildings under development, is trying to encourage people that moving downtown is a good idea. Elzufon says getting a commitment from Saddle Ranch helps his cause. At the end of the day, if they have a national restaurant, that is incredibly great and important to the overall improvement down there, Elzufon says. And if the concept isn't a hit? The bottom line is it will go on for a year, and if it doesn't work, they'll take it out and put something else in. Johnson says he's confident that the concept will work. They've been in southern California and have been successful for a long time, and I anticipate the same thing for us, he says. Curt Melzer, owner of the and -- both in the Delano District -- says anything WaterWalk does should bring more customers to his bars. And the more diversity, the better. You need a group of restaurants that appeal to families as well as the younger crowd, Melzer says. For a district to be truly viable, it needs a mixture of locally and nationally owned bars and restaurants. One of the groups negotiating to locate in the WaterWalk is the . CVB President and CEO John Rolfe says he thinks Saddle Ranch will be a good fit. And like Melzer, he's also hopeful that WaterWalk will sign a variety of styles of restaurants. I guess I saw this as the first of hopefully several types of restaurants in that entertainment district, Rolfe says. I'm hoping they'll have even more upscale restaurants, along with more casual restaurants. Melzer says he's happy to see WaterWalk moving further along and hopes that momentum continues. I really want them to follow through with what they've promised, he says. WaterWalk Where: Waterman and Main Street. Signed tenants: ; . Letter of intent: Saddle Ranch Chop House. Contact: Tom Johnson, (316) 219-6060. lmazzullo@bizjournals.com | 266-6191 Fri, 18 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article51.php#1337456932 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article51.php The Saddle Ranch Chop House could soon be coming to the corridor, developers say WaterWalk in downtown Wichita is close to signing its first destination restaurant, Saddle Ranch Chop House. The restaurant is the first in a series of high-profile entertainment restaurants that WaterWalk officials hope to sign. They say it's just another sign that the project is taking off. WaterWalk developers expect to sign the lease by the end of the week, president Tom Johnson said. Saddle Ranch, based in Los Angeles, is a steak place but has a varied menu, including s'mores for dessert. It includes dancing, plentiful video screens and boot-shaped shot glasses. And while it might be western, it's not really country. A high-energy rock western chop house, is how official Ashley Casillas described it Monday. Saddle Ranch may be best known for its mechanical bull, which has made appearances on Desperate Housewives, American Idol, Sex and the City and other television shows, the company said. It's just a place you don't want to leave, said broker Brad Saville of Lnadmark Commercial Real Estate. You plan to go to dinner and the the movies, but there's so much to do there you wind up canceling your plans for the rest of the night. The company has three restaurants, including one that recently opened near the Kansas Speedway in Wyandotte County, and others under development. The first two Saddle Ranches are on the Sunset Strip and at Universal City in the Los Angeles area. Johnson said Saddle Ranch fulfilled the development's requirement of being fun, broadly appealing and unique. It's not your typical sit-down restaurant, he said. The key to bringing people downtown is the entertainment, say the developers, and Saddle Ranch has plenty of that. Saville, who is working to bring in restaurant and retail tenants, is talking with three other major entertainment restaurants and a number of non-destination restaurants and unusual retailers. WaterWalk's developers are counting on Saddle Ranch and the other destination restaurants to pull people into the development to eat, shop and perhaps even work. The project can't survive with just one, Johnson said. You've got to have a critical mass. Saddle Ranch is part of an acceleration of activity at WaterWalk. Now that the city has begun its reconstruction of streets and utilities through the project, the developers can start building. Work will begin this fall on the development's largest building, a condiminium building with retail and parking, and the adjacent amphitheater. Construction will start on the Board of Realtors building after that. All of that construction will allow Saville and other agents to sell the development more successfully, Johnson said. We hope to see a lot of stuff come together a lot quicker than it has, Johnson said. Dan Voorhis The Wichita Eagle Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article52.php#1337456933 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article52.php Brad Saville, owner of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, is one of the city's up-and-coming commercial brokers and developers. He continues to add agents to Landmark Commercial, which is the third-largest commercial agency in Wichita. He has also moved from pure brokerage into development, helping develop a number of retail and restaurant buildings, particularly on West 21st Street and North Maize Road. He started in 1991 by working at Transamerican Management, the property management firm owned by his father, Ken Saville. Brad Saville, 35, is married to Tiffany and they live near Andover. He has four children. The Savilles also own a small ranch near Augusta where they raise horses and cattle. Why did you start in real estate? My earliest memories were my father being in the property management business, and after work, we would listen to the days events that he went through. What is it about commercial real estate that keeps you interested? It's not the money.... I was with (my father) for a couple years. Then I went off and did some restaurant site selection work and just found that to be very exciting, to construct a retail building or restaurant and see that from beginning to end, to watch them open their doors that was always exciting to me. Commercial real estate is an intense business and you have been described that way. How do you separate work time from home time? With the family at home I try go relax and turn off the switch. It doesn't happen the hour I get home. It takes several hours. I turn the BlackBerry off. Every time it vibrates, it's a phone call or an e-mail coming in, and you become kind of a victim of that.... I have to unplug. West-side commercial development has hit a higher gear as growth has moved north on Ridge and Maize roads. Why is that? The catalyst was Wal-Mart, when they made their move. That is when things really turned up a couple notches. That really demonstrated we had that two to three miles of area to work with between where it was already hot at 21st and Ridge to 21st and Maize. That really changed things. It changed things from the standpoint of who would consider looking out there. If Wal-Mart would be out there, there must be a reason. It changed the type of prospects we could talk to. Will Maize Road grow to look like North Rock Road? It sure seems like everybody is a lot smarter now since Rock Road was done.... (Rock Road)' s great, but it's a hodgepodge of signage and curb cuts and lots of stuff crammed together. The city and most developers will tell you that Rock Road is commendable, but nobody wants another Rock Road. Retailers understand they don't need a curb cut every 100 feet. They understand access management, and they just understand how to keep the corridor beautified. You are recruiting the tenants to WaterWalk. What will they look like? Our focus is entertainment value, family value, not necessarily retail. With what is happening with the arena, we think we'll draw people downtown. What is the future of Landmark Commercial? We're going to grow more. We've got interest in more agents that are going to join us.... There are several areas of the business we haven't touched on yet. There is a lot more in industrial we can do. We could do a lot more with business brokerages, and we're not doing a lot with agricultural (land) yet, or recreational properties. Recreational ground is one of the fastest growing segments in the country right now. Doctors and lawyers are out buying acres outside town to take their family on or for company retreats. That's one of the hotter things right now. Reach Dan Voorhis at 316-268-6577 or . The Wichita Eagle Sun, 09 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article53.php#1337456934 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article53.php Jack Gindi says there's a motto at his company. The chief executive of the Colorado-based IPS LLC (which stands for Income Property Specialists) says: We buy older, ugly shopping centers. And that's just what he did last week when his negotiations to buy Twin Lakes finally ended. IPS bought the center at 21st and Amidon for 10.3 million from Virginia-based SugarOak Properties. Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. brokered the deal. Gindi plans 3 million in renovations to what once was Wichita's premier mall. Basically, we're going to be doing a facelift, Gindi says. He wants more like a stucco-and-stone look, like what you see in some of the newer centers. Also, he says, We're going to be making it more of a mixed-use project. The center has an occupancy rate of more than 90 percent, except for the former Sears building, which is mostly vacant. Gindi wants to attract service-oriented businesses, such as dry cleaners and beauty shops, along with medical and legal offices. To do that, Gindi will divide the former Sears store's 100,000 square feet. Just above the lower-level courtyard that faces the lake, Gindi will replace a brick facade with glass to make it more attractive to new businesses. We're going to be transforming it, he says. Gindi plans to organize a group of tenants to market Twin Lakes. We're just very excited to be part of... the rejuvenation of that center, he says. Carrie Rengers The Wichita Eagle Wed, 07 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article54.php#1337456935 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article54.php WICHITA Why spend the evening merely eating and drinking with your friends when you can paint, too? Thats Jessie Sterlings attitude, and its why shes opening at at 21st and Webb in August. Sterling will offer painting packages where groups, with the help of an artist at the shop, can paint on canvases while visiting, too. Its not necessarily all about the painting, Sterling says. Its more about socializing and hanging out with friends and having a good time. Sterling envisions friends gathering for fun or children having parties there. She was inspired to start the shop after she went to a similar one in San Antonio. It was just a blast, Sterling says. A two-hour session is 35. A three-hour session is 45. With Cinnamons Deli and Christies Wine Spirits also at Cambridge Market, Sterling says party planning should be easy for customers. Don Piros of handled the lease. Sterling says she likes the east side in general and Cambridge Market in particular. Its just kind of a busy area. Read more: Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article55.php#1337456936 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article55.php WICHITA The is coming to Wichita on air and at . The Overland Park-based companys business is built on its radio show, which founder Adam Bold hosts weekly. Our business model is a little bit unique, says Jeff Roper, who is the franchisee opening the store here. Basically, 100 percent of our clients come from a call-in radio show that is on Saturday mornings. The show will debut in Wichita at 9 a.m. July 10 on . We could never go to a market where we couldnt get on the air on Saturday mornings, Roper says. He says the company manages 5 billion in assets with its 80 stores nationally. Roper has stores in Fresno and Seattle and is a minority partner in a store in Harrisburg, Pa. He says Wichita is an ideal market. The store does very well in Midwestern-type cities. The Mutual Fund Store will have 1,400 square feet at Cambridge Market, which is at 21st and Webb. Don Piros of handled the deal. Read more: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article56.php#1337456937 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article56.php WICHITA Theres a good chance youve had one of Ghassan Gus Srours desserts and just dont know it. Srour and his wife, Therese, used to have Patisserie Maurice near Harry and Rock, which supplied pastries to restaurants around Wichita, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. They also offered catering from that site until April when a fire at a nearby business forced them to close. The Srours now are opening their own restaurant, Cafe Maurice, at at 21st and Webb Road. Im going to keep doing wholesale and catering, and I would like to add a cafe, Gus Srour says. He likes the traffic in that area, which he says is heavy but not as congested as Rock Road. Srour, who is from Lebanon, says the cafe will have a Mediterranean flair but wont concentrate on any one type of food. The menu will include Lebanese dishes, French dishes and other cuisines. The cafe is named for his late father, who was in the pastry business for more than 40 years in Lebanon. Gus Srour has been in the business more than 25 years. He plans to open sometime around September and will share more details about his business then. Read more: Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article57.php#1337456938 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article57.php WICHITA Dale Walker of is working on plans for a new 4,500-square-foot Tyler Office Park near the northwest corner of Douglas and Tyler. Its at the architects right now, so well probably get started in the next couple of weeks, Walker says. He currently leases space for his office at 4715 W. Central. Walker plans to move his office to 1,500 square feet at his new property. Hell have two more 1,500-square-foot spaces to lease, or hell lease the entire remaining 3,000 square feet to one tenant. Don Piros of represented Walker in the transaction. Landmarks David Leyh and Gary Snyder represented the seller. is the builder. I just want to own my own office building, Walker says. Hes not sure how easy it will be to find tenants. Thats a tough question. In this economy, I dont really know what to expect. Walker has owned office buildings in the past. And with construction costs down, he says it makes it easier to build. This is as good of time as any. Read more: Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article58.php#1337456939 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article58.php WICHITA Sedgwick County has purchased property at 636 N. St. Francis for a new building for . There are 15 permanent EMS posts in Wichita and the county. EMS Post 10 currently is at 704 N. Emporia in space the county leases from . Via Christi eventually needs that space back for expansion plans. We were in need of a bigger facility anyway, says Scott Hadley, operations manager for . The new building will be 5,000 square feet. There are two ambulances that operate out of Post 10. Don Piros of handled the deal for the new space. is designing the remodeled space. When thats complete by the end of this year, there will be a bid for the 500,000 construction of the facility. The new facility probably wont be ready until fall of 2011, which Hadley says isnt a problem. Theres no rush for us to go out of the (building) were currently in. Read more: Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article59.php#1337456940 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article59.php WICHITA A couple of tenants at Lakeridge, one of the strip centers behind at 21st and Ridge, now own the building. Greg Feldman and Zach Henson, who own , and Kelley Arnold, who has , bought the 7,200-square-foot center. We were able to get it at a very reasonable price, and we felt like it was good business sense, Feldman says. Don Piros of handled the transaction. Hell also help lease the property. With Dons help, it should probably happen pretty quickly, Feldman says. Piros has already done a deal for to take 1,500 square feet at the center. Regal owner Johnny Congleton, who does custom orthotics, diabetic shoes and braces, wanted to leave downtown for a couple of reasons. Congleton says he wants more visibility so it would be easier for the patients to find. Also, he says, Downtowns kind of complicated sometimes with the one-way streets. Parking is better, too, he says. At the west-side center, Congleton says, They can pull basically up to the door. That leaves a 1,500-square-foot space and a 1,200-square-foot space left to lease at Lakeridge. Theres also an 1,800-square-foot area that Arnold has decided to expand his business into as well. Read more: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article60.php#1337456941 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article60.php Want to own a piece of Wichita history? Now you can. Tommy D'Annunzio is selling his Tommy's Restaurant Lounge at 21st and Tyler. I'm 62 years old, he says. I've been in the business 40-some years. He's had Tommy's for 20 years. Before that, he had a couple of restaurants, including Tom Sonny's with his friend Sonny Glennon, who now is a co-owner of Scotch Sirloin. Tommy's seats almost 300. D'Annunzio is trying to sell the restaurant. The lease at the space is separate. Lewis Kelley and Gary Snyder of Landmark Commercial Real Estate are handling the sale of the business. D'Annunzio can't say what he'll do next. I don't know. I'm still here, so it's hard to say. And if it doesn't sell? I don't know. I'll be here. Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article61.php#1337456942 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article61.php Premium content from Wichita Business Journal - by Chris Moon Date: Thursday, October 21, 2010, 6:55pm CDT Developer Brad Saville says additional streets will go in this winter at Central Park Place. Wichita developers Brad Saville and Christian Ablah say they are preparing to begin work on streets and sewers for the next phase of their Central Park Place retail development on North Maize Road. Construction will start this winter. The sewer work will be paid for through special assessments at the site. The streets will be privately funded, says Saville, president of . The cost of the project hadnt been finalized. The work comes as the developers seek to maintain momentum for the project located across the street from Slawson Cos. NewMarket Square. Central Park Place is anchored by a Lowes store. Recently, Saville and Ablah were able to lease up an 8,960-square-foot strip center on a pad site that contains Five Guys Burgers and Fries and three other tenants. And Saville says hes gotten a commitment although its not yet finalized from restaurant Panda Express for one of three pad sites on the second phase of the development. The streets and sewers will provide access to Panda Express, which also is expected to go under construction this winter. The second phase also has room for 120,000 square feet of retail space for an anchor and junior anchor tenant toward the back of the site. Saville says hes working with one potential anchor tenant that hed like to announce by the end of the year. Id like to see the whole thing completed by the end of 2012, he says. Strip center sale To generate capital for the street work, Saville and Ablah recently sold the Five Guys center to Wichitas The price wasnt disclosed. Builders Inc. broker Dennis Fitzroy has said the real estate firm plans to hold the center for the long term. Saville says he and Ablah generally want to retain ownership of the buildings and land at Central Park Place but considered the sale necessary. The sale of that strip center made it possible to proceed on the developing of the infrastructure for that north 12 acres, he says. Design work for the road is expected to be complete Dec. 1. Kansas Citys is the designer. Also at play with the development is a proposed community improvement district that Saville and Ablah want to create to allow for a one-cent tax on retail sales at the development. The revenue would pay for land acquisition and infrastructure construction. The Wichita City Council is in the process of finalizing its policy for CIDs. Saville says the tax district will be critical for the next phase of Central Park Place. He says deals are difficult to put together as tenants get more aggressive in seeking favorable terms on land and build-to-suit leases. We wont be able to develop unless we have it, he says. Across the street, a NewMarket Square broker says the large retail center doesnt compete much with Central Park Place. April Reed says the two target different markets NewMarket for soft-goods retailers; Central Park Place for hard-goods sellers. We really havent run into it too much where people have put that over our heads, she says. The fact that we built up such a large center and this is where the soft-goods stores are, and if youre in the soft-goods category, they like to be with their friends. Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article62.php#1337456943 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article62.php Date: Thursday, October 28, 2010, 6:25pm CDT You wont see IHOP at 21st Street North and Maize Road after all.Wichita developer Austin Kinzle has jettisoned his plans to buy the former New Medical Health Care building at 10525 W. 21st N. He had wanted to scrape it and build a new strip center for the restaurant. But the numbers didnt work. Kinzle says the doctors who still own the property wanted some value out of the building. For a retail developer, there isnt any. Theres a little bit of a disconnect there, Kinzle says. Now, developer Brad Saville has the property under contract. He says he has two scenarios for it, one that would leave the 7,700-square-foot building in place and one that would remove it. If the building stays, it would be converted to retail with new glass, a raised facade and a new parking lot. There would be room for an additional fast-food restaurant. We are receiving a tremendous amount of interest, Saville says. We hope to have some announcements before the end of the year. Read more: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article63.php#1337456944 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article63.php WICHITA A new lease at the building at First and Emporia will bring the building to 100 percent occupancy. Landmark and 1Point LLC have 7,920 square feet of the space, which Landmark renovated and moved into in 2007. A new group of independent lawyers are forming an entity not a law firm to share the remaining 3,912 square feet on the buildings first floor. The new group is Cleary, Wagle, Soderberg and West, which includes Mike Cleary, Karen Barry West, Jennifer Wagle, Ann Gottberg Soderberg and Stephen Turley. Floodman, Wagle and West has been sharing space at 323 N. Market for more than four years. With the new entity, West says the group needs more room. She says there are a lot of things they like about the Landmark building, including that the group will be easily accessible on the first floor with plenty of parking not far from courthouses. We need to be able to get in the car and go, and so that was very appealing, West says. She says the group also has an appreciation for how Landmark president Brad Saville renovated the 1919 building. We loved what he had done there, West says. Landmarks Lewis Kelley and Gary Snyder handled the lease. Landmark and 1Point still have room to expand in their area with four to five more agents and staff. The attorneys all practice family law, including divorce, custody and paternity cases, juvenile law and adoptions. Wagle and Soderberg also handle mediations and limited case management. West specializes in collaborative law. Cleary does mostly criminal work in addition to domestic cases. I think were going to be a very powerful entity, West says. With the diversity of fields the attorneys practice, she says, We offer a lot. West adds, though, Its always a little nerve-wracking when you move your business. Especially thinking clients might not know where they went. The attorneys will move into the Landmark space Aug. 1. So, West says, if anybodys trying to find us, thats where well be. By Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article65.php#1337456945 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article65.php WICHITA As expected, Wichita has landed its second store. Developer Paul Jackson today signed a deal with the Wisconsin-based company to anchor his Stonebridge development at the southeast corner of 37th and Maize Road. This follows Christian Ablahs for Menards to locate at his development at K-96 and Webb Road. These are big, big deals, Jackson says. Its a real shot of confidence theyre opening two stores of this size in Wichita. Jackson and Ablah were close to final deals with Menards, which is a home-improvement store, in late 2008 when the economy tanked. Even though there are continual signs of improvement, Jackson says the Menards deals are still a coup. Big box developments are just not happening around the country right now, he says. Most big box developers have kind of pulled in the reins and put the brakes on until the economy turns around. The west-side Menards will be 230,000 square feet and employ about 165 people. Menards has more than 250 stores in 12 states. Gary Snyder of represented Menards in the Stonebridge deal. Ablah, who is with , also worked with Jackson on the deal. Now that the deal is done, Jackson will proceed with infrastructure work at Stonebridge, which will be a 37-acre retail development. What it means for us is we can go ahead with confidence, Jackson says. Menards likely will break ground in the next 30 to 60 days and open in the first quarter of 2011. Thats credibility (for) people coming to look at our development, Jackson says. Its an important turning point. Jackson says hes in talks with a number of businesses. Once infrastructure is in place, it will allow those businesses to move in quickly, he says. It puts us at that stage, which is a really nice place to be. By Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article66.php#1337456946 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article66.php Real EstateLandmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. announces that Nick Esterline has been inducted as a member of the Society of Exchange Counselors Board of Directors. Landmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. announces that David Leyh has been elected as a 2011 director of the Wichita Area Association of Realtors Board of Directors. Esterline Leyh Read more: Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article70.php#1337456947 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article70.php The Wichita Eagle By WICHITA - There's more happening near K-96 and Webb Road than just the new . Investors also have purchased the former Fritz Co. Grille space, which has been empty since the restaurant closed in May 2007. They're working with a prospect, says Don Ablah of , who handled the deal for the buyers. The prospect is another restaurant. That's what we're hoping for, Ablah says. When Fritz closed after less than two years in business, a real estate broker said he expected a new business would open there not long after the Menards deal closed. Then, deals fell through for the Wisconsin-based home improvement chain to bring two stores to Wichita. This year, the deals were back on, and Menards is under construction near K-96 and Webb and 37th North and Maize Road. We're just thrilled that the bank was willing to hang in there during this time while Menards was under construction, says Brad Saville of . He handled the deal for , which owned the Fritz building. In 2008, the building was appraised at 1.78 million. In 2009, that was reduced to 1.1 million after the building sat empty. I just really feel like they got a great value, Saville says of the buyers. I feel like their timing is perfect with Menards opening in the next 60 to 90 days. We'll keep you posted on a possible new tenant and the Menards opening date. Read more: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article71.php#1337456948 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article71.php Cabela's, the Nebraska-based giant national outdoor retailer, is coming to Wichita's Regency Lakes shopping center at 21st and Greenwich in spring 2012. Cabela's can go to any city in America, and they decided to come to Wichita, America, said George Laham, president of Laham Development and the Regency Lakes developer. That says a lot about Wichita. Construction on the 80,000-square-foot store will start this summer. Competition is good for everybody, said Todd Barker, manager of Gander Mountain at downtown's WaterWalk development. We'll keep doing what we're doing, Barker said of the Wichita store, which is one of the chain's highest-producing stores. Gander Mountain opened at WaterWalk in 2005 after an effort to lure Bass Pro Shops fell apart over public financing of the project. City Council member Sue Schlapp was involved in trying to lure Bass Pro. I am a person who believes downtown is your center, she said. Still, Regency Lakes is in her district, and she's thrilled Cabela's is going there. Cabela's is a fabulous attraction, Schlapp said. It's a wonderful thing. She doesn't quibble with the chain's selection of northeast Wichita over downtown. If they feel that that's a better place for them ... who am I to tell them something different? Cabela's, which was represented by Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, will locate along K-96 north of the 20,000-square-foot World Market at Regency Lakes. There will be room for a 50,000-square-foot retailer between the stores. Regency Lakes opened in 2005 with a 175,000-square-foot SuperTarget. World Market opened the following year. There's also a 110-room Hampton Inn at the development along with Chili's, Subway and Kanza Bank. Progress has been very steady in spite of ... economic times, Laham said. Still, he said, Cabela's will change the landscape of Regency Lakes. In addition to the 50,000-square-foot space next to where Cabela's will go, there are two remaining pad sites along Greenwich for either retail or restaurant use and a 15,000-square-foot retail center at 21st and Greenwich. The Cabela's announcement will help fill those vacancies. It will change the direction of retail in northeast Wichita, Laham said. He said he designed Regency Lakes to be a regional retail center and calls Cabela's a major draw. The retailer's approximately 190,000-square-foot Kansas City, Kan., store is one of the state's leading tourist attractions. John Rolfe, president and CEO of Go Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he expects the same for the Wichita Cabela's. It's going to be a great addition for our local residents but also certainly ... a tourism draw, he said. It would be great to have another venue such as a Cabela's downtown, but we're certainly glad to see it coming into our city. The store will have the traditional Cabela's design, with log construction, wood siding, stonework and a metal roof. A glass storefront will allow customers to see a lot of the store's interior as they approach. Inside, customers will be immersed in the outdoors with trophy animal mounts and conservation-themed wildlife displays. Kansans are no strangers to Cabela's or the outdoors, Cabela's CEO Tommy Millner said in a statement. It's because of their loyalty to our brand and their passion for sports like hunting, fishing and camping that we're able to build another store in the Sunflower State. The chain, which sells thousands of products related to fishing, hunting, camping, boating, hiking and wildlife-watching, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Cabela's has 31 stores across the United States and Canada and five more, including Wichita, in the works. John Parsons, owner of Parsons Taxidermy in Derby, designs a line of functional art products for Cabela's and is thrilled the retailer is coming to Wichita. It's great news for anyone who likes the outdoors and hunting and fishing, that's for darn sure, he said. Parsons said that when he told his employees the news, They just threw up their arms and said, 'Outstanding!' They're excited. Read more: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article73.php#1337456949 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article73.php Wichita Business Journal - by Chris Moon Family Dollar is looking to open up for business at 13th Street North and Broadway. Brad Saville and Nick Esterline, of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, are representing the Charlotte, N.C.-based discount chain as it tries to put together a deal on a vacant city-owned lot at 1402 N. Broadway. The company is looking for an investment group to build and own an 8,000-square-foot building that it would like to lease at the site. We dont know who the end owner is going to be at this point, says Esterline, who says hes put together similar deals for Family Dollar in the past in Kansas. The brokers are seeking approval for the project from the Wichita Historic Preservation Board. They also plan to get the site approved by the Wichita Area Metropolitan Planning Department. We kind of would like to have everything put to bed so someone can come in and it would be ready to go, Esterline says. Family Dollar would sign up to a 10-year lease to operate the building thats eventually constructed there. The ground at 13th and Broadway is under contract by FD Development, an entity formed by Saville and Esterline. The site is on the northeast side of the intersection, just across the street from St. Pauls United Methodist Church. Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article67.php#1337456950 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article67.php Craig Peterson acknowledges that there are already some good mattress stores in Wichita, but thats not stopping him from opening Bedtime Mattress Outlet later this month. I believe that theres a need for it here, he says of a mattress store that sells quality mattresses at discount prices. Im just the alternative to whats out there right now. Competitors such as Mattress Hub are good companies, and they are selling great beds. but they are on a higher-end scale. Mark Barrientos of Mattress Hub takes exception to that. We have mattresses that start at 59 and go all the way up, he says. Peterson is a former Rent-A-Center district manager who most recently has been operating two discount mattress stores in Oklahoma City. He wanted to be able to bring that back to my hometown. His first store is set to open by Jan. 27 at the northwest corner of Harry and Rock Road. Im trying to hit for tax season, says Peterson, who is hoping to attract customers with some disposable income. Don Piros and David Leyh of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the deal. Peterson likes Harry and Rock because of all the apartments in the area and the proximity to McConnell Air Force Base. He says people living there for only a few years might prefer to spend less on a mattress. Peterson hopes to expand outside of Wichita one day. For right now, I would focus on the east and then eventually a west-side location. Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article72.php#1337456951 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article72.php WICHITA After working for for a couple of years, Bradley Monahan is now preparing to open his own clinic, Monahan Chiropractic. My own clinic was always the end goal, he says. The idea is to be my own boss. . . . Take the blame or take the credit. One of the two. Monahan will open in about 1,600 square feet Dec. 1 at 3876 N. Woodlawn just north of 37th and Woodlawn. and of handled the deal. Monahan wanted to work for another clinic before opening his own to learn the business side of owning a practice. We dont get a lot of the business side of business, he says of chiropractic school. Thats why I went with a group to see and learn a little bit more than what school could provide. I got a good learning base. Monahan says he handles all kinds of cases, from typical back and neck pain to sports injuries to pregnancy care, and he says he can adjust his treatments to suit individual patients. Ive always wanted to help people. By Thu, 07 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article68.php#1337456952 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article68.php WICHITA In todays economy, its a gamble to build a speculative shopping center and hope to find tenants for it, but its a move thats paying off for Paul Jackson. The developer has Andover MarketPlace, a 140-acre development on the southeast corner of Kellogg and Andover Road in Andover. In May, Jackson began building the Shops at MarketPlace, a 14,000-square-foot center next to . He now has four tenants to announce: , which will have 1,400 square feet and a drive-through on the north end of the center. , which will have 1,400 square feet. , which will have 1,400 square feet. Spa Pedicure, which will have 1,200 square feet. We have a nice amount of interest in the remaining space, Jackson says. We feel like its been a good decision to build that. When Jackson first bought the property several years ago, his plan was to hold it for the long term. We werent looking to develop it immediately. Dillons wanted to expand with a Marketplace concept, though, and the decided to build a new branch about the same time. They just came into play a lot earlier than we expected them, Jackson says. Once those started, we started full speed into the development process. , and have also located at the development. The spaces at the new center will be ready by Nov. 1, though HR Block wont open until January. HR Block is relocating from the center where Dillons used to be. All the traffic basically left our center, says Elizabeth Lindquist, the companys in-house real estate representative. Scooters used to be in Andover under different ownership. Valerie and Andy Koenigs saw an opportunity with the Shops at MarketPlace. Its just something that weve always wanted to do, Valerie Koenigs says of opening a coffee shop. Its like on our bucket list. Brando Dao and his wife, Kimberly Truong, like the area for their Spa Pedicure, which will offer a range of nail services. The Andover Martinizing Dry Cleaning will be Nancy and Mark Staals third site. They have one at Siena Plaza at 37th and Rock and one at at 135th West and Maple. Weve always had our eye on Andover because thats where we live, Nancy Staal says. She likes that theyll be near Dillons. It seems to us to be a great location for everyone. is the project architect, and is the general contractor. is handling leasing. Landmarks Brad Saville says hes close to two other leases for the center. Its great for Andover, he says. Jackson says the idea is to offer a lot of different reasons for a shopper to visit Andover MarketPlace. I feel like that corner, the more we put there, the better it gets, he says. Were starting to get a momentum that makes it a very strong corner, a very tough corner to compete with anywhere in Andover. By Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article69.php#1337456953 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article69.php At first we were kind of joking about the weekly yogurt report, but it looks like thats the reality. Yes, there are another couple of yogurt franchises coming to town. Hongs Landscape Nursery owner Ilsik Hong and his brother, Jaesik, are opening a Peachwave Self Serve Frozen Yogurt at 2404 N. Maize Road. Thats across from NewMarket Square in the same building where ATT and Frozen In Time, A Scrapbook Boutique are. I happen to know the people who (are) distributing this yogurt franchise, Ilsik Hong says. His brother, who also works at the nursery, will own the yogurt business, but theyll both operate it. He wants to have a side business, so Im working with him, Ilsik Hong says. The nursery is on 31st Street South between Rock and Webb, which Hong says he realizes is a long way from the Peachwave that will be way out west. Once he and his brother get the business open, which should be early July, theyll leave it to high school and college kids to run, Hong says. This is a young (persons) business, he says. Don Piros of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the deal. Last month, Have You Heard? reported that Tammi and Scott Kuthan are opening a Peachwave next to their Doc Greens at the Waterfront. The Kuthans also plan a west-side Peachwave next year. Hong isnt trying the yogurt business out of necessity. He says his nursery business is fantastic. This year the retail and landscape both are better than the last year. Hong and his brother are planning an east-side Peachwave next. Carrie Rengers Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article78.php#1337456954 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article78.php Wichita Business Journal - by Chris Moon Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 2:50pm CDTCabela's is moving forward with its plans for an 80,000-square-foot store in northeast Wichita. The WBJ learned this week that the Nebraska-based retailer of outdoor gear has released its building plans for the store to a select list of general contractors. That happened on Tuesday. Six firms are on that list, four of them based in Wichita - Key Construction Inc., Dondlinger Sons Construction Co., The Law Co. Inc. and Martin K. Eby Construction Co. Inc. The other two firms are Minneapolis, Minn.-based Kraus-Anderson Construction Co. and Jefferson, N.C.-based Vannoy Construction. Now the wait is on to see who gets the job, which will be a large one for the retail sector in Wichita. Bids are due June 7. We're planning to break ground in late June or early July, with construction to be complete around mid-January in time to prepare the store for a spring 2012 opening date, says Cabela's spokeswoman Kristin Lauver. The architect is Seattle-based Callison LLC, which also did design work for recently opened Cabela's stores in Allen, Texas, and Springfield, Ore. Callison also is doing work on a Canadian store, located in Edmonton, Alberta, that Cabela's is slated to open in August. Cabela's has a total of 33 stores. We are moving forward on schedule, Lauver says. The design process has progressed efficiently, and we have been able to incorporate improvements to those made in stores that opened over the past couple months. Read more: Four local contractors to bid on Wichita Cabela's store | Wichita Business Journal Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article79.php#1337456955 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article79.php HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTER OPENS West-side Menards store is among chain's largest BY BILL WILSON The Wichita Eagle West Wichita shoppers can now get a gallon of milk and a two-by-four under the same roof. Menards, the national home improvement retailer, opened the first of its two Wichita stores this morning at 37th and Maize Road. A second Wichita location at K-96 and Webb Road is scheduled to open in mid-April. The west-side Menards is a megastore, according to store manager Mike Anderson - about 240,000 square feet including overhangs. The store will have between 130 and 180 employees, depending on the season. It's the largest layout at Menards that we do, Anderson said. We get to have everything in it. The Menards opening is further proof that west Wichita isn't finished growing commercially, said the area's city councilman, Jeff Longwell. I think it just exemplifies what we've been trying to accomplish by encouraging growth out west, Longwell said. They recognize the climate is perfect for businesses to come into west Wichita and be successful, even during some of the worst economic times. Menards trumpets itself as a low-price home improvement retailer. We want to be able to provide people with everything they need, Anderson said. And lots of things in between. That includes a necessities grocery store that includes just about everything but a fresh meat market and produce, Anderson said. Yes, you can get a gallon of milk and a two-by-four here, and lots of people have done that over the years, he said, laughing. And a house. Or a commercial building. Or a tree. Departments include building materials, pet supplies, appliances, housewares and paint. The store has a full outdoor lumber yard. There's an in-house estimator for projects. And a full garden center, with trees and shrubs in stock at the opening. What you won't find at Menards, Anderson said, is the blank stare from clerks when a shopper needs assistance. We work really hard at staffing our stores, at the staff and the amount of help, Anderson said. Guest services is very important to us. Clerks are heavily trained in each department about the products they sell, he said. And the company is intent that shoppers get in and out quickly. There are huge signs at every register pledging that if two or more customers are waiting to pay, Menards will open another cash register. The end of your visit is as important as anything here, Anderson said. A family-owned company formed in 1960 to sell pole buildings, Menards operates 255 stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Hours at the west Wichita store are 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Reach Bill Wilson at 316-268-6290 or . Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article75.php#1337456956 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article75.php Borders will close 75 more stores Wichita Business Journal - by Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia Business Journal Date: Monday, March 14, 2011, 11:52am CDT Borders will close 75 stores on top of the 200 closings it had previously announced, according to a report. No word on whether any of its Philadelphia area sites are on the list. The president of the bookstore chain has said that the company will close an additional 75 stores on top of the 200 it previously announced would be shuttered, according to a in the Detroit Free Press. The chain announced it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Feb. 16 and announced it would close roughly one-third of its stores nationwide, at 1715 Rock Road in Wichita. There was no word on which additional stores would be closed. Borders has a second Wichita location in NewMarket Square, and so far, that store appears slated to remain open. Read more: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article76.php#1337456957 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article76.php Wichita Business Journal - by Chris Moon Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 3:56pm CDT - Last Modified: Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 4:19pm CDT Read more: Chris Moon Reporter Email: It looks like marketing is being ratcheted up for pad sites near the newly opened Menards home improvement store in west Wichita. Landmark Commercial Real EstatesBrad Saville, who is marketing on the ground at 37th Street North and Maize Road, is distributing a new site map showing the potential uses for the 10 or so pad sites. The ideas include typical retail users that would surround a large anchor from a bank to a pharmacy to fast food to a car wash. The Menards store. Weve been talking to restaurants, retail, gas just different uses, Saville says. We put together our ideal uses for each pad. Basically, were getting a little more interest since Menards opened. In a Monday e-mail to real estate brokers and investors, Saville noted Anderson Management has begun work on its 400-unit. The site called Stonebridge is being developed byPaul Jackson, of Vantage Point Properties. Saville says he has a small interest in the project. Read more: Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article77.php#1337456958 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article77.php Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will be a full-scale grocery store with a deli WICHITA The newthatsspace at 1715 N. Rock Road will be a complete grocery store in addition to a vitamin shop. A great many of our customers do just that they only shop for groceries at our stores, says co-presidentKemper Isely. We offer our products at everyday affordable pricing. The Denver-area family business started in 1955. When it opens here Dec. 13, the Wichita store will be the companys 51st. The chain used to be calledVitamin Cottage by Natural Grocers. Since we sell more groceries, we changed our name, Isely says. He says the company sells only 100 percent organically grown produce and fresh and frozen meat that is hormone and antibiotic free. Also, he says, theres a line of frozen natural foods in addition to 100 percent organic produce and bulk items. We do it a little bit differently, Isely says of the bulk items. Theyre prepackage to avoid contamination, he says. We also refrigerate all our nuts and seeds and flowers that can go rancid. The store will be 24,000 square feet. About 1,500 of that will be for a seminar room, which Isely says nonprofits can use for free. Another 1,500 square feet will be for a natural food deli. Isely says the company will try and find someone outside the company to open the deli. We would like to partner with somebody local rather than a national chain. Mark McPhersonof Kansas City-basedandJames Craddockof Colorado-basedCraddock Commercial Real Estaterepresented Natural Grocers in the 10-year lease agreement. New York-based, andScott Harperofrepresented the building owner. Isely says in Wichita, Natural Grocers most closely resembles. Were fairly unique in what we do, he says. We dont really compete with a conventional grocery store. Were more complementary to them. The company is planning to open a store in Lawrence, which is what got it interested in Wichita. You know, I think we could actually open two stores in Wichita, Isely says. It depends on whether the right site comes available. Read more: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article80.php#1337456959 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article80.php DonPirosof Landmark Commercial Real Estate has been busy doing a lot of leases lately, including a couple that will help beautify Wichita. He and Andrea Cavgalar of Prudential