I hope most of you picked up the story Thursday about the beginning of talks to craft a 10-year plan to link Wichita’s downtown attractions.
New Wichita Downtown Development director Jeff Fluhr is one of the most impressive people to hit town during my time here, and he’s not sitting around reshuffling his desk in his first month.
In a year, a blueprint for downtown’s future – albeit one Fluhr hopes to complete in 10 years – will be on the table.
He’s a breath of fresh air in a city that just tends to do things without a whole lot of thought about how they fit together.
Your thoughts? Will a plan make it easier for some of you to swallow the entertainment growth downtown?
31 Comments
If it includes some sort of transit – perhaps.
Plans are one thing. Implementation is another.
Wichita should have stuck with the original plan for the Waterwalk with the canals. They could have built canals to the new arena and Old Town and ran water taxis.
Second, if we would have voted for a Downtown casino, we could of had a monorail system from the Waterwalk to the casino, to the arena and Old Town.
Remember “Wrongway Corrigan,” a pilot back in the 1930’s or so who flew from New York to Ireland after filing a flight plan to fly to California?
Wichita’s downtown GOBN (Good old boy network)essentially did the same thing. First they lied to the taxpayers to separate the 1/2 billion dollars from our middle class taxpayers to build the unwanted, unneeded white elephant downtown ice hockey arena.
Now, in 2008 at the beginning of a recession, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation’s new manager wants to prepare a plan for the downtown area, after the fact, after the arena celebrations have been held and the excruciating big up front money has been wasted.
Today, downtown Wichita has continued to decline compared to when the first manager of WDDC, Ed Wolverton, arrived in Wichita some seven or eight years ago. Today, we would be lucky if we could return Wichita to that day when a few good businesses still remained downtown.
At that time, in about the year 2000, I was really enthused about participating in a group of people who wanted to develop a plan to bring a sparkling new downtown to Wichita and improve the downtown business districts of our many Sedgwick County villages.
But a few people including the current holdover county commissioners, Tim Norton, Dave Unruh, Tom Winters, and a group or out of town “hired gun administrators,” and some uncaring state politicians decided they knew best what the taxpayers needed so they shut the people out of the development.
They proceeded to waste the 1/2 billion dollars for the downtown arena, INCREDIBLY, without any planning. Now they want to throw up a smoke screen around the project by calling for development of a comprehensive plan.
I’m excited by the development in downtown (Arena, Waterwalk, etc.). Wichita needs these things to stay competitive with others cities in our backyard such as OKC, Omaha and Tulsa. There are many of our neighbors who would like to see Wichita remain a sleepy old cowtown with no direction or movement; I am not one of those.
Golfmanjay, you are in the majority thinking here in Wichita and I express your same excitement.
The people who usually don’t want Wichita to expand and provide amenities are transplants from outside of Wichita. They don’t get or respect the indigenous Wichita culture.
Now, not all outsiders are like this. Most outsiders embrace the Wichita culture and its direction and, are themselves, a Wichitian.
But when you have people like Jwink, who comes from the white flight suburb community of Johnson County, who have no understanding of the urban society and diversification of the people here in Wichita, and then comes into strolling in on a high horse saying that Wichita needs to be like Lawrence, KS or Eureka, CA. NO! Wichita needs to be Wichita, and if you don’t get it, then you never will, because you aren’t a Wichitian in heart or mind and you certainly are not by hometown standards.
But these people eventually leave.
Careful, golfmanjay, you are being praised by ictbest/Joe, a noted Wichita proponent of irresponsible big tax spending. I’m told his people display the motto: “Off the bowed backs of the many hard working Wichitans according to their god-given abilities — to the few who contribute nothing of value but who demand to receive to satisfy their bloated financial needs.”
Apparently a small group of these people meet monthly atop a vacant downtown Wichita “skyscraper” to celebrate their type thinking. Known as the “Wichita Browderite cell,” they honor the memory of an early 20th century Wichitan named Earl Browder, president of the American Communist Party during the 1930’s and 40’s. Earl Browder was also two time candidate of the American Communist Party for President of the United States in 1936 and 1940, big loser of course.
However, its said the Browderites laugh boisterously at their victory of the 1/2 billion dollar downtown ice hockey arena which replaced many real, needed Wichita and Sedgwick county improvements.
Its said Browderites can be identified by late night raucous laughter, expensive cigar smoke, echoes of words floating high over Wichita like “albatross arena,” tax slaughter, upfront tax financed drinking parties, masks and capes to escape detection.
The famous “Caped Crusader” from Gotham City usually arrives in Wichita on nights of the Full Moon to prowl tops of downtown Wichita office buildings to attempt to spot this nefarious group so their identities and monthly secret meeting locations can be determined.
The full moon was earlier this week … so I hope to meet the Caped Crusader or his alter ego at a local restaurant Saturday morning to receive a report on who was in attendance. So we’ll see!
