Downtown Wichita Archives - Page 2 of 4 Voice For Liberty

Jan

Business improvement district on tap in Wichita

The Douglas Design District seeks to transform from a voluntary business organization to a tax-funded branch of government. Tomorrow the Wichita City Council will consider forming a business improvement district (BID) in east-central Wichita. Previously, city documents offered some explanation regarding the district: [1. City of Wichita. Agenda for August 21, 2018, Item IV-1. Available at http://www.wichita.gov/Council/Agendas/08-21-2018%20City%20Council%20Agenda%20Packet.pdf.] First, there already exists a voluntary organization: "The Douglas Design District (DDD) is a voluntary organization of over 300 local businesses located near Douglas Avenue between Washington Avenue and Oliver Avenue. In 2017, the DDD established a five-year strategic plan to become a…

Jan

By Bob Weeks

It may become more expensive in Wichita

The City of Wichita plans to create a large district where extra sales tax will be charged. At next Tuesday's Wichita City Council meeting, the council will consider imposing additional taxes in downtown Wichita and Delano. The new tax district includes the new baseball park and large amounts of surrounding land, some of the land in Waterwalk east of the Arkansas River, and land as far north as First and Waco. The new tax is known as a Community Improvement District, or CID. In these districts, merchants charge additional sales tax which is used to benefit the owners of property…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Downtown Wichita population is up

New Census Bureau data shows the population growing in downtown Wichita. Data released today by the United States Census Bureau shows the estimated population for zip code 67202 in 2018 was 1,671, an increase of 73 from the prior year. Zip code 67202 is greater downtown Wichita, from the Arkansas River east to Washington, and Kellogg north to Central, roughly. The source of this data is U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. This means the data is not the Bureau's estimate of the population in 2018. For areas of population less than 65,000, the Bureau does not…

Dec

By Bob Weeks

Downtown Wichita jobs rise

The number of jobs in downtown Wichita rose sharply in 2017. New data from United States Census Bureau shows the number of workers in downtown Wichita rose sharply in 2017, while the number of business firms fell slightly. Zip code tabulation area 67202. Click for larger.From 2016 to 2017, the number of workers in zip code 67202 rose from 13,618 to 14,588, an increase of 970 jobs, or 7.1 percent. (Zip code 67202 is greater downtown Wichita, from the Arkansas River east to Washington, and Kellogg north to Central, roughly.) The number of business firms fell from 810 to 802.…

Nov

By Bob Weeks

From Pachyderm: Save Century II

From the Wichita Pachyderm Club: Speakers promoting the saving of the Century II Convention and Performing Arts Center in downtown Wichita. Speakers were, in order of first appearance, Greg Kite, Dean Bradley, and Celeste Bogart Racette. This video was recorded on November 1, 2019. View below, or click here to view at YouTube. There is other material on this topic: On Facebook: Save Century II The website Save Century II Video: Save Century II public meeting from October 22, 2019

Nov

By Bob Weeks

From Pachyderm: Save Century II

From the Wichita Pachyderm Club: Speakers promoting the saving of the Century II convention and performing arts center in downtown Wichita. Speakers were, in order of first appearance, Greg Kite, Dean Bradley, and Celeste Bogart Racette. This audio presentation or podcast was recorded on November 1, 2019. There is other material on this topic: On Facebook: Save Century II The website Save Century II Video: Save Century II public meeting from October 22, 2019

Checking a Jeff Longwell for Mayor political ad

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Checking a Jeff Longwell for Mayor political ad

An ad from the Jeff Longwell for Mayor Committee contains a false claim. An advertisement advocating the re-election of Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell contains a claim about economic development that is false. The ad appears in the October 20, 2019 print edition of the Wichita Eagle. Under the heading "Let's Set the Record Straight," we find this item: "Multiple large scale business development projects like the Cargill Downtown Headquarters which created 850+ jobs." It's the use of the word "create" that is false. It's wrong because Cargill's headquarters was located in downtown Wichita at the time it announced it would…

In Wichita, more tax increment financing

Oct

By Bob Weeks

In Wichita, more tax increment financing

The Wichita city council will consider expanding an existing TIF, or tax increment financing district. Tomorrow the Wichita City Council will consider expanding the boundaries of an existing tax increment financing district in downtown Wichita. [1. City of Wichita City Council Agenda for October 8, 2019. Agenda Item No. V-1, Public Hearings Considering an Expansion of the Union Station Tax Increment Financing District and Considering a Development Agreement for the Union Station Project Area 3 Plan (District I)] According to city documents for this agenda item, Expanding the District would allow the Developer to capture the additional increment generated by…

What the Block 1 amendment says about downtown Wichita

Oct

By Bob Weeks

What the Block 1 amendment says about downtown Wichita

The amending of a retail lease tells us a lot about the economics of downtown Wichita. This week the Wichita City Council amended a lease for some retail space at 360 East William in downtown Wichita. This is the retail space on the ground floor of the Block 1 parking garage at the northwest corner of Topeka and William. Block One retail space sits half empty. Click for larger.The first lease, passed by the council in 2011, refers to "ground level of the Parking Structure retail space containing approximately 8,400 square feet of surface floor area." [1. Wichita City Council…

Contribute to a campaign, get (nearly) free rent

Oct

By Bob Weeks

Contribute to a campaign, get (nearly) free rent

Citizens may not have noticed that a campaign contributor to Wichita Mayor Jeff Longwell received a large benefit from the city this week. This Tuesday the Wichita City Council voted to amend an existing lease. In a nutshell, the city council voted to lease to a tenant 8,600 square feet of retail space for $1.00 per year. Not $1.00 per square foot per year, but $1.00 per year for all 8,600 square feet. That's for the first four years of the lease. Computed as rent per square foot, which is the common way to quote rent for commercial space, the…