Dinning-Beard Realtors handled a deal to bring Twice As Nice Barbershop to the 21st and Woodlawn area by MobileComm. Owner Jeremie McGlory will open in early June with eight barbers, but he's looking for some stylists, too. The goal for me is to try to get to where we can have a whole family come in, he says. McGlory has been cutting hair for a while and just graduated from the Old Town Barber College this spring. On the west side of town, Denelle Farber is moving her First Class Hair from Reflection Ridge Plaza at 21st and Ridge where the salon has been for 11 years to Lakeridge Business Park across the intersection at 2260 N. Ridge Road. It's kind of bittersweet, but things change, Farber says. The new space, which will be ready at the end of June or beginning of July, is 1,200 square feet compared with the salon's 3,200 square feet. We really expanded our salon, but . . . times change and hairdressers get older, too, you know, Farber says. This will be a great space for us also. Piroshandled this deal as well. We've got a very good clientele, Farber says, and I think most of them are going to be moving with us, which we are very happy about. Not all the stylists are coming, though. There will be six stylists and two massage therapists at the new space, which compares with eight stylists, two massage therapists and a nail technician at the current space. Although the salon is downsizing, Farber says, Things are really busy right now. Wed, 01 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article81.php#1337456960 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article81.php A third Smoothie King is opening in Wichita, which will make it the second one on the east side. Neil Bhakta, his wife, Gillian Gorges, and a third partner, Shetal Bhakta (who is not related), are opening a 1,700-square-foot store on the northeast corner of Douglas and Rock Road. Unlike the Smoothie Kings at 3236 N. Rock Road and 8000 W. Central, this one won't have a drive-through. On Rock, it's so hard to find, Neil Bhakta says. He wanted that corridor, though. I like location over a drive-through in an off-location. Don Piros of Landmark Commercial Real Estate and Ish Tamas of J.P. Weigand Sons handled the deal. There's a plus to not having a drive-through as well, Bhakta says. If people have to come into the store, they're more likely to buy Smoothie King's nutritional supplements, he says. Ultimately, the drive-through is better. Bhakta is going to try to drive people into the store, which will have about 10 seats. The idea, he says, is let's just create a nice ambiance inside. Look for the newest Smoothie King to open in October. The Wichita Eagle Carrie Rengers Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article82.php#1337456961 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article82.php A third Avon Beauty Center is opening in Wichita. It used to be just door-to-door, and Avon opened the opportunity for any representative who wanted to . . . get a license to sell in a store setting, says Christine Watkins, who is opening the new store. Watkins, who has been selling Avon products for a decade, is opening her store early next month in front of the Walmart on the southeast corner of Pawnee and Broadway. It's a great opportunity to increase my sales, she says. With Avon Beauty Centers already in the northeast and west parts of Wichita, Watkins says she had to go south to make sure she didn't take sales from the other stores. It's going to be a really good opportunity for the south part of Wichita, and a great opportunity to expand Avon, Watkins says. Craig Ablah of Classic Real Estate represented Watkins in the deal, and Scott Harper of Landmark Commercial Real Estate represented the landlord. Watkins doesn't expect to take business from others who sell Avon in the area. People who have representatives are going to be loyal to their representatives. She does, though, expect to attract new Avon customers. I just love helping people find their products. Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article83.php#1337456962 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article83.php Wichita Business Journal - by Date: Wednesday, July 27, 2011, 12:32pm CDT Jay Maxwell has closed on the purchase of the former Southwest Office Supply building near Old Town. Maxwell plans to renovate and expand the 14,000-square-foot building at 301 N. St. Francis so that it can house his company, . Latest from The Business Journals The deal was delayed a couple of months after the Wichita City Council in May of industrial revenue bonds and tax exemptions for the 3 million project. Pixius didn't qualify for those incentives because not enough of its sales came from outside the metro area. Maxwell says the project got a little smaller as a result. We had to pull a lot of costs out of the deal. We just downsized some ideas. Nothing catastrophic, he says. But the project will receive a 900,000 facade improvement loan from the city. Construction is expected to begin in September. Latest from The Business Journals is the general contractor. Spangenberg Phillips Tice Architecture has designed the space. Maxwell says the building, as originally planned, will add a second-level mezzanine, which will expand the space by about 9,000 square feet. The building will house about 35 Pixius employees. Ted Branson, of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, brokered the sale. The price wasn't disclosed. The deal closed Monday. Keith Stevens, of Latest from The Business Journals , and Dave Burk, of Marketplace Properties, were the sellers. Maxwell says he expects his company to move into the building by March or April. Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article84.php#1337456963 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article84.php WICHITA Overland Park-based is opening its 11th center, this time in Wichita. Frankly, we should have had it opened a year ago, but we struggled to find talent, says Brian Stewart, chief marketing and acquisition officer. Stewart says employers, insurance companies, case management firms and physicians have been asking the company to come here. We are a healthy workforce company that does a lot of things related to injured workers, he says. We have been asked for the last couple of years to look at Wichita as a potential growth center. That includes physical and occupational therapy, work conditioning, functional testing, on-site services and wellness programming. The company is taking 5,000 square feet in a new building at 6803 W. Taft, which is behind the near Kellogg and Dugan. Stewart expects to open in early January. A Springfield, Mo., clinic opened in October. There are also seven of the clinics in the greater Kansas City area, one in St. Joseph, Mo., and one in Topeka. The west-side Athletic and Rehabilitation Center isnt likely to be the only one in Wichita, Stewart says. If the opportunity presents itself, wed love to have two or three clinics. Stewart anticipates finding more space wont be an issue. The real estate market down here is super aggressive, he says. There are a lot of people who are hungry to have business in Wichita. Read more: Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article87.php#1337456964 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article87.php WICHITA The new has a Wichita connection dating to the 1800s, but even co-president Kemper Isely wasnt fully aware of it until the Colorado chain . The store opens the day before Thanksgiving in the former Borders Books space at 1715 N. Rock Road. Iselys parents, Philip and Margaret Isely, started the chain as a regional grocery in 1955. Philip Isely is a Montezuma, Kan., native. Kemper Isely knew that, but he didnt realize his great uncle William Henry Iselys importance to . At the April 1973 dedication of Isely Lane at WSU, then-president Clark Ahlberg praised Isely and Nathan Morrison, who was president of Fairmount Institute, which became Fairmount College the forerunner of WSU. Were it not for Dean Isely and for his colleague, President Morrison, who came in the following year, we might not now be enjoying this beautiful campus with its enduring and encompassing educational advantages and facilities, Ahlberg said, according to a transcript of his speech. Henry Isely The transcript says Isely began his career at Fairmount in 1894 as a history and political science teacher. He became principal within a month. The story is told that immediately following his arrival in Wichita with his wife and youngster, Merrill, he heard that Fairmount Institute was to be closed, Ahlberg said. With Merrill in his arms, he pleaded with the trustees to preserve Fairmount. Ahlberg said Isely was the stabilizing force and the academic leader at the college. The transcript says Isely once wrote, The college is not going to stop more than the moon is. This history is news to Kemper Isely. I was kind of surprised by it, actually, he says. Isely says his father was estranged from that side of his family for a while. Just recently our dad started talking about that side of the family again, he says. Now that hes old, hes started thinking about them again. Much as Isely is surprised by his familys Wichita roots, his father is similarly surprised Natural Grocers will be opening here. He thought it was really interesting that we were coming back to the state he was born in, Isely says. He said, Wow, thats kind of amazing, actually. Hes kind of astonished weve come full circle back. Read more: Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article88.php#1337456965 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article88.php BY CARRIE RENGERS The Wichita Eagle This is the moment west-side Chick-fil-A fans have been waiting for. Yes, the restaurant is coming to your area. Landmark Commercial Real Estate's Brad Saville , who handled the deal, says the Atlanta-based chain has signed a contract for a freestanding site with a drive-through near the southwest corner of 21st Street and Maize Road. I'm expecting them to be very well received, Saville says in what is likely an extreme understatement. Chick-fil-A devotees have been eagerly awaiting west-side news since before the chain confirmed in February that it's coming to the east side at Central and Rock Road. It looks like that restaurant will open in early 2012 possibly just a couple of weeks into January. There's also a small Chick-fil-A at Wichita State University . This spring, developer NW Centre LLC purchased the 3-acre property near 21st Street and Maize Road where the former New Medical Health Care building is. That's just west of Bank of the West . Essentially, the existing building will be demolished, Saville says. The property has a much higher use than what it currently is. After Chick-fil-A is built, there will still be about an acre left for another restaurant or retail user. Chick-fil-A won't allow another restaurant that has a drive-through, so we kind of have our sites set on retail, Saville says. He says Chick-fil-A generates an unbelievable amount of traffic. If there were two drive-throughs there, he says, It would be a mess. Saville expects the Chick-fil-A deal to close by the end of the year. The west-side restaurant could open by next summer. Though, as hungry Chick-fil-A diners have learned with the east location, it could take longer. Read more: Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article86.php#1337456966 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article86.php Advanced Physical Therapy is moving its east Wichita location, which also serves as its company headquarters. Owner will move Advanceds clinic at 5119 E. Kellogg, east of Oliver, to a larger space he has leased at 4415 E. Central, west of Oliver. of Latest from The Business Journals was the leasing agent. Todd plans to open the new 2,000-square-foot clinic in January. He says the reason for the move is simple. We needed more space and more parking, Todd says. He says he plans to add another therapist to the new location next year. For now, the existing staff will relocate. Todd, a Latest from The Business Journals graduate, started Advanced Physical Therapy in 2004 in the East Kellogg location and has since expanded to include 14 locations in Kansas and Missouri, including three in Wichita and one each in Haysville and Newton. Advanced is opening its East Central clinic in a 4,100-square-foot building that Kings Treatment Center, a substance abuse recovery facility, occupied before moving to 830 S. Hillside. Kelly, the leasing agent, says because Advanced Physical Therapy is leasing just half the building, the hope is to lease the remaining space to another health care practitioner to establish a referral network. It would be something where you would have a physician who would refer patients to Advanced Physical Therapy, Kelly says. He says several medical providers have expressed interest in locating in the other half of the building, but nothing has been finalized yet. Greater volume Activity in the health care industry has been one of the bright spots of commercial real estate, brokers say. Kelly says much of the activity centers on practices moving to new locations or medical providers starting their own practice. Its just a lot of people moving around, Kelly says. A lot of people are focusing on their own practices. For Advanced Physical Therapy, the move was a chance to serve more patients and add services, Todd says. The business provides outpatient physical and speech therapy for hospitals, such as Latest from The Business Journals and Latest from The Business Journals . Advanced also works with Wichita State students on job-shadowing programs. Advanced does pre-employment screenings and has started providing more physical therapy for home health care providers. Todd says many of advanceds patients come in for treatment before or after a surgery, and lower back problems are the most common ailment he sees. Other physical therapists are seeing an increased patient load as well. , owner of Palmer Physical Therapy for Women, says her business is seeing a greater volume of patients, but the number of visits per patient has decreased because of the associated out-of-pocket expenses. She says volume increases are tempered by reductions in reimbursements on the provider side, which makes budgeting more challenging. Still, she says, people need services, and providers have to do what they can to take care of their patients. There are people out there who need the service, Palmer says. Advanced Physical Therapy Moving to: 4415 E. Central, Wichita, Kan. 67208. Square footage: 2,000. Targeted opening: January 2012. Founded: 2004. Other area locations: Three in Wichita and one each in Haysville and Newton. Premium content from Wichita Business Journal by Josh Heck, Reporter Date: Friday, November 18, 2011, 5:00am CST Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article89.php#1337456967 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article89.php WICHITA Nick Esterline, a Wichita-based commercial real estate broker and entrepreneur, opened a Freddys Frozen Custard Steakburgers franchise Saturday in Broken Arrow, Okla., the first step in his partnership with the restaurant franchise that should yield at least 16 new stores in the Tulsa and St. Louis metropolitan areas. Its the first of several stores Esterline and his partners plan to open in the Tulsa area, according to Freddys co-founder Bill Simon. The Esterline franchise also will open between eight and 10 stores initially in greater St. Louis. Freddys Wichita corporate office operates one other existing Tulsa store at 9311 E. 71st. Its simple stuff, Esterline said. Its great food, its excellent hospitality and people who care about what theyre doing every single day. With emphasis on the people who care at Freddys corporate, Esterline said. They understand the franchisor-franchisee relationship because theyve been on both sides of the table, he said. They understand people. Simon said Esterline, who also operates two Value Place franchise hotels, is the kind of franchise holder Freddys has historically sought. Were very pleased to have Nick in our list of franchisees, Simon said. Hes proven himself in a variety of other ventures to date and he seems like the caliber of person weve been fortunate enough to attract since the beginning. Esterlines stores will be operated by JRI Management, an experienced restaurant management firm operating Freddys stores in nine other locations. Its the 55th store to open in the growing restaurant chain founded in Wichita in 2002 by Scott Redler and Bill, Randy and Freddy Simon, the latter the face and namesake of the chain. Simon said plans call for three more stores this year, and a minimum of 25 next year, driving the chains expansion above 80 stores by its 10th anniversary. At times when we predict something like this, bureaucratic red tape and other obstacles get in