What’s ahead for Wichita in 2017

Several new buildings, businesses and exhibits will make an appearance in Wichita next year, but one of the most anticipated arrivals will be Alaska Airlines’ direct service from Wichita Eisenhower National Airport to Seattle.

The airline, based in Seattle, announced in August that it would begin daily, nonstop service starting in April. Valerie Wise, air service and business development manager at the airport, said Seattle is a destination that has not been served for a long time.

“It’s an important business market,” Wise said. “It opens up nonstop service not only to Seattle but then it opens up the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.”

The first flight will depart from Wichita at 6:10 p.m. April 13. According to Alaska Airlines’ website, a one-way ticket costs $169.

Wise said there is a lot of anticipation for direct service to Seattle, which according to her is the 10th-most popular destination for Wichita fliers.

“A lot of people are very excited,” Wise said.

According to its website, Alaska will use 76-seat E175 jets, operated by SkyWest Airlines. Each jet features 12 seats in first class, 12 seats in premium class and 52 seats in the main cabin.

“It’s going to be very good service, and it’s going to meet the demands for the business traveler here in Wichita,” Wise said.

In addition to service to Seattle, Wichitans will see an increase in flights to Chicago. After cutting its daily departures in 2016, United Airlines will resume operating four daily departures – up from three – from Eisenhower to Chicago O’Hare, using bigger, narrowbody jets on two of those flights. The jets will be a mix of Boeing 737, Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft.

American Airlines also currently offers four daily nonstop flights to Chicago out of Wichita.

Here’s a rundown of what else you can expect from Wichita in 2017:

Newman, WSU continue to grow

After opening a food truck plaza and new offices for Airbus earlier this year, Wichita State University will continue with its Innovation Campus plans in 2017.

New additions will include an Experiential Engineering building and an apartment complex. The engineering building will be completed in spring, and the apartments will be ready for students this fall.

Construction will also begin in spring on a 20-acre, mixed-use development near 21st Street and Oliver called Braeburn Square. The first building will be a hotel, but the development will later include restaurants, shops and other lodging.

While WSU continues to build in 2017, Newman University also will make a key addition.

It’s currently constructing the 51,400-square-foot Bishop Gerber Science Center. According to Clark Schafer, director of university relations at Newman, it will be a “state-of-art science center which will benefit all Newman students.” It will also house an anatomy lab that first-year KU Medical School-Wichita students will use, Schafer said.

The center will open in August. The project will cost about $30 million.

Education

Completion of the Robinson Middle School auditorium and practice gym in 2017 will wrap up the $370 million Wichita school bond from 2008. The $5 million project will feature an 800-seat auditorium, practice gym and storm shelter at Robinson, at Second and Oliver.

As far as administrative changes, Wichita schools will be looking for a new superintendent in 2017 to replace John Allison. He announced in December that he will leave the district in June to become superintendent of schools in Olathe.

On the state level, lawmakers and school districts are awaiting a ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court on whether the state has unconstitutionally underfunded schools. A decision in favor of Wichita and other districts suing for more money could increase pressure on legislators to craft a new school finance formula that ensures adequate funding.

Downtown growth

Wichitans can expect to see continued development in the downtown area, including residential projects.

The Douglas apartment complex will boast 240 units and a 273-space parking garage. It is currently being constructed between Exchange Place and the Bitting Building on Douglas. It is scheduled to open in March.

In early December, Cargill released plans for a $60 million complex to be built at 825 E. Douglas, where The Wichita Eagle currently resides. The current Eagle building will be torn down in 2017. Construction will begin on Cargill’s four-story, 188,00-square-foot complex sometime in 2017, but will not be completed until 2018.

The Eagle, which was established in 1872, will move to a new downtown location, possibly in Old Town Square.

Things to see

To kick off the year, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will perform Jan.15 at Intrust Bank Arena as part of “The Getaway” tour. Guests include Trombone Shorty, Orleans Avenue and Jack Irons.

In February, pop duo Twenty One Pilots will stop in Wichita on its “Emotional Roadshow” tour. The “Blurryface” singers will perform at Intrust Bank Arena on Feb. 3.

Neil Diamond will perform at Intrust Bank Arena this summer. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is stopping by Wichita on July 14 as a part of his 50-Year Anniversary Tour.

Other artists coming to Intrust Bank Arena include Brantley Gilbert (Feb. 9); Miranda Lambert (March 10); Eric Church (April 7), and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (Sept. 21).

Exploration Place will unveil a new, permanent exhibit toward the end of 2017 called “Design, Build, Fly.” The $2 million exhibit will be an overhaul of the current flight pavilion and will focus heavily on Wichita pride and the future of flight. Activities or displays within each of the three content areas – design, build and fly – will highlight forces and physics, design testing, materials, tools and processes, the pilot experience, the passenger experience and more. It will open in December.

For movie lovers, 2017 will be a year of more sci-fi, superheroes and sequels. Some of the most anticipated flicks are another “Wolverine” installment, “Logan,” in March; “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2” (May); “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (July); and “Star Wars: Episode VIII” (December).

Retail, restaurants and business

After adding several new stores in 2016 – Bed Bath & Beyond, World Market and Designer Shoe Warehouse, to name a few – Greenwich Place will get a Stein Mart and a Cavender’s Western-wear store. The RibCrib, which opened its first restaurant on the west side in 2016, will also open a second location at Greenwich Place – K-96 and Greenwich – in 2017.

Several other restaurants will also pop up in the city. A new Japanese-fusion restaurant, Blue Fin, will take the place of Taste & See in Old Town sometime in 2017. Songbird Juice Co., currently at 1142 N. Bitting, hopes to add a second location in Clifton Square.

Wichita can also look forward to the opening of Sprouts Farmers Market on Jan. 25. It will be in Piccadilly Square at Central and Rock Road and is the chain’s first store in Wichita.

Energy merger

Westar Energy will merge with Kansas City Power and Light next year. The two companies have received a number of regulatory approvals, including a compromise with the Missouri Public Service Commission. The Kansas Corporation Commission must rule on the deal by April.

The companies expect to receive those approvals and merge by the second quarter of 2017.

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 8:07 PM with the headline "What’s ahead for Wichita in 2017."