“The people who usually don’t want Wichita to expand and provide amenities are transplants from outside of Wichita. They don’t get or respect the indigenous Wichita culture.”
I question that assertion Joe. Especially when the transplant has lived here more years as an adult than you have and has invested in a business and home here. We DO want Wichita to expand and prosper; we just might have a different and broader viewpoint than your narrow viewpoint.
Transplants can bring an understanding of what we have seen work and NOT WORK elsewhere – this is something that someone who has never experienced life elsewhere cannot do. I find it ironic that Wichita seems to always go elsewhere to bring in a ’short-timer’ to run things but then calls residents who have lived here for decades ‘outsiders’.
Another thing we transplants can do: Tell a prospective resident (or company representative) “I have lived there nd now I live here. I like it HERE.”
Wow.
The Tin Foil Hats have finally made it to Business Casual.
Half-billion-dollar arena? Not even close. Not remotely close. Where’s the money coming from, JWink? The county’s $200 million-plus war chest is every dime they can scrape up.
Seems like this point has been fruitlessly belabored, but Sedgwick County’s going to build an arena for the money they raised in sales taxes. The greater risk, as I see it, is that construction costs might cut into planned amenities, but thankfully – sorry, oil folks – the price of petroleum is falling and that should help.
And if there’s anyone out there who still thinks an SMG arena – dropped neatly into an I-35 continuum of arenas operated by the national company – is going to sit vacant while big-name national acts and sports events play SMG’s other arenas along the highway, I don’t know what to say.
Time will answer that question, to the surprise of the naysayers, I’m betting.
Bill Wilson: I see you have fallen to the level of calling names and so forth rather than discussing the issues in an intelligent manner.
You also reveal yourself to be a big tax spender and downtown albatross arena cheerleader. Makes me wonder who you are other than a newspaper reporter.
In regard to wasted arena expenditures, the front page of this morning’s EAGLE contains another article about wasting more money on the arena area infrastructure.
Also I still have to see an article about where the interest earned on the Downtown Arena bond funds has gone.
Also its amazing how many local government and quasi-government employees spend a good amount of their time on the arena. I don’t have time to list them all here but I think most know at least some of them. Its a tragic waste of tax dollars when Wichita and Sedgwick County needs so much to rise to the level of most other metropolitan areas of its size.
So, Bill Wilson, why don’t you look at yourself in the mirror and do a turn around to do good for Wichita.
We’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Jerry.
One thing you’ll be able to count on from me is unflinching support for well-thought-out investments in this community. The arena and the Jabara tech ed campus are a couple of examples of that well-thought-out investment that come to mind.
And enthusiastic, educated leadership for Wichita’s growth, such as that Jeff Fluhr’s brought to town.
Thanks, Bill, for being the voice of reason on this blog. The arena, supported by a majority vote of the citizens of this county, is sure to be a success and frankly, many of us are tired of hearing the incessant criticism. Jwink, take a look at other cities around the country that have benefited from downtown arenas and downtown revitalization efforts through growth and jobs. Focusing on facts is always helpful. Keep up the good work, Bill. And thanks for your support of Fluhr — he’s sure to make a difference!
Bill, I hope that you are correct. As you note – time will tell.
A comment about the Jabara training facility: was that really as well thought out as you claim? It seems to me that we would have been better off beefing up WATC several years ago instead of eviscerating it. Also I would still like to see the four area Community Colleges, WSU, and WATC brought together into a system. Re-deploy our resources instead of starting from scratch.
The latter idea has always had some promise, bth, and has been on the table for quite a while. I’m not sure why it lacks traction.
As for WATC, I know there was some organizational concern about them downtown when the Jabara proposal was hatched.
Given the aviation work force needs that I’ve seen and written about, it’s difficult for me to see WATC meeting that need.
So I’m inclined to view Jabara as an investment in Wichita’s continued future as an aviation manufacturing hub. Make no mistake about it: There are cities, counties and states out there, all armed with economic incentives Wichita and Kansas can’t otherwise match, ready to step in if the city and county don’t invest in an educated aviation work force.
One example: Oklahoma has a payroll rebate program of up to $2 million annually for recruited new business.
In a perfect world, there would be no incentives in economic development. But this isn’t a perfect world, and we aren’t as well armed as others to compete for business. So educating a potential work force – along with workers for other areas of the country, a fact that seems to slip through the cracks – seems to me a reasonable price to pay to avoid eviscerating Wichita’s economy.
Bill – agreed. However, avaition is not everything. That is why I want a strenghtened WATC.
No, not everything.
But without it at its current level, the Wichita economy collapses.
Flat. That cannot be allowed to happen. We have the built-in advantage here of pre-existing infrastructure for the companies. Jabara is a cost-effective price to pay to retain that advantage.