the way, Simon said. The companys niche higher-quality fast food focusing on steakburgers and custard has helped Freddys prosper during a down economy. It doesnt seem to be hurting us, Simon said. Weve got a niche that is working. Read more: Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article90.php#1337456968 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article90.php WICHITA A new restaurant is opening where closed this spring. Were going to remodel it and open it as a , says owner Jack Davidson. Davidson and his wife, Linda, purchased Jimmies at 3111 N. Rock Road in 2007. We want to continue to take this legendary store and spread it out to more than one location, Jack Davidson says. Jimmies was one of the first things on North Rock Road back in 1987, he says. As a matter of fact, it sat out here all by itself on a two-lane road. The history of Jimmies, Kings-X Diner the restaurant at 21st and Amidon the Davidsons also bought in 2007 and Tocs goes back even farther. We have a direct line back to in Wichita, Davidson says. Jimmie King was a White Castle employee when the chain, which was founded in Wichita, was here in the 20s and 30s. He started as a fry cook and eventually became a manager but chose not to leave Wichita when White Castle did. Instead, he purchased several White Castle locations and turned them into Kings-X restaurants. He operated them, along with Tocs, for decades. Davidson says Kings son, Wayne, and developer George Ablah built Jimmies Diner as a tribute to King. The Davidsons now hope to further continue the Jimmie tradition, if you will, he says. The new restaurant will open in the first quarter of 2012. There could be more, but not for a while. We just do them one at a time, Davidson says. If this one works and our model works, I would say thats a distinct possibility. Lewis Kelley of represented building owner Sean Klenda and handled the lease agreement. Im really excited, Klenda says. Thats who I wanted in there from the start. Read more: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article91.php#1337456969 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article91.php UPDATED With any luck, by this time next year, shoppers in east and west Wichita will have two new stores to shop at. It looks like the Massachusetts-based retailer is working on two possible deals here. Parent company owns Marshalls and sister store T.J. Maxx, which is in Eastgate Plaza at Kellogg and Rock and in the Westgate shopping center at Kellogg and Dugan. Marshalls is similar to T.J. Maxx. Marshalls is known for carrying designer clothing and homeware at discount prices never pay full price for fabulous is the current tagline though shoppers often have to wade through merchandise to find those deals. No one with TJX returned calls for comment, and no one else involved in the deals is talking. Sources, though, say heres whats in the works: On the west side, Marshalls is considering locating at at 21st and Maize. The former Borders Books space is the likely new home. On the east side, the retailer is negotiating at at 21st and Greenwich. Theres about 50,000 square feet between and where the new is going to open in 2012. One retailer could take the entire space or it could be divided. Theres also a pad site available in front of Cabelas. is marketing the project. It looked like TJXs concept was briefly considered for Regency Lakes, but it sounds like thats now off the table. This isnt the first time Marshalls has appeared close to a deal here, so theres still a chance it may not happen. Well let you know. By Published by Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article92.php#1337456970 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article92.php By Bill WilsonTHE WICHITA EAGLE Published Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article93.php#1337456971 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article93.php Capital Express Inc. opens 8,000-square-foot Wichita warehouse WICHITA , an Omaha-based courier and logistics company, is now operating in Wichita. We have a large customer who asked us to come into this market, says presidentJack Johnson. Johnson says he cant say who the customer is. The 25-year-old company has offices in a dozen greater Midwest cities, including a recently opened Dodge City office. Johnson says in addition to delivery services, Capital Express helps customers put together systems among various departments in order to streamline processes for deliveries. We help them figure out what they need. The companys new Wichita warehouse is in 8,000 square feet at 2544 S. Leonine. Ted BransonofandJeff Englertofhandled the deal. Johnson thinks the company has all the square footage it needs in Wichita. We dont generally require a huge amount of space, he says. Its not like anything sits in the warehouse overnight. Previously, Capital Express handled the Wichita market from its Kansas City office. Johnson expects the companys business to continue to grow here beyond the initial large customer that requested it come. Absolutely, he says. We have a tremendous customer following and support, and we have added several customers to the Wichita office. Br Carrie RengersPublished byPostedTags:,,,,,Filed under, Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article94.php#1337456972 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article94.php SpringClean Laundry owner to open what he thinks will be the third-largest Laundromat in the countryPublished in the Wichita Eagle 2/2/2012 By Carrie Rengers WICHITA Perry Duncanis, perhaps arguably, the Laundry King of Kansas. Hes owned many himself, built plenty of them for others and now is working on what he says likely will be the third-largest Laundromat in the country. Duncan owns, which in 2009 he toldHave You Heard?he wanted to develop into a chain of large, upscale laundries with large dryers, flat-screen TVs and carpeting. His newest SpringClean will be in the formerSpears Restaurant and Pie Shopspace at 1930 N. Woodlawn, which is just south ofBrittany Centerat the corner of 21st and Woodlawn. Duncan is adding to the building for a total of 13,000 square feet. So how does he know this might be the third-largest? Ive been doing it 30 years, he says. Duncan says hes quite familiar with the business nationwide. His first two SpringClean sites, at 416 N. Ridge and 1224 S. Webb, are about 9,000 square feet each. Duncan says hes inspired by cinema entrepreneurBill Warrenof. He kind of set the example, and I watched him, Duncan says of having large, pleasant facilities. People will pay more and appreciate it if you build a really nice laundry. He offers free WiFi two kinds in case one breaks down large aisles and a playground. Scott SalomeofandTed Bransonofhandled the deal. Duncan already is thinking of other possible future sites, which he says take two or three years to develop from the time he picks an area and studies it. Northwest Wichita could be where he eyes next. The newest SpringClean will open this summer, Duncan says, If I get my way about it. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/01/springclean-laundry-owner-to-open-what-he-thinks-will-be-the-third-largest-laundromat-in-the-country/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/01/springclean-laundry-owner-to-open-what-he-thinks-will-be-the-third-largest-laundromat-in-the-country/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article95.php#1337456973 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article95.php Golden Bay to open in former Mama-Sans Japanese Steakhouse spacePublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers WICHITA Now, for the final restaurant report of the day BrianandJing Kitchensare openingGolden Bayin the formerMama-Sans Japanese Restaurantspace near 13th and West. Shes been in the industry for a long time, Brian Kitchens says of his wife, and has really been wanting to open one. The restaurant will be a fusion of sushi, Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Brent Madisonofhandled the deal. Brian Kitchens says after some remodeling, the restaurant should open in about a month. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/01/04/golden-bay-to-open-in-former-mama-sans-japanese-steakhouse-space/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article96.php#1337456974 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article96.php FDA to move to new Wichita officePublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers UPDATED Theis moving to a new Wichita office. The FDAs lease is up at 1861 N. Rock Road, so its moving to 1,700 square feet at 8440 E. 29th St. Scott Harperofhandled the deal. The Wichita FDA office, which is one of six offices associated with the FDAs district office in Kansas City, is part of the FDAsOffice of Regulatory Affairs. That division is responsible for inspecting manufacturers and regulating their products to ensure the safety of such things as food, drugs and medical devices. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/01/25/fda-to-move-to-new-wichita-office/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/01/25/fda-to-move-to-new-wichita-officPe/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article97.php#1337456975 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article97.php Empire Barber Salon to move to Oxford Square near 21st and WoodlawnPublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers WICHITA Tyron Bowenis returning toOxford Squarenear 21st and Woodlawn to do hair, but this time hell own the barber shop and salon instead of working for someone else. Bowen is moving hisEmpire Barber Salonfrom 13th and Pershing to whereTangles Unlimitedonce was near the northwest corner of 21st and Woodlawn. I know the potential of it, he says of the space, where hes knocking down walls to open it up. He already has five people, including himself, on staff, and he has four more who will be joining. The shop will offer barber and salon services. Bowen has been working professionally for a dozen years, but hes been cutting hair since he was 9 out of necessity. I got tired of my mom letting our uncle cut our hair bald, he says. I had her get me some clippers for Christmas. He started by cutting hair for family members. Eventually, he went to barber school. Bowens former shop at 13th and Pershing has been closed for three weeks, so hes hoping to have his new site open as soon as possible. Don Pirosofhandled the deal. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/08/empire-barber-salon-to-move-to-oxford-square-near-21st-and-woodlawn/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/08/empire-barber-salon-to-move-to-oxford-square-near-21st-and-woodlawn/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article98.php#1337456976 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article98.php Dragon Estate investors buy floors in Sutton Place and Broadway Plaza and plan more purchases downtownPublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers WICHITA What started as a real estate search for a law office has ledAbdul Arifto become a new investor in downtown along with several of his friends and business associates. The members of the group, who operate under the nameDragon Estate, are Asian immigrants. This is our home, Arif says of how they now view Wichita. This is where we believe in. The other investors areMui Nguyen, who owns;Vinh Le, aengineer; andTariq Azmi, a systems engineer with. This group of guys (is) who I normally hang out with, Arif says. Theyre always looking to do something. Boeing has told Le he has to move to Seattle. He doesnt want to, though, so thats part of the groups motivation. Theyre looking for investments and things to keep him here, Arif says. So far, theyre investing in downtown one floor at a time. Someone told us theres a good deal atSutton Place, Arif says of the building at Market and William. Real Developmentowns several floors there. Two floors that others own are in foreclosure. So far, Arif and his associates have purchased the first floor of Sutton Place. Arif says hes in negotiations to buy the foreclosed floors as well. Once the group has more floors, its plan is to develop residential condos there. Thats also where Arif will move hislaw office. Arif says the first floor of Sutton Place will remain office space. Hes also in negotiations for a new restaurant to move into the formerDaily Grindspace on that floor. Im supposed to sign a lease fairly quickly. All About Business, a marketing and consulting firm, also is moving its office there. There are still two office spaces left to lease. Arif says immediate plans at Sutton Place include facade improvement and the addition of green canopies to match the ones at theORourke Titlebuilding next door whereis. There will be some new paint as well. It just need a fresh coat of paint, and its a beautiful building, Arif says. Craig Simonofhandled the Sutton Place deal along with Dragon Estates purchase of the fourth floor ofBroadway Plazaat Broadway and Douglas. Thats another property where Real Development owns floors as well. It was just a good deal to buy, Arif says. If more floors become available, the group is interested in those as well. Arif especially likes the extensive remodeling thats already happened at the building. The fourth floor is about 50 percent occupied. Arif says Dragon Estate plans to price the Broadway Plaza property a little under market to attract tenants quickly. Arif says he appreciates all the new activity in downtown, especially with people such asRobert EysterandMichael Ramseypurchasing older buildings to redevelop them. Arif doesnt put his group in the same category, though. Were not in any way, shape or form developers, he says. We dont have any grand plans to call ourselves developers. Arif says he doesnt like that label, either. Were just local guys with ties and businesses, he says. Theyre happy to be part of downtowns rebirth, though. Weve received some tremendously good deals in downtown, Arif says. Its like a hidden treasure. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/13/dragon-estate-investors-buy-floors-in-sutton-place-and-broadway-plaza-and-plan-more-purchases-downtown/#more-17720#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/13/dragon-estate-investors-buy-floors-in-sutton-place-and-broadway-plaza-and-plan-more-purchases-downtown/#more-17720#storylink=cpy Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article99.php#1337456977 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article99.php A Box 4 U expands into finishing work for its blast-resistant modulesPublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers WICHITA Wichita-basedis expanding its blast-resistant module business. Since the mid-1990s,Jeff Langescompany has sold and leased blast-resistant modules for petroleum refineries and chemical plants. We create a safe haven for employees, saysJohn Potts, who is in sales for the company. The modules could be an office, a factory or even a restroom. Now, instead of solely using a third-party fabricator to make the boxes, the company is going to begin doing its own finishing work to help with the process. Were just assisting . . . because weve got so much work going, Potts says. In addition to the companys office at 4340 S. West St., A Box 4 U is also now leasing a 20,000-square-foot warehouse at 4225 W. Bounous to do the finishing work. Ted Bransonofhandled the deal. Potts says it will still rely on another company to do most of the work, but he says it made sense for A Box 4 U to take on some of the work itself. Were growing pretty quickly here. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/08/a-box-4-u-expands-into-finishing-work-for-its-blast-resistant-modules/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/08/a-box-4-u-expands-into-finishing-work-for-its-blast-resistant-modules/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article100.php#1337456978 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article100.php RBP Auto to open on Southwest BoulevardPublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers WICHITA Ryan Peaveyhas been wanting to get into the car sales business, but to get his dealers license, he says first he needed a building. So hes signed a lease for 1,100 square feet at 1707 1/2 Southwest Blvd. Its pretty little, Peavey says. Its the start of hisRBP Auto, though. Peavey plans to sells cars and specialize in distressed ones that he repairs. He may fix other cars on the property as well. Ted Bransonwithhandled the deal. I expect to have more space eventually, Peavey says. He says he needed to start somewhere, though. I had to take a chance on something. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/14/rbp-auto-to-open-on-southwest-boulevard/#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/14/rbp-auto-to-open-on-southwest-boulevard/#storylink=cpy Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article101.php#1337456979 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article101.php Council votes to set up STAR bond district for fieldhouse project in northeast Wichita Published in The Wichita Eagle By Bill Wilson A multi-use destination entertainment STAR bond project at K-96 and Greenwich Road cleared its first major governmental hurdle Tuesday. Wichita City Council members voted unanimously to establish a 400-acre STAR bond district at the eastside Wichita intersection, anchored by a 53,000-square-foot sports fieldhouse and surrounded by a series of destination hotels and retailers. The 270 million project, which would be partially funded by the STAR bond revenues in an amount to be determined by the state, now goes to the Kansas Department of Commerce for a qualification determination, which would set the stage for a project plan using sales tax revenues from the sports and entertainment retailers making up the district. Were very excited that the project will move forward, said Korb Maxwell, a Kansas City attorney representing GoodSports Enterprises, developers of the project. Were looking forward to working with the city and the state bringing this project to reality. The group is proposing a 53,000-square-foot indoor sports fieldhouse, part of a tourism and shopping destination district that includes the Cabelas store under construction. The development group has ties to the Village West project around the Kansas Speedway in Johnson County. The centerpiece of the funding behind the project is the states STAR bond law, which allows the states 6.3 percent sales tax on purchases to be captured for certain development costs in a district. The funds can be used for horizontal expenses, including land acquisition and public and private infrastructure. The GoodSports project is the first STAR bond proposal to come before the council since Bowllagio, a bowling-themed multi-use attraction proposed for west Wichita. It died before the council in 2010 amid public protests that it would misuse public tax money and threaten the financial viability of longtime private bowling alleys. The only other city STAR project is the riverfront improvement plan. The first phase of the GoodSports project, including the fieldhouse, would be built just north of K-96 east of Greenwich, with the bulk of the district including Cabelas, Target and other retailers running along both sides of Greenwich south to 21st Street. The proposed tourism district also includes an undeveloped tract owned by Slawson Cos. just southeast of the 21st and Greenwich intersection. The developers say the sports facility would target a broad range of events, including national-caliber Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournaments. It also would target the one-of-a-kind restaurants and retailers that drive traffic to the Kansas City development. Allen Bell, the citys urban development director, said that the project also would use half of the citys share of newly generated sales taxes in the area, but would not use any property tax monies. Maxwell, the Kansas City attorney, said hes confident his group can meet state requirements for 50million in capital investment and 50million in annual sales on the 140-acre chunk of land the group controls in the district. We feel good that the 50 can be done, so much so that we think it can be as much as four times over in this district, he said. City Council members lined up behind the project, saying the success of the Kansas Speedway had influenced them. This thing has a lot of legs under its stool that are pretty solid, council member Pete Meitzner said. Council member Jeff Longwell said its time for Wichita to begin collecting some of the state economic development dollars it largely devotes to northeast Kansas, in this case the state sales tax revenues that will be used to help finance the project. We dont always get enough coming back to us, Longwell said, saying the city gets only 30 or 35 percent of the dollar back for projects such as the GoodSports proposal. The STAR bond project drew fire from supporters of free-market-driven economic development, who called on the council to put off establishment of the district until the Feb. 28 guest tax vote on the Ambassador Hotel project, a challenge to the citys allocation of 2.25 million in guest taxes over the hotels first 15 years to the project. Taxation ought to be a public function to pay for public services, said Wichitan Bob Weeks, who publishes a free-market blog. We shouldnt turn this very important thing over to private citizens for private gain. If the project is qualified at the state level, it would come back to the City Council for action on a project and financing plan before final state approval. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/02/15/2215656/council-votes-to-set-up-star-bond.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/02/15/2215656/council-votes-to-set-up-star-bond.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpyPublished Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article102.php#1337456980 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article102.php Plexus Inc. opens and leases space near Intrust Bank ArenaPublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers WICHITA Business partnersShawn SpaenyandNick Holthave startedPlexus Inc.to sell high-definition surveillance cameras. High-quality surveillance is what we do, Spaeny says. The two have been in the business previously but decided to open their own place in almost 3,000 square feet at 535 S. Emporia. Seems prime, doesnt it? Spaeny says of being located just south of. Ted Bransonofhandled the deal. In addition to offering new cameras, Spaeny says Plexus will offer service on other surveillance cameras as well. Were ramping up all areas of that operation. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/15/plexus-inc-opens-and-leases-space-near-intrust-bank-arena/#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/15/plexus-inc-opens-and-leases-space-near-intrust-bank-arena/#storylink=cpy Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article103.php#1337456981 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article103.php Planet Fitness signs two new dealsPublished in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers WICHITA There are deals for two new Wichitasites, though the chain still isnt talking about its plans here. Have You Heard?is working on locations in the formerspace atNormandie Centerat Central and Woodlawn, atMarina Lakesat 21st and Amidon where a newis and also at the 21st and Maize area. Since then,Scott HarperofandGrant Tidemannoffinalized a deal for the Marina Lakes space. On Friday, Tidemann and LandmarksNick Esterlinefinalized a deal for the former bowling alley space at 2350 N. Maize Road. Thats whereCountryside West Lanesclosed in 2007. It looks like there may already be demo work going on at the possible Planet Fitness space at Normandie. Planet Fitness isnt the only new gym coming to the city. alsohere. In fact, it appears it was negotiating for some of the same space Planet Fitness nabbed. Earlier this year, Have You Heard? reported that a Golds deal at Harry and Rock may already be done. Both companies are being similarly silent. We should hear something from them soon, though. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/02/20/planet-fitness-signs-two-new-deals/#storylink=cpy Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article104.php#1337456982 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article104.php Citys retail market ready to take off, brokers say Published in the Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers After a particularly lean three years, Wichita finally saw significant retail activity in 2011. Commercial brokers say that gives them a lot to build on in 2012. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/02/24/2224654/retail-market-ready-to-take-off.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpyBy After a particularly lean three years, Wichita finally saw significant retail activity in 2011. Commercial brokers say that gives them a lot to build on in 2012.Were just getting ready to take off, said Brad Saville, president and CEO of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. The first sign was that almost all the junior box and big box vacancies have gotten filled up, he said. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage took the former east-side Borders Books space. Sephora opened at Bradley Fair, Ulta Salon, Cosmetics Fragrance stores opened on the east and west sides, and several Walmart Neighborhood Markets, Dollar General and Family Dollar stores opened throughout Wichita. The last three years, the national retailers were looking for deals and bargains, and now were back to, Weve got to build, Saville said. The most obvious example: Cabelas. The Nebraska-based giant national outdoor retailer is building an 80,000-square-foot store at the Regency Lakes shopping center at 21st and Greenwich. It opens March 15. Later this year, the Fresh Market upscale grocery chain will open in the former Ultimate Electronics space at Bradley Fair. This is the farthest west the Greensboro, N.C.-based chain has come so far. Ross Dress For Less also is entering the Wichita market with two stores: one at the Eastgate shopping center at Kellogg and Rock, and one at Westgate at Kellogg and Dugan. Doug Malone, a broker with J.P. Weigand Sons who helped handle the west-side Ross deal, said there are a lot of national retailers that arent in Wichita that eventually will come. Its a function of when, he said. Malone said its also going to take time for the retail market to build back up to what it was. We have a long ways to go to get it back to where it was in 2007. Still, he said, It feels better than it did a year ago. His colleague, broker Leisa Lowry, said shes definitely busier these days. Im far busier this year than the previous three years, she said. Lowry, who does a lot of restaurant deals, said several fast-casual concepts are looking to possibly come to Wichita. There are several done deals, too. Pita Pit is returning to the market with a new restaurant at 3242 N. Rock Road. Mooyah will be opening at least one restaurant here in 2012, most likely on the west side. Then theres the restaurant generating the most buzz: Chick-fil-A. Its east-side site at Central and Rock Road will open March 15. A west-side site near the southwest corner of 21st and Maize Road will open later this year. At that same intersection, NewMarket Square has attracted a slew of new retailers. Kay Jewelers, Carters and Mens Warehouse are just a few of the new national tenants. Marshalls, a sister store to T.J. Maxx, is seriously eyeing the former Borders Books space there in addition to an east-side site. A couple of gyms, Planet Fitness and Golds Gym International, are finalizing deals for several Wichita sites each. Local retailers are busy, too. Dondlinger and Sons Construction is opening two Williams Ace Hardware stores in coming months. The first will open in late March in the former Whites Foodliner building in Goddard. A second store will open in the former Ace Hardware in Andover at 642 N. Andover Road about a month later. Brokers say there have been a lot of renewals in the market as well. Its a testament that retailers are filling these spots up, Saville said. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/02/24/2224654/retail-market-ready-to-take-off.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article105.php#1337456983 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article105.php Laham: Opening of Cabelas in Wichita is a game-changerBy John Stearns In the Wichita Business Journal Thursday, March 15, 2012The turnout forCabelasin Wichita on Wednesday could have filled 10,500-seat Koch Arena and then some. In fact, by some estimates, it could have filled most of 15,000-seatIntrust Bank Arena. Not only does this town have Shocker fever, it has Cabelas fever (and alsoChick-fil-Afever, which began sweeping east Wichita with Thursdays 6 a.m.). We were incredibly blown away at the turnout, says Cabelas spokesman. It goes to show why we chose that location. That location is K-96 at Greenwich Road, in the Regency Lakes Shopping Center, which also is home to Target, World Market and others. Cabelas will change the landscape of 21st and Greenwich Road, says, president ofLaham Development, which is a partner in developing Regency Lakes. Its wonderful for the other businesses in the area and will be a continued generator of growth for new development in the area, Laham says. Revenue from Cabelas will help finance an 8 million on-ramp and off-ramp project that will create more complete access to Greenwich Road from K-96, which is important to continue the development of that part of town, he says. This is economic development. Talks began with Cabelas more than five years ago, Laham says, who is quick to credit, president and CEO ofLandmark Commercial Real Estate Inc., as being instrumental in landing Cabelas. We do work hard (and) listen to our customers and what stores and restaurants they want in Wichita, Laham said. So we were very pleased by the turnout yesterday. Wichita has wanted Cabelas for a lot of years, and now we have one. Laham notes the Wichita store is Cabelas 35th. That says a lot about retail in our community, being one of only 35 stores, he says. Any city in America would love to have a Cabelas. Apparently, such turnouts at Cabelas grand openings are the norm. Cabelas grand openings are always a spectacle, Remmer says. A turnout like that is not a huge surprise, but its always nice when the crowds come. Generally, we like to create a buzz like that. The company knew it had a lot of local followers, based on tracking catalog and online customers, but then to actually see it come to fruition is great, Remmer says. Next up for Cabelas, a new store in Tulalip, Wash., about 30 miles north of Seattle. That will open April 19. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article106.php#1337456984 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article106.php Academy Sports Outdoors helps fill out center near 29th and MaizeTwo retail sites remain in Central Park Place developmentFrom The Wichita Business Journal by John Stearns, Reporter Date: Friday, March 23, 2012 A commercial development in northwest Wichita will take a major step toward completion with last weeks announcement thatAcademy Sports Outdoorswill build a 73,000-square-foot store immediately north of Lowes on Maize Road, near 29th Street North. All that remains for the 24-acre Central Park Place development is construction of up to a 32,000-square-foot space for a junior box tenant north of Lowes and a 6,600-square-foot space for a fast-food or casual-dining restaurant north ofPanda Express, according to, president ofLandmark Commercial Real Estate Inc. Saville andofClassic Real Estateare partners in Eastside Investments LLC, which sold Academy its 6.4-acre site and is the developer of Central Park Place. Academy was represented byof Concordia Equity LC of Plano, Texas. There wont be any further development from Central Park Place to 29th Street North on the east side of Maize Road because the area is a protected wetland. On the west side of Maize Road, however, Slawson Cos. plans to develop a strip it owns between NewMarket Square and 29th all part of what has become a hot retail corridor stretching from 21st Street north beyond 37th. Two groups are looking at the junior-box site, says Saville, who will attend the International Council of Shopping Centers show in Las Vegas in May to network with potential tenants. Saville says two groups also are looking at Central Park Places restaurant site. I really think the retail market in Wichita is strengthening, he says. Weve had some nice tenants enter the market. That includes Academy competitorCabelas, which Saville was instrumental in landing, according to, president ofLaham Developmentand a partner in the Regency Lakes Shopping Center, the east-side development where Cabelas is located. Academy Sports new to marketKaty, Texas-based Academy plans to open the Maize Road store its first in Kansas late this year, by the holiday shopping season, according to, a spokeswoman for the retailer. The company has more than 135 stores, concentrated in Texas and the Southeast. It is owned by the equity firmKohlberg Kravis Roberts Co. LP. The stores philosophy is selling the right stuff at everyday low prices, according to its website. That stuff includes categories for apparel, footwear, team sports gear, recreation and leisure, fitness, golf, hunting, fishing, boating and marine, camping and outdoors, patio and barbecue, and electronics. Its just an incredible store, and theres so much that we offer, Hasbrook says. The store will be almost as big as Cabelas, which is 80,000 square feet, and more than twice the size ofSports Authority, a competitor situated across Maize Road at NewMarket Square. We think its good for the community to have options for shopping, Hasbrook says. The store will hire about 150 people. Meanwhile, across maize ..., vice president-commercial development for Slawson Cos., developer and owner of NewMarket Square, wasnt necessarily surprised that Academy picked the location it did. If a major retailer is going to come into this market, they are probably going to look up in this area, Jones says of the growing Maize Road corridor. But Jones says he was surprised that Academy would choose to enter a market that seems saturated with sporting-goods retailers, mentioning Cabelas, Sports Authority,DicksandGander Mountain. Across Maize from the Academy site, immediately north of NewMarket Square and south of 29th, Slawson has about 10 acres available for development. Jones anticipates a mix of tenants there, including offices, restaurants and potentially a hotel. He cant project when it might be developed, noting its contingent on tenants, but hopefully sooner as opposed to later. Theres more activity, things have picked up, Jones says of the area. We do have prospective tenants that were talking to about this tract. I think one thing thats unique about it, it has a lot of Maize Road frontage and visibility, Jones says. Thats similar to NewMarket Square, where what is built is virtually full, Jones says. Central Park Place Location: East side of Maize Road south of 29th Street North. Already built: Lowes; Panda Express; LongHorn Steakhouse; strip center with Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Long John Silvers, Ribbit Computers and Cinnamons Deli. Coming late this year: Academy Sports Outdoors. Available: Two sites, one for up to a 32,000-square-foot junior box tenant, another for a 6,600-square-foot fast-food or casual-dining restaurant. Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article108.php#1337456985 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article108.php Furnish My Nest coming at 21st and Rock Published in The Wichita Eagle By Carrie Rengers A new home furnishings store with a contemporary flair is coming to theShops at Tallgrassnear 21st and Rock Road. Furnish My Nestis taking the 2,240 square feetCox Communications Kansas/Arkansasused to be in before moving across the parking lot. Chance ShipmanandJosh Rulandare opening Furnish My Nest to sell furniture, accessories and lighting. Shipman says theyll offer a mix of classic and contemporary styling, but very functional. We want it to be usable furniture for everyones lives. Shipman used to have a shop in Topeka. He says he noticed that there wasnt a lot of variety in the home furnishings stores here. Also, he says, The contemporary choices were gone. He and Ruland also will offer a redesign-in-a-day service for 399 in which, after a few meetings with a client, theyll redesign a room with existing furniture and accessories and add some new ones as needed as well. Theyll send the customer for a three-hour lunch and do the work. Its a really affordable, fun service for people to do, Shipman says. Even though theyve not opened yet, Shipman and Ruland are already thinking about a possible future expansion. Shipman says thats what theyre hoping, anyway. April ReedwithSlawson Cos.andDavid LeyhofLandmark Commercial Real Estatehandled the deal for Furnish My Space. Look for the store to open sometime in May. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/03/23/2267448/furnish-my-nest-coming-at-21st.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/03/23/2267448/furnish-my-nest-coming-at-21st.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpyPlublished Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article109.php#1337456986 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article109.php Bann Thai Restaurant to open in former Siam Cuisine space Published in the Wichita Eagle Written by Carrie Rengers A new restaurant is going in the formerSiam Cuisinespace near 21st and Woodlawn. Tui Jacksonhopes to openBann Thai Restaurantat 6249 East 21st Street North by April 3. I think it will be OK, Jackson says of opening by then. She plans to be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. My slogan is the taste of Thai, Jackson says. She says all of her food will be made from scratch. Jackson says she wont use any canned ingredients for sauces or anything else. Eventually, she intends to add alcohol to the menu, but the restaurant wont have it initially. Don Piroswithhandled the deal. Jacksons mother and sister will arrive from Thailand in May with special Thai uniforms for her employees. She plans to hold a grand opening celebration May 17, 18 and 19 while theyre here. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/03/27/bann-thai-restaurant-to-open-in-former-siam-cuisine-space/#storylink=cpy Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article110.php#1337456987 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article110.php ByMolly McMillinThe Wichita Eagle PublishedThursday, March 15, 2012, at 7:59 a.m.UpdatedThursday, March 15, 2012, at 8:07 a.m. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/03/15/2256464/hawker-beechcraft-to-keep-wichitas.html#storylink=cpy In a move that will save hundreds of Wichita jobs, Hawker Beechcraft will keep Plant 1 open rather than close it as previously announced. The decision came as part of a joint partnership between the company and the Machinists union forged during contract negotiations last year. As of today, it is expected that current Plant 1 operations will essentially remain unchanged, a memo to union stewards, team leaders and crew chiefs said this morning. The memo is signed by the HBC Joint Partnership Steering Committee. Last year, Hawker Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture said the company would close Plants 1 and 2 and move the work to outside suppliers and to its facility in Chihuahua, Mexico, a move that would eliminate hundreds of jobs. The company and union anticipate that there will be movement of work between Plant 1 and suppliers. However, some work may return to the plant, and other work may move, the memo said. Assuming aircraft build rates remain at current levels, the overall volume of work performed in Plant 1 is expected to be maintained while this revised strategy is developed and implemented, the memo said. Workers in Plant I perform fabrication work, such as the production of small part assemblies. The companys manufacturing operations is emphasizing quality and on-time performance. An intensive lean/continuous improvement initiative will be launched as meaningful efficiency and cost improvements are required for Plant 1 to be in a more cost competitive position, the memo said. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/03/15/2256464/hawker-beechcraft-to-keep-wichitas.html#storylink=cpy Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article111.php#1337456988 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article111.php Art Frame to move from NewMarket Square to 13th and Maize Road areaPublished in The Wichita Eagle Written by Carrie Rengers WICHITA Jack Wilsonand hisshop was one of the first businesses ina decade ago, and he says hes now reluctant to leave. Due to another deal, though more about that coming soon Wilson is moving. His new shop, which likely will open in June, will be just south of 13th and Maize Road at 1317 N. Maize. The core of our business is custom picture framing, Wilson says. He also does digital photo enhancements, photo restoration and large-format printing in addition to selling art. The new space will have a little bit more of a showroom than the current one, which is nice, Wilson says. His current space is 1,091 square feet, and the new space is 1,480 square feet. Don Pirosofhandled the deal. Wilson says his business officially has been open since 1999, but hes been doing the work for much longer. Art Frame will remain open at NewMarket until the move. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/03/29/art-frame-to-move-from-newmarket-square-to-13th-and-maize-road-area/#storylink=cpy Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article113.php#1337456989 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article113.php InMotion Spine Muscle Joint Clinic to open at Hampton LakesPublished in The Wichita Eagle Written by Carrie Rengers WICHITA New chiropractorsMeryl MillerandJared Shoemakerare opening their first practice inat 37th and Maize this summer. We just decided we wanted to stay in Kansas, says Miller, who graduated from thein Overland Park in December. Shoemaker graduates next month. The practice,InMotion Spine Muscle Joint Clinic, will be in 1,750 square feet and should open in June. We just want to get started and get a year under our belt and see what happens, Miller says. She and Shoemaker wanted to work in a small town near a big city, and they decided Maize would work. We didnt want to be too far out, Miller says. Also, she says, We just like that it was a newer area. . . . We always see people out being active. Don PirosofandCurt Robertsonofhandled the deal. Miller says she and Shoemaker plan to bring a different model of care to everyone. We . . . bring the best of not only chiropractic but also physical therapy and manual therapy, she says. We like a new, functional approach. That means in addition to traditional chiropractic adjustments, theyll incorporate soft tissue work, functional rehabilitation and active care. Our whole goal is to teach the patients how to make themselves better so they dont have to depend on us, Miller says. So, rather than passive care, were big promoters of active care. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/03/28/inmotion-spine-muscle-joint-clinic-to-open-at-hampton-lakes/#storylink=cpy Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article114.php#1337456990 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article114.php A-OK Pawn Shops owner Bruce Harris to start Better Living lease-to-own businessPublished in The Wichita Eagle Written by Carrie Rengers WICHITA ownerBruce Harrisis starting a new lease-to-own furniture business that he hopes will become a chain of stores. Its a brand-new concept were coming up with, he says ofBetter Living. The first store will open in 35,000 square feet at theMarina Lakes Shopping Centerat 21st and Amidon next to where Harris is opening a new pawn shop, jewelry store and phone store along with a tax services, payday loans and check cashing center. Other large chains of pawn shops around the country are starting to do this, he says. Harris says he wants to give people a better choice on furniture, appliances and TVs. Were going to try to upscale that, he says. Harris says hes starting the concept in response to customers requests. Were giving them an additional option, he says. Its very similar to the retail side of our pawn business. Most of the first Better Living will be in the formerspace at Marina Lakes. An additional 10,000 square feet for storage will come from the strip center next door. If the business is successful, Harris says hell add a Better Living to his pawn shop complex at Harry and Oliver next. Eventually, he says he wants to expand the centers including the Better Living stores to Hutchinson and the Kansas City market. Were becoming a developer rather than just a pawn shop. Harris andLarry Cookhave already been redeveloping Marina Lakes, where theres a new. Aalso is coming to the center. Theres 70,000 square feet left to lease at the 115,000-square-foot development. Its going to become a very great place to go right in the middle of Wichita, Harris says. Were going to revitalize that area of town. He says the 21st and Amidon intersection used to be the hottest place in town but has suffered from blight for about two decades. We want to make it pop again, Harris says. He and Cook are renaming Marina LakesNew Leaf Plaza. We wanted to give 21st and Amidon a new look, a new leaf and a new lease on life, Harris says. Im not going to just put a Band-Aid on (it). Were going to redo the whole damn thing and make it first class. Were going to bring it back to life. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/04/10/a-ok-pawn-shops-owner-bruce-harris-to-start-better-living-lease-to-own-business/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/04/10/a-ok-pawn-shops-owner-bruce-harris-to-start-better-living-lease-to-own-business/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article115.php#1337456991 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article115.php Once too small a market, now Wichitas on a national retail roll Published in The Wichita Eagle By Bill Wilson Costcos possible entry into the Wichita market would be the latest prize for the city, which has seen two years of surprising retail growth. On the surface, it doesnt make a lot sense: Wichitas trademark airplane building industry continues to struggle and the departure of a major icon, Boeing, is set for next year. Unemployment is still hovering at just under 8 percent while housing sales have just begun to rebound. But at the same time, the number of new national retailers coming to town is mounting: two Menards stores, Cabelas, Fresh Market and Chick-fil-A, just to name a few. The new retailers and restaurants are the product of two decades of momentum and aggressive investment, according to city officials, marketers and businessmen momentum and investment that has and will continue to transform Wichita, they said, from a struggling secondary market into an attractive home with a regional market of more than 1 million people for national retailers. Clearly there is an increased interest in Wichita on the part of the national retail chains, said Allen Bell, the citys urban development director. Part of that is that the expansion strategies of national retailers have changed, and they are now more interested in mid-sized markets. Part of it is that Wichita has proven itself to be a more dynamic retail market than its size would imply. We have George Laham and Bradley Fair to thank for that. Cindy Claycomb, a marketing professor at Wichita State University, said the change in those expansion strategies is driven by market saturation: Many national retailers have already landed where its easy to be successful, she said. Then, they all tend to look around and see that others in the country will buy their products, she said. Bradley Fair has been very successful, and all that started with one national retailer coming to Wichita and realizing that our demographic actually meets their demographic. It grows from there. SubhedIn the first half of the 1990s, Wichita wasnt attractive to national retailers seeking a sure bet, said Bell and Laham, president of Wichitas Laham Development. I remember in the mid-1990s trying to interest Starbucks in coming to Wichita, Bell said. The response was that Wichita was too small. Now we have several Starbucks. Success first one national brand, then others drives that momentum, Laham said. Besides a big box like a Wal-Mart or a Target, retailers typically went to the malls here prior to 1990, Laham said. In the late 1980s and the early 1990s, I remember going to the annual shopping center convention and talking about bringing national retailers here. It was difficult to get anyones attention. But in 1992, the success of Lahams Bradley Fair and its eclectic collection of local speciality retailers got the attention of Talbots, a leading national retailer of womens shoes and apparel. That started the momentum, Laham said, as Gap and Banana Republic followed. The success of those early retailers in a market of this size is what has created the succession of speciality retailers coming to Wichita, Laham said. That success was interrupted a bit by the recession, but Laham said retailers and restaurateurs are poised to move again as the national economy improves. The national retailers all share and compare information, and if a new retailer comes to Wichita ... its because of location, he said. About 98 percent of the time, theyll come into a specific location or theyre headed to another town. SubhedCostco fans shouldnt lose patience if the store doesnt make an immediate announcement. It doesnt mean a lack of interest in Wichita, just a lack of interest in current options. On the average, from when the retailers start talking seriously to us to the day they open, the average is three years, Laham said. Company officials said they have no immediate plans to open one of their membership warehouses, which sell brand-name merchandise, here. But sources told The Eagle a deal is close enough that a 2013 opening is a possibility. Another key factor in Wichitas recent retail resurgence is when companies think the best economic time is to expand. That was the driver behind fast-food giant Chick-fil-As decision to build on Wichitas east side, a decision so successful in the early-going that a west-side store is moving along quickly for a July opening. Its a lot like stocks, said Brad Fuller, the owner and operator of the east-side Chick-fil-A at 7990 E. Central. We dont look for necessarily short-term gains, but long-term investments and buy low, real estate-wise and investment-wise. It was a great time to do this, and if we had to build the brand here, now was the right time to do it. Right enough, Fuller said, that sales are 2.5 times initial projections. Its been interesting, he said. Cabelas CEO Tommy Millner said his companys Wichita store, which opened last month, has had the same reaction Kansas customers. Kansans are among our most loyal customers which became increasingly clear after we opened the Kansas City location in 2002 so we wanted to extend our footprint across the state, Millner said. One visit to Wichita was enough for us to say, This is a place we have to be. We see the Regency Lakes Shopping Center as a retail destination on the rise, now and well into the future, which ultimately is great for Wichitas economy. That kind of optimism from national retailers is a credit to Wichitans and their neighbors, Laham said. It says so much for Wichita, and the appetite of the people in Wichita for speciality retail shops and restaurants, Laham said. I dont see that wavering. