Daily Archives: June 4, 2009

Player Piano auction attracts worldwide attention

June 4, 20095:27 p.m.

pianoWICHITA — Antique dealers, hobbyists and business people from around the world are descending on Old Town this weekend to bid on the contents of the five-story (plus a basement) Player Piano Co. building at 704 E. Douglas.

Dave Burk recently purchased the building, and Dennis Wilke bought the contents.

“There’s more stuff in this building than probably every other building in Old Town combined,” Wilke says. “Pack rat doesn’t even begin (to describe it).”

There are 150 player pianos — most if not all of which don’t work — but also thousands of parts for the pianos along with rolls and rolls of player piano music.

“You just can’t believe it,” Wilke says.

Read More »

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Auction | Comments (1)

GracePoint Church buys former Cinemas West; has plans for an east-side church

June 4, 20094:05 p.m.

WICHITA — The former Cinemas West space at Westlink Shopping Center at Central and Tyler is going to be the new home — and first permanent one — of GracePoint Church.

“To find a place that will fit 700 people plus, there’s not a lot of of options here,” says lead pastor Bryson Butts.

Initially, Butts says the church looked into building its own building.

“When the economy went south . . . we came to the realization then that that’s probably not going to happen,” Butts says.

Shelden Architecture will remodel the former theater at 9035 W. Central, which has been empty for several years.

Renovation costs will be about $1.5 million, which includes expanding the building for a total of 15,000 square feet.

The church’s auditorium will seat more than 500, and there will be an area that holds 160 children.

Butts started GracePoint with about 20 people five years ago. The church now averages weekly attendance of more than 700 people at two Sunday services.

Services have been held at a variety of places through the years, including Northwest High School most recently.

The new space should be ready by next spring.

At that point, Butts says the church will take the portable equipment it’s using now and start a second location on the east side.

Building a new building is still in future plans.

“Absolutely,” Butts says. But he says the church won’t sell the former theater space at that point. “Having this facility is a long-term strategy.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Real estate, Religion | Comments (1)

Wichita American Marketing Association: Video killed the marketing stars

June 4, 20092:36 p.m.

WICHITA — There’s a new YouTube video that touts the Wichita American Marketing Association’s June 18th Marketer of the Year luncheon. Several of this year’s nominees, who prove to be exceptionally good sports, appear in the video.

The idea seems fitting enough since Jeben Berg from YouTube and Google will speak at the event.

However, after seeing the video, it would not be surprising if most Wichita marketers hope Berg never views it.

See for yourself.

By Carrie Rengers | Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (9)

Kate Lane to close at the Waterfront

June 4, 200911:21 a.m.

After not quite five years at the Waterfront, the women’s clothing shop Kate Lane is closing at the end of this month.

Owner Diana Lane is retiring and her partner, daughter-in-law Lindsey Kate Lane, is having a baby.

Kate Lane often has been confused with K Lane’s at 600 S. Tyler, but the two stores are unaffiliated, and K Lane’s is not closing.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Retail, Waterfront | Comments (2)

You don’t say

June 4, 200911:03 a.m.

“I was horrified at first, but it looks like a Yuppie version of Wal-Mart.”

– Best of Times owner Nancy Robinson on the possibility of a Neighborhood Market coming to Normandie Center at Central and Woodlawn where her shop is

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Retail, You don't say | Comments Off

TOPTone Records and Creative Solutions to share new space

June 4, 20097:05 a.m.

thomas-pageWICHITA – TOPtone Records owner Tom Page and his wife, Jill Miller of Creative Solutions, have come up with their own creative solution for office space.

They’ve purchased a commercial building at 437 N. St. Francis that they’ll share for their two businesses.

Each will take half of the 1,600-square-foot space. They’ve been renovating the building and will officially move in in a couple of weeks.

“We like the whole downtown area,” Page says.

Also, he says, “It’s a quality-of-life issue for me.”

Page is blind and says downtown is the most accessible area of Wichita.

“If you want to take a bus somewhere, downtown’s the best place to go,” he says.

Most recently, Page has been recording at C. Major’s Rockin’ Daddy’s near Douglas and Hillside. Page is a musician himself and has recorded acts like Moreland & Arbuckle and the Sluggos.

jill_miller_5x7Miller, who is a business development consultant, has been working out of their home.

“So it’s not much different,” she says, quickly adding with a laugh, “except I’ll be able to have a room with a lock on the door.”

The extra space also means now she’ll have space to hire an assistant.

“I could nearly weep,” Miller says. “I’m so happy.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Real estate | Comments Off