Bill – one diversification that I would like to see is a move into industries that can use our aircraft-related technologies. Most wind turbines are bought overseas – why not build them in Wichita. Composites, aerodynamics, etc …
As I recall WATC had a facility near Mid-Continent for aircraft related technologies. That was before it was eviscerated.
OK, let’s move into the present tense with what’s going on at WATC. In case you have missed it, bth, WATC has become the managing partner in the Jabara Campus project and the cornerstone participant in all things tech-ed in Sedgwick County and south-Central Kansas. The facility “near Mid-Continent” is actually located on the airport property and is bursting at the seams with aviation-related tech ed classes.
And WATC is well aware that aviation is not everything. That’s why it invested in a HUGE expansion of business technology classes at a new northeast campus at Comotara and is spending big bucks to renovate the former WSU southside campus into a Class A health professions technology campus.
Oh, and speaking of area technology college cooperation – it’s called KTTI and it’s been around for a decade now. And there’s a statewide initiative as well to make sure everybody stays on the same page. It’s led by Wichita’s own George Fahnestock.
Thanks newshound – that is good to hear. It’s sort of funny – I ran for lagislature in 1994 and my primary interests were post-secondary education and economic development. I called then for such a consortium. That is why I got so upset with the set-backs at WATC.
A change of topic for Fluhr – TRANSIT. We need to re-deploy the rolling stock we have in order to make maximum use of what we have. There are, in my opinion, several parts to this.
Rush hour. Focus on downtown where parking is still a bit tight. Run routes between park/ride facilities in outlying areas and the city center. Also perhaps express busus from the Transit Center to Boeing, etc. Contract with large retailers for park/ride – they have excess parking during these hours and might find having potential shoppers dropped at their doors in the evening.
School. To some extent this will overlap with rush hour. What I look for here is to allow older students to access magnet schoold without traditional ‘busing.’
Day. Routes throughout the city. To some extent this serves a social services function for our less well-off neighbors.
Entertainment. I have heard many times that Arenas in places like Atlanta (my old home town) make it without a lot of parking. The reason – TRANSIT. This would, again, use a park/ride model. I would couple this with a lot more Q connecting the venues with the Center. That way someone can park near home (easy) and go downtown for the evening. No traffic/parking hassles downtown.
A suggestion for Old Town. Eliminate open traffic on the brick streets between 10AM and 3 AM. Deliveries from 3-10AM. On of the things that makes RiverWalk in San Antonio so pleasant is that you don’t have to dodge vehicles or breath exhaust fumes. Q (and perhaps selected other buses) might be allowed – but I would be looking to transition them to electric or natural gas – to elimiate fumes.
A pilot run for transit for entertainment: River Festival. Probably just the two Saturdays o start – those are the really big crowds. Little investment – see if it works.
I agree. Transit – given Wichita’s curious aversion to walking – is going to be essential to the arena’s success.
I still find that aversion laughable, having attended my share of major national sporting events, but perception is more than nine-tenths of reality given the depth of the walking anguish here.
Transit – walking
One thing that happens with transit is that people DO walk more. Day in day out … from the station to the office, to lunch, etc. That is why people in big cities are actually healthier than people in small towns.
So, being used to walking a half-dozen blocks to lunch makes the walk to arena etc less significant. Also makes it easier for me to justify that big lunch!
“We’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Jerry.”
Evidently there is another Jerry around here.
There is.
Bill,
Sorry for the long question:
Will your view of the Kansas Aviation Training Center change if it becomes the primary training base for foreign nationals to work in the manufacturing facilities developed by local companies in Mexico?
Thank you
That would be a little bold on the part of the elected officials and the aviation companies, don’t you think?
I guess I don’t see all the governmental malevolence some of you do in this project.
Or in the arena. Or in the school bond issue.
Or …
I agree, it would be a bold. Quite frankly, I do not see it as governmental malevolence. I don’t believe any subject like this was broached with government officials from those representing the aviation companies.
So I ask again: “Will your view of the Kansas Aviation Training Center change if it becomes the primary training base for foreign nationals to work in the manufacturing facilities developed by local companies in Mexico?”
Jerry, Bill … I’ll toss in my 2 cents. The public sector should be providing the basic training so a person can work in a number of related fields. Skills such as working with composites can apply to aircraft, automotive, wind turbinesm etc. The SPECIFIC training (for example to fix a Honda) should then be done by the employer or perhaps the union.
We need a varied workforce equipped with the basic skills to go to work quickly with just the detailed specific additional training required to man a specific machine. However we should not “micro-train” just to run that one buggy-whip machine.
I agree, and if Jabara fails to do that then it will have failed in one very important key area.
Jerry, the answer – again – is that there is not a shred of credible evidence to suggest that’s a possibility. When and if there is one, then I’ll consider the possibilities.
Bill – one big issue for me is that aircraft is not the only story. HVAC, bookkeeping, nursing, etc etc etc are ALL part of post-secondary education we should be supporting.