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Developers say 53rd project will spur future growth
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: August 04, 2006

A development already two years in the making won unanimous approval by Wichita decision-makers Tuesday.

The Wichita City Council voted 5-0 to rezone a chunk of farmland northwest of the intersection at 53rd Street North and Meridian, clearing the way for a large-scale commercial development that will include a Wal-Mart Supercenter, a home improvement store, restaurants and a handful of other smaller retail shops.

“If I had my way and my world was perfect, this development probably wouldn’t be going there. But the world is not perfect and I don’t always get my way,” said council member Sharon Feary, who had requested a two-week extension on the decision late last month after voicing disapproval of the development.

Feary used the extra time to talk to the developers about some of the concerns of area residents. She focused on landscaping and street issues.

Saying they, too, wanted to be proud of the project, developers agreed to a host of concessions, including increasing the size of an earthen berm separating Wal-Mart from homes east of Meridian and paying for some of the installation and maintenance of landscaping in medians on 53rd.

Feary apparently also requested that a gas station that was to be built near the intersection be set back from the road. One of the developer’s, Jay Russell, said Wal-Mart officials said they would agree to that concession. However, the retailer wouldn’t put it in writing.

Russell said work on the site could start soon.

Kevin Mullen — president of Ritchie Development, also one of the developers — said he was willing to do what it took to make the project one to be proud of.

“We want the neighborhoods to be better places, too,” he said. “We have a lot of common interests with people. We want it nice, too. We want people to be able to hold their heads up high and be proud of what the end product is.”

Though the area has been targeted for development for years, the commercial project started about two years ago when Ritchie, Russell and another developer bought the property.

Wal-Mart’s decision to be part of the project was spurred, Russell said, when the company saw how many customers at its 21st and Maize location were from north Sedgwick County.

Wal-Mart took the rezoning request to the city last year. Although it was approved by the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, the city council denied the rezoning. Developers said city leaders were unaware of the scope of the project. It wasn’t just going to be a Wal-Mart in the middle of a field.

“If we would’ve done a better job of communicating the first time around what we intended to do, it probably would not have been turned down in the first place. We intended to do a very nice job from the beginning,” said Ritchie Development CEO Jack Ritchie.

After the denial, developers mapped out their plans that included other retail spaces, restaurants and a housing subdivision north of the commercial space, where about 200 acres will be developed with homes at an average price of $150,000.

It went through the same process for approval. An advisory board recommended denial and planners said OK before the council received the item again last month.

“When you come up with the concept and plan all of it up front, then the development goes a lot smoother,” Mullen said.

Though some area businesses and residents expressed their disapproval, developers said the project will be good for the area.

“You’re going to see a lot more development go on. You’re going to see a lot more houses up there, more commercial,” Mullen said.

“Wal-Marts are a magnet for consumers,” Russell added.





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