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/04/12/2293208/once-too-small-a-market-now-wichitas.html#storylink=omni_popular#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/04/12/2293208/once-too-small-a-market-now-wichitas.html#storylink=omni_popular#storylink=cpy Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article116.php#1337456992 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article116.php Local commercial real estate looking upByBill WilsonThe Wichita Eagle The clouds are beginning to lift a little on Wichitas largely stagnant commercial real estate market, with retail growth leading the way. But the citys brokers are clear about this: Were a long way from the skies clearing, thanks to flat job growth and consumers who are still jittery about the citys aviation future. Yes, we are optimistic, said Tom Johnson, president of Grubb Ellis/Martens Commercial Group. One of the things we look at is the underlying economy. Where is that going? We just dont have the rise in any real positive signs that were going to get a big bump in job growth. Given that, theres some niche opportunities out there, primarily for retail. More of the same, said Rod Stewart, a veteran commercial broker with Keller Williams Signature Partners. Nothing a lot better, nothing a lot worse. Im not anticipating big changes in the marketplace. The commercial market isnt a lot different nationally, said George Ratiu, the commercial real estate specialist for the National Association of Realtors. Theres broad improvement, with vacancy rates on the decline and rents perking up. Consumer spending is still positive, Ratiu said. There are indicators that confidence and demand are slowly rising, but we recognize thats fairly volatile because the news out of the business sector, the international sector and the political environment is buffering public confidence and opinion. But when you look at business trends, employment, spending, you get a clear sense people arent at the same level of retrenchment. Wichitas vacancy rates remain a little higher than the national average, according to the NAR: 19.8 percent in office, with national rates at 16.6; retail at 14 percent, higher than the 12.5 percent national rate; and multi-family housing, 4.9 percent in Wichita, compared to 4.5 percent nationally. And while credit has eased somewhat for larger projects, loans remain tight for small businesses. Heres a look at the various Wichita commercial sectors: RetailMy feeling about retail is similar to office, said Brad Saville, president and CEO of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Theres a glut of Class C space, a little bit of leftover A space in B locations. A lot of the big box and junior big box has filled up. Thats one reason why youre starting to see all this new construction again. Theres not a lot of junior and big box stuff left. Office and retail spaces are rated A, B or C based on cost, accommodations and quality. The retail market is big enough to be competitive, Stewart said. If I were shopping for a space, Id have people to bid off of to get the best deal possible, but even the best deal is going to be expensive in this market. Saville and Johnson cited four big potential growth areas: the K-96 and Greenwich area near Cabelas in Regency, the Waterfront at 13th and Webb, downtown Wichita and the Maize Road corridor. Weve got quite a litany of people interested in and continuing to watch the progress on the STAR bonds out there at 96 and Greenwich, anxious to see if thats approved, Saville said. Theres quite a bit of land out there, between the stuff were doing and the Slawson land behind Sonic and Arbys. Theres lots of viable commercial land out there. Johnson said the quick development of projects downtown like the Ambassador Hotel and the Kansas Health Foundation expansion have it on developers radar. Office and industrialBoth sectors are plagued by limited inventories. Most quality Class A space has been absorbed into the market. I dont see a lot of opportunities in office for new development. Itll continue to churn and well see the same progress we have, Johnson said. The industrial market is very good. We could lease a lot of buildings if we had the buildings, but theyre not there. There are large space office complexes available, Stewart said. For significant money at 3,000 to 10,000 square feet, he said. Not a lot available, though, in the 700 to 1,500 square feet range, but theres a fair amount of 2,500. But those leases are going to be costly, Stewart said 12 to 18 per square foot triple net, or the taxes, insurance, and maintenance expenses plus the lease, roughly about 7 per square foot. Multi-familyThis is where Wichita is best positioned for the biggest rebound, Ratiu said. Local vacancy rates are close to the national average and positioned to shrink, Ratiu said, as home foreclosures continue and new household formation rebounds from historic lows to norms of about 1.2million. Its enough to make a broker wistful about the good old days, Saville said, chuckling. How optimistic? Since before I was wrong about the downturn in 2008, he said, laughing. Now, our investors, people who buy stuff and people in real estate finally see some optimism. The banks locally are out shaking people down trying to loan money again. Theres so much cash on the sideline. Its finally looking better. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/05/03/2320528/local-commercial-real-estate-looking.html#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/05/03/2320528/local-commercial-real-estate-looking.html#storylink=cpy Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article117.php#1337456993 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article117.php Sonic to open this summer at Paul Jacksons Stonebridge development at 37th Street North and Maize RoadWICHITA StonebridgedeveloperPaul Jacksonnow confirms whatHave You Heard?reportedin March. is coming to his development at 37th Street North and Maize Road. The long and short of it is the real estate markets picking up a little bit, and were getting activity out at that Stonebridge site, says Jackson, who has. is the anchor tenant at the 40-acre development. Sonic is taking the first pad site at Stonebridge. Jackson says there are about 12 acres left to develop with nine more pad sites for retailers, restaurants and service-oriented businesses. Jackson says Sonic has a strong Wichita presence with 24 restaurants in the area. The Stonebridge Sonic is expected to open in late August. Theyre moving awfully fast, Jackson says. Hes working on getting another deal under contract at the development. Weve seen a real change in the retail world, Jackson says. I dont want to be too optimistic, but it sure feels like its going the right direction now. Look for Andover news from him next. I suppose its largely just confidence, Jackson says of the market. Things are getting better, and so its time to do business again. Read more here: http://blogs.kansas.com/haveyouheard/2012/05/09/sonic-to-open-this-summer-at-paul-jacksons-stonebridge-development-at-37th-street-north-and-maize-road/#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article118.php#1337456994 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article118.php McCurdy auctioning four visible properties in, around WichitaWichita Business Journal by John Stearns, ReporterDate: Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 2:00pm CDTMcCurdy Auction next week will hold three absolute auctions on high-visibility properties in around the Wichita metropolitan area. The properties are at Pawnee and Webb Road, off U.S. 54 between Andover and Augusta, and near 21st and 159th Street East. A fourth land auction at I-235 and North Meridian will occur on May 15, with the price subject to seller confirmation. Theyre all right in the path of progress, says, associate broker. In terms of accessibility, theyre all fantastic. McCurdy saysthe absolute auction route, where theres no minimum and whatever the last bid is, it sells, regardless of price. Five to seven years ago, absolute auctions were rare, McCurdy says. Today, theyre about a third of the properties his company auctions. Very few are distressed scenarios, he says. Typically, sellers are just ready to move on, he adds. Following are details about the parcels being auctioned, as described in McCurdys news release. For more information, visit. 35+/- acres and 43 lots near Pawnee and Webb will be offered absolute together and separate at noon on May 10. The land is zoned single-family and agricultural and falls within the Derby school district. The 43 platted lots cover 11.29 acres. Special taxes for sewer, water and storm sewer are already paid on 20 lots. Longtime builder Ray Jacoby had planned to develop the land, but it is now going to be auctioned with no minimum, no reserve, due his retirement. 13+/- acres at 10033 SW Diamond Rd (on US-54) between Andover and Augusta will be auctioned absolute at 2 p.m. on May 10. The land is zoned commercial, located across US-54 from Ford of Augusta and has great Kellogg visibility. Robert and Beverly McCalla, former owners of White Eagle Antique Mall, which was adjacent to this 13 acres, are auctioning the land with no minimum, no reserve so they can continue their travels. This auction is being conducted in conjunction with Jeff Englert Troy Farha of Grubb Ellis | Martens Commercial Group. 11+/- acres is located just South of 21st N. on 159th St. East and surrounded by Andovers well developed subdivisions Caywood and Quail Crossing. This absolute auction will take place at 10:00 am on May 12. This parcel offers a development opportunity and contains a 2,365 SF home, 2,500 SF shop and outbuildings. Lastly, Kansas Department of Transportation has selected McCurdy to auction a five acre tract at the corner of North Meridian and I-235 at 12:00 p.m. on May 15. The land is zoned multi-family. This auction is being conducted in conjunction with Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article120.php#1337456995 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article120.php Friends University to renovate two Delano buildings for art departmentByDan VoorhisThe Wichita Eagle Friends University today announced a 3.5million plan to renovate two buildings in Delano and move its art department there.The 1911 Farmers State Bank Building and Odd Fellows Hall at 930 W. Douglas and the concrete warehouse behind it at 122 N. Walnut are about a mile from the college campus. The college unveiled its plans at news conference and building tour in the main room of the old brick bank building. The university expects to have the buildings ready by the start of the 2013-14 school year. The move will give Friends art students more space and put the program in the heart of the Delano neighborhood, said Friends President T.J. Arant. We know that we will able to turn this beautiful building into a destination, both for our students and for the community, Arant told the assembled officials and neighborhood residents. The first floor will become a gallery, offices and a lecture hall. The open, sunny Odd Fellows meeting hall upstairs will become art studios. The warehouse next door will become studios for sculpture and ceramic programs, and it also will provide storage space. The art program has been cramped at Friends, Arant said. The university has been looking for a way to give it more space for five years. Moving to the new space will be the painting, sculpture, graphic arts, photography and ceramics programs. There are 13 faculty, 74 current and 13 incoming art majors, and 150 non-major students taking art classes. Art professor Ted Krone said that having different disciplines in the same spaces has become a chore because of the cleanup required. This solves all of that, Krone said. Arant also said that the move connects the college and its students to the reviving Delano commercial district. The art department will become part of community events, such as the Final Friday gallery crawl. We think of ourselves as part of Delano, he said. It is our neighborhood, and we are really delighted to have a street-front business in the district. That makes us very happy at the university. Dan Unruh of InSite Real Estate Group, who represented the college in its search for space, said Friends move illustrates the gathering momentum of redevelopment in Delano. His company redeveloped space just down the street in 2010. The public sector invested quite a bit in infrastructure here, and the private sector has shown that it has really seen the vision, he said. Howard and Helmer Architecture is the architect on the project. Ted Branson of Landmark Commercial Real Estate and Don Ablah of Classic Real Estate also helped on the deal. Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/05/17/2338549/friends-university-announces-35.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2012/05/17/2338549/friends-university-announces-35.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article121.php#1337456996 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article121.php Friends University to purchase, renovate buildings in Delano Theart department will move off campus next year following the 3.5 million purchase and planned renovation of the historic Farmers State Bank building in the Delano District. Friends Presidentannounced Thursday afternoon that the university is purchasing the building at 930 W. Douglas and a connected warehouse space at 122 N. Walnut. The money is coming from the universitys capital reserve funds. The buildings sit at the northeast corner of Walnut and Douglas, a block east of Seneca. Combined, the buildings will give the Friends art department 23,500 square feet, a significant increase from the 13,278 square feet it has now. The new site also gives the department access to 30 parking stalls close by. The purchase puts to rest a space dilemma that Friends has been looking to alleviate for the past five years. Finding a way to solve this problem became a real priority, Arant said. With the addition of these two buildings, we will significantly expand our art department just one mile from the main Friends University campus. Howard + Helmer Architecture will be working on building plans that preserve much of the historic look and feel of the site, built in 1911. The first floor of the building will be transformed into an art gallery, and studios will be created on the second. Our job as architects on this project is to take what is here and enhance it, said, president of Howard + Helmer. A second stairwell and an elevator will have to be added to ensure the building is up to code, White said. Construction is expected to begin this fall and is expected to be completed before the start of the fall 2013 semester. A general contractor has not yet been selected. The deal was brokered by, InSite Real Estate;, Classic Real Estate; and, Landmark Commercial Real Estate. Those involved said the location will put the Friends art department in the heart of the Delano District and allow it to better participate in events such as Final Friday. Delano is just gaining an incredible synergy, White said. Andcoming in here is an incredible bump to that. Friends will vacate its existing on-campus space, but nothing has been decided yet as to how that space will be utilized. Friends has about 150 art students per semester. Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article122.php#1337456997 http://www.landmarkrealestate.net/news/article122.php