Foster Design to move to the Garvey Center

Yesterday10:44 a.m.

WICHITA — When Gene Foster of Foster Design learned he was losing his space at Brittany Center at 21st and Woodlawn because of InfoSync Service’s upcoming expansion, his first thought was that he would move farther east.

But he didn’t like the prices.

“We couldn’t really justify building a Taj Mahal for our corporate headquarters when we could have just as nice (of a) facility downtown,” Foster says.

So now he’s moving his contract engineering firm to the Garvey Center.

“They made us the best proposal.”

And he likes that he’s going to be part of downtown’s revitalization.

“Downtown has some . . . potential,” Foster says. “If it’s handled right by our city . . . fathers, the movers and shakers, I think it could be vibrant down here again.”

He’s moving into close to 3,000 square feet by the end of the year.

Adam Clements of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group handled the deal.

Foster says he thinks he’ll be part of a trend.

“We’ll see more people moving back downtown.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Brittany Center, Garvey Center, Leases, Real estate | Comments (0)

Vanguard Petroleum is moving and president Todd Aikins is forming his own company

Tuesday6:28 p.m.

WICHITA — Vanguard Petroleum is moving from the Wichita Executive Centre at 125 N. Market to Market Centre at First and Market. But president Todd Aikins won’t be making the move.

Aikins is forming Aikins Exploration and remaining in the space Vanguard currently subleases from Edmiston Oil.

“I used to . . . be on my own,” Aikins says.

Then he went into the jewelry appraisal business before getting back into the oil business.

“The oil industry started to get pretty exciting again last year,” he says.

But it’s not his only interest.

“I’ve just got so many outside interests,” Aikins says. “I couldn’t devote the time to it . . . the company really deserves.”

Vanguard founder J. Paul Jennings will serve as interim president until a new president is hired.

Aikins will leave at the end of the month. Vanguard moves to Market Centre Dec. 1.

Adam Clements of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group handled the transaction.

“We’ve just been real active,” he says of Market Centre. “We’re still signing leases.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Oil and gas | Comments (0)

Burger King space has activity, but that’s it

Sept. 24, 20093:11 p.m.

WICHITA — The long-vacant building at 2020 E. 21st near Wichita State University has seen some activity this week, but it’s not from a new tenant.

The windows at the former Burger King space have been boarded due to vandalism.

But Grant Glasgow, a broker with Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group, says there could be some news at the property coming soon.

“We have had some interest lately.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Leases, Real estate, Restaurants | Comments (0)

Industrial Uniform and Logo Depot to move

Aug. 27, 20093:19 p.m.

WICHITA — Industrial Uniform and Logo Depot are moving for the first time since 1965.

“I’m sure we’ve paid for the building about eight times, but it’s part of doing business,” says Jeff Johnson, who bought the business (it’s all one company) last fall with partner Brian Burrus.

The company manufactures and distributes workers’ garments and sells embroidered and screen-printed apparel and promotional products.

It’s been in 38,000 square feet at 906 E. Waterman.

As of Sept. 28, it will be leasing new space a half mile away at 902 E. Indianapolis in a building with not quite 20,000 square feet.

“We didn’t buy one, darn it, because I sure tried,” Johnson says.

Read More »

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

Caring Hearts of Wichita and Loving Hearts Home Care to move to Market Centre

Aug. 7, 20094:50 p.m.

WICHITA — Market Centre at First and Market has another new tenant.

Caring Hearts of Wichita and its sister company, Loving Hearts Home Care, are moving into 3,100 square feet.

The companies currently are at 3595 N. Webb.

Brenda Carver, who owns the businesses with Joyce Basinger, says Caring Hearts offers nursing, home health aids and physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Loving Hearts has a variety of home care options, including house cleaning and shopping.

The businesses will be their new space by Sept. 28

Adam Clements of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group handled the deal.

In addition to the current space, he says, “There’s going to be some possibilities of growth for them.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Downtown, Healthcare, Real estate | Comments (0)

Wichita Community Foundation to move to the Epic Center

July 7, 20094:53 p.m.

WICHITA — The Wichita Community Foundation is moving from its space at the Garvey Center, but it’s not leaving downtown.

