Something new is under construction at Greenwich Place, but it’s not a store

There’s something new under construction next to REI at Greenwich Place, but it’s not another store.

Rivian, a relatively new electric car company, is putting in a fast-charging station in the center at K-96 and Greenwich.

The company, which has a factory in Illinois and most of its corporate offices in California, started in 2009 but didn’t produce its first vehicle until 2021.

So far, it has 70 charging stations built of a planned 600 for its first phase.

The charging station isn’t meant so much for Wichitans as it is people traveling through the area on road trips.

“Wichita is a logical fit for that by virtue of its geography,” said Peebles Squire, Rivian’s senior manager of corporate communications.

“Broadly speaking, we tend to look for locations that have great amenities for people who are traveling.”

At Greenwich Place along with other nearby centers, there are restaurants, shops and services. That’s also home to the Wichita Sports Forum, which attracts a lot of people from outside Wichita.

“Highway proximity is a major driver as well,” Squire said.

When the charging station opens later this month, it will be for Rivian vehicles only, but that’s likely to change by later this year when other electric vehicles will be able to charge there as well.

There are six chargers at the site, including one that can accommodate a vehicle pulling a trailer.