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)