The foundation, which promotes charitable giving, is moving to 2,600 square feet on the first floor of the Epic Center.

“The big issue with us is it’s more visibility,” says Rob Allison, president and CEO.

And it’s visibility in a building with a lot of professionals — particularly lawyers and accountants whose clients are the type of people likely to support the foundation.

“The tenant mix is absolutely a big factor on why we wanted to move,” Allison says. “Believe me, the closer to them that you are, the more they understand what you’re trying to do in the community.”

That’s an issue that he says affects every community foundation.

“The more visibility they have . . . the more people can understand them.”

The foundation has $42 million in assets and last year gave $4.2 million to local nonprofits.

“A community foundation is there to help and understand community needs,” Allison says. “That role is emphasized even more when you have difficult economic times.”

The foundation will open on Oct. 1 in its new location.

Patrick Ahern and Dave Wagner of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group handled the transaction.

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

Oppenheimer & Co. to open east-side office

June 19, 200911:24 a.m.

WICHITA – Oppenheimer & Co. is opening an east-side office at 1223 N. Rock, which will be the new home of most of its Wichita employees.

“It seemed like a logical choice,” Greg Schaff says of moving east.

Schaff is senior director of investments and branch manager for Oppenheimer in Kansas City, Mo. He’s the one who made the decision for the company to re-enter the Wichita market after being gone for several years.

“It made a whole lot of sense to me to re-establish in Wichita,” Schaff says. “It’s got a lot of potential.”

When the company first came back late last year, it hired public finance professional Theron Froggatte, whose office is located at 320 N. Main. He had extra space, so that’s where Oppenheimer put four more financial advisers.

Those advisers will move east, and the company is hiring one more plus a registered assistant. Froggatte will remain downtown.

Schaff likes the east side for its potential for future advisers and clients.

“It seemed to be where . . . the other brokerage firms were located,” he says. “It looks to be a fairly affluent area.”

Patrick Ahern of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group handled the deal.

“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Schaff says.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Financial, Leases | Comments Off

Market Centre has two more leases

May 29, 200911:23 a.m.

marketWICHITA — There are a couple of new tenants at the Market Centre at First and Market.

“We’re doing exceptionally well,” says Adam Clements of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group.

Since Bob and Judy Abbey bought the building in January, Clements says they’ve averaged about a lease a month, which he thinks is good for this economy.

“We think we’re positioned well,” Clements says. “We can accommodate anyone from somebody that just needs a couple of offices to someone who potentially needs up to two floors.

“We have a lot to play with,” he says, in “some really cool office space.”

The newest leases are for Shawn Jacobs Real Estate and KLH Consulting.

Jacobs, a residential real estate agent, is taking 1,600 square feet. KLH, an oil consulting company, is taking 2,200 square feet.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Leases | Comments Off

CBIZ to move to Garvey Center

April 28, 200911:31 a.m.

CBIZ MHM is moving to the Page Court Building at the Garvey Center downtown.

“Our firm’s growing,” says president Dick Dameron.

The accounting firm has more than 20 employees and has plans for a couple more to join this summer and another one in January.

CBIZ, which has been at 820 N. Main St. since the early 1980s, is taking 8,000 square feet on the third floor that Cessna Aircraft will vacate May 1.

Larry Weber, vice president of Builders Inc., which owns the Garvey Center, says Cessna no longer needs the space.

Weber handled the CBIZ deal, which is a five-year lease, for the Garvey Center. Patrick Ahern of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group represented CBIZ.

Following renovation to the space, CBIZ will move into the Page Court Building, probably this summer.

Dameron says there was no question CBIZ would stay downtown.

“We’re dedicated to downtown.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under Garvey Center, Leases | Comments Off

Tacos Lopez heads north

April 13, 20091:48 p.m.

Maria Pinales is moving her Tacos Lopez restaurant from 220 S. West St. to 795 N. West St. That’s the former Kwan Wah space.

Troy Farha and Nathan Farha of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group handled the transaction.

Tacos Lopez has been open since 2001 and serves what Pinales describes as authentic Mexican food in a fast food setting.

The restaurant will remain open until the end of this month in its current space and reopen in its new space May 1.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Restaurants | Comments (4)