Slawson developers to meet with residents on Cadillac Lake development

Officials from Slawson Cos., the developer of NewMarket Square, will discuss their plans for a development at 29th and Maize with residents of the Bradford neighborhood association April 13.

Jerry Jones, Slawson Cos. vice president of commercial development, said the meeting with Bradford residents is the next step in developing what for now Slawson is calling the Cadillac Lake development, a 72-acre property on the southeast corner of 29th and Maize in northwest Wichita.

“It’s important to work with the neighborhoods,” he said, adding that the Bradford neighborhood is adjacent to the property, which includes the 9-acre namesake lake that Slawson will preserve.

Jones said the plans that officials will be discussing with Bradford residents are to develop 33 acres for retail, restaurants, offices and possibly a hotel.

“We’re getting LC (limited commercial) zoning that allows for a range of retail-type tenants,” Jones said. “But we’re not that far along yet. We don’t have anybody specifically in mind.”

A public hearing on the zoning change is planned for the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission meeting April 16.

The other 39 acres will remain as open space, although the company plans to connect the open space to sidewalks on Maize and 29th as bike and walking paths, he said.

Jones said Slawson purchased the property last year from the Pracht family, which owned it for nearly 100 years and, until last year, lived there.

The property is located across Maize Road from the last extension of Slawson’s NewMarket Square retail center, which the company opened in 2001 and encompasses 840,000 square feet of space that extends north of 21st on Maize. NewMarket North is the last piece of that development and will be a mix of small retail shops, restaurants and some office space.

A Sam’s Club, which opened last year, is located across the street from the property on 29th.

Jones said Slawson made the decision to acquire the Cadillac property because of market demand.

“The reason we bought the property is there is a lot of interest from businesses that want to locate along that part of Maize Road,” he said. “And there’s virtually nothing left between 21st and 29th streets.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2015 at 8:06 AM with the headline "Slawson developers to meet with residents on Cadillac Lake development."