Every year is a building year downtown

Colorful maps and glossy photographs adorn the walls of Wichita’s Downtown Development Corp., depicting dozens of projects completed over the past five years.

There are 45 in all, ranging from renovated lofts and a new office building to restaurants, parks and a 15,000-seat arena.

“It's fun to look at what’s been done,” DDC president Jeff Fluhr said.

From the viewpoint of downtown boosters, it’s even more fun thinking about what’s coming next. In 2015, seven more projects totaling more than $180 million are expected to get underway, all along Douglas Avenue.

Following the old Sante Fe Trail and sometimes called Wichita's “postcard” avenue, Douglas will never look the same. The projects include:

▪ The first phase of a $54 million renovation of the historic Union Station property into retail, restaurant and office space, fronted by a plaza along along Douglas. The project is viewed as a key link between Old Town and the rest of downtown.

▪ Construction of River Vista, a $38.4-million 154-unit apartment complex along the the west bank of the Arkansas River, just north of Douglas. Biking, boating and other amenities are planned for the area.

▪ A $66 million renovation of the Exchange Place and Bitting Building, on the north side of Douglas and Market, into apartments, office and retail space.

▪ Transforming the vacant space known as The Pit on Douglas into a pop-up urban park to be used by food trucks and others.

▪ Renovation of the former Merrill Lynch Building, on the south side of Douglas and Market into new office space.

▪ Improvements to Intrust Bank's downtown headquarters at Main and Douglas.

▪ A new Central Library which, though located at Second and McLean, will be easily seen and accessed from Douglas.

The projects have something in common beyond Douglas, Fluhr said – magnitude. Most "are substantially large projects."

But there is action beyond Douglas. Another significant improvement, Fluhr said, will be the reopening this spring of the former Macy’s parking garage at Market and William, with its nine floors and 550 spaces.

“This a huge part of moving that quadrant forward,” Fluhr said, noting that parking is a key requirement for attracting tenants for downtown office space.

While downtown has for years boasted dining and entertainment venues, especially in Old Town, the area’s backers have said residents and new space to hold them are what’s needed for it to complete the transformation. Some of that happened last year, with four new residential projects opening: The Lux, Rock Island Lofts, Corner 365 and WaterWalk Hotel Apartments. Fluhr now puts downtown’s full-time resident population at about 2,500 people.

Developers Robert Eyster and Michael Ramsey have been among the active developers in that regard, creating the Zelman Lofts and the Renfro in addition to the Lux.

“I think it's going real well,” Ramsey said. “I think everybody's still pretty close or at 100 percent occupancy.”

Ramsey expects downtown residency to continue to grow, thanks in part to some projects that are extending the boundaries of what’s considered the core area. Those projects include River Vista and the expansion of Flats 324, at Emporia and Third.

“I think the next bridge we need to cross is get new commercial space downtown, so our residents don’t have to commute out into the suburbs,” Ramsey said.

One of Ramsey's commercial tenants said he thinks that’s already happening.

“A lifestyle is kind of developing,” said Warren Tandoc, who owns the two Espresso To Go Go locations in the Lux and Zelman buildings with his wife, Ann. “A bunch of people that live in The Lux are living that kind of metropolitan lifestyle where they come down in the morning, walk to get breakfast or coffee, then walk to work. A couple will have one car and two bikes. It’s happening.”

Both Ramsey and Fluhr believe the city’s downtown master plan, adopted in 2010, has worked out much as envisioned.

“Without the master plan, we really wouldn't be here,” Ramsey said. “We kind of started just looking for a spot for a restaurant, which didn't come through. During that process we hooked with WDCC, and they hooked us up with the master plan. We pretty much just followed the master plan with regard to the size of (residential) units, the amount of units.”

Fluhr said the plan helps make sure “projects really have a relationship to each other” – citing the block that holds the Ambassador Hotel, new Kansas Leadership Center and Block One Parking Garage as a prime example.

Fluhr said there will undoubtedly be challenges going forward, perhaps most importantly figuring out what to do with Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center, which occupies a prime spot at the intersection of Douglas and the river.

“Each year is building on each other,” he said. “Truly, we’re becoming the vibrant core.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Every year is a building year downtown."