WICHITA — Certain areas of the Bank of America Center at Douglas and Broadway — including one area that’s been vacant for more than 15 years — are getting a makeover in preparation for new tenants.
“I’m gutting . . . the lower level of the lobby floor and making all those offices,” says Chris Ruffin, director of real estate for his father Phil Ruffin’s Ruffin Properties.
Phil Ruffin owns the Bank of America Center.
Chris Ruffin says the 9,000 square feet on the lower level hasn’t been occupied for years.
“We’re redoing the whole space because it’s just not leasable the way it is,” he says. It “is going to be a great space when I’m done with it.”
He’s adding high-end lighting, new carpeting and building new walls.
“I need to brighten it up down there,” Ruffin says. “I need to make it presentable and move-in ready.”
On the main lobby level, he’s renovating 7,800 square feet that also has a street view.
“So it’s really neat,” Ruffin says, “but you can’t really tell because the space looks dark, and it’s outdated.”
It’s been vacant only a few months.
“Now I have my chance to improve the space,” Ruffin says.
This is kind of his specialty.
After his father bought the building in 2006, Ruffin says he had a challenge to bring new tenants to the sixth, seventh and eighth floors where Foulston Siefkin once was.
He says there were numerous small offices throughout the floors.
“We gutted the whole thing.”
Eventually Ruffin attracted Westar Energy, Cessna Finance and Weather Data thanks to the renovation.
“This is what I’ve had luck with (at) the Bank of America Center.”
3 Comments
gut and remodel the atrium restaurant, make it more presentable and less outdated..
We need to same thing done in the Epic Center…hello brass elevator banks and tombstone rock is so 80’s!
Ah, the Epic Center… Wichita’s monument to ill-spent money!