Sedgwick County may purchase former Dillons property for new tag office

BY CARRIE RENGERS For anyone who has ever struggled to find parking at the county’s main tag office at Murdock and Water or been stuck in a crowded line there or left standing when there haven’t been enough chairs, there’s hope. The county is close to a deal to purchase the 20,000-square-foot former Dillons building at the sout… Read Article

Xtreme Helmets to open showroom near 29th and Ridge Road

Screenshot from website Courtesy of XtremeHelmets.com BY CARRIE RENGERS Lisa Greenwood has no problem admitting she has “a weird fascination for helmets.” “I don’t know how to explain it,” she says. “I like the graphics. I like the technology. And I like providing safety gear for people. It mak… Read Article

Marriott’s Starwood purchase shouldn’t slow down Wichita’s new Aloft

Monday’s news that Marriott International is buying the Starwood hotel chain in a $12.2 billion deal didn’t faze hotelier Jim Korroch, who is helping Great Plains Ventures open a Starwood property in Wichita. “Starwood and Marriott have two of the very top … guest loyalty programs,” Korroch s… Read Article

Planet Sub to open in former west-side Metro Grill space

Linda and Doug Brantner are opening their second Planet Sub, this time on the west side where customers have been requesting one. Courtesy photo BY CARRIE RENGERS A new restaurant is opening in the former Metro Grill space at Central and Maize Road, and it’s one that west-siders have been requesting for some time. Doug… Read Article

Downtown Wichita project mixes 100-year-old rehab with futuristic parking deck

BY DAN VOORHIS The Wichita Eagle Exchange Place, at Market and Douglas, is an absolute mess. So is the Bitting Building, across the street. But that’s a good thing. Work on the conversion of two long-vacant office buildings into apartments – plus the addition of a new apartment building and a radical, partly automated new parking gara… Read Article

SunStone Apartment Homes at Fox Ridge Plaza opening ahead of schedule

  The new DQ Grill & Chill near 37th and Maize Road was built in what seemed like a speedy amount of time. Julie Mah The Wichita Eagle BY CARRIE RENGERS The Wichita Eagle   Along with new apartments that were announced for just north of 37th and Maize Road last month (Have You Heard? Oct. 22),&nb… Read Article

Phil Ruffin to buy Epic Center for $11.5 million

On Dec. 1, Phil Ruffin will close on his purchase of the Epic Center for $11.5 million. Fernando Salazar File photo BY CARRIE RENGERS The Wichita Eagle   Phil Ruffin has changed his mind. In August, the billionaire businessman said he was interested in buying the Epic Center, but only for $10 million. On Dec. 1, he’l… Read Article

Blarney Stone sports bar to open in former east-side Larry Bud’s space

“We’re going to definitely, definitely support WSU athletics as much as humanly possible,” Steve Peters says. “We’re just really big on WSU sports.” The spot catered to Shocker fans as Larry Bud’s as well. Dave Williams File photo BY CARRIE RENGERS The Wichita Eagle A new ba… Read Article

Cox Solutions store to open by west-side Abuelo’s

BY CARRIE RENGERS The Wichita Eagle There’s another new business coming to Ridge Road between Kellogg and Maple, and this time it isn’t a restaurant. Cox Communications is opening one of its Solutions stores in almost 3,000 square feet of the 14,000-square-foot center where Abuelo’s is.   Abuelo’s – one of numero… Read Article

Hickerson Furniture reconfigures space as 60,000-square-foot complex sells

BY CARRIE RENGERS The Wichita Eagle For a few years, Larry Busch has been wanting to reconfigure the space for his Hickerson Furniture, which is on East Harry between Woodlawn and Rock Road, but his landlord didn’t allow it. Now, the 60,000-square-foot, four-building complex – part of which is where the store is – ha… Read Article