“Along the way, I had two kids and lost 185 pounds — yes, I’ve been divorced nearly two years now.”
– KPTS, Channel 8, president and chief executive Michele Gors Paris, who made an ex-husband joke when speaking at the Wichita Independent Business Association Women’s Alliance Luncheon today
WICHITA — The art district along Commerce Street between Waterman and Kellogg is now also going to be home to 25 loft apartments.
Finn Lofts is opening at 430 S. Commerce in part of the former Finn Distributing space, which John Finn first moved into in 1964 to sell Amana and Sylvania products.
“It was his last building there, so we wanted to name it after him,” says David Farha of Old Town Partners, which also includes his distant cousin, Mark Farha, and Brock Oaks. Finn also is a minority partner in the project.
“It’s going to be a good area,” Finn says. “I’m not going to be out in the woods completely.”
WICHITA — If you’re looking for real estate in Delano, a prime piece of property is about to come on the market near the clock tower and across from Hatman Jack’s.
Comsol Management Group, which owns Heartland Technology Solutions, is selling the company’s building at the northwest corner of Douglas and Sycamore.
“They just don’t need brick and mortar,” Comsol’s Kelly Walker says.
The employees of Heartland, which is a computer solution provider, all work out of their houses now.
Walker first bought the 6,250-square-foot building in 1991 when he owned Business Computer Center. In 2006, he merged with Heartland. He then retired last year but still is a partner in Comsol.
The space first opened in the 1940s as a grocery store, Walker says.
“It’s still got a box furnace,” he says. “It’s an interesting old building.”
Walker says he hasn’t had the building appraised in a decade, so he’s not sure how much he’ll list it for yet. His ballpark guess is $350,000.
“Commercial (real estate) is down,” Walker says of Wichita in general, “but Delano has been doing pretty well.”