St. Francis Street Celebration

CELEBRATING THE TRANSFORMATION


Project Downtown - St. Francis Celebration
CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION

Project Downtown Caution Tape
Join us on June 29 at 4:30 p.m. to celebrate the completion of the St. Francis streetscaping project

 

To celebrate the completion of the St. Francis streetscape, from Douglas Avenue to 2nd Street, the WDDC will be hosting a street celebration to recognize the vast improvements made by the City of Wichita. The event will occur on June 29 at 4:30 p.m. with comments at the Centennial Plaza and Rotary Time Tower at the Coleman Parking Lot from Mayor Brewer and Vice Mayor Janet Miller at 5:00 p.m.

 

Activities for the celebration will include:

 

Personal remarks from Mayor Carl Brewer and Vice Mayor Janet Miller on the project

 

Chalk art demo

 

Classic cars along St. Francis

 

Highland Dairy Ice Cream Social (Free ice cream for the first 100 people)

 

Multiple buskers (street performers) along the corridor

 

The Coleman Lot will have food trucks and fire eaters for entertainment

 

Final Friday exhibit in Zelman's

 

We encourage you to check out the new businesses on St. Francis including Mr. Diggs Dwelling & Co., Cassandra Bryan Design and Bite Me BBQ (more information on these new businesses on right side bar) in addition to the existing.

CELEBRATE THE STORY

Project Downtown Caution Tape
St. Francis before development
St. Francis looking South before transformation
The Gateway
The Initial Inspiration

 

Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita identified the Coleman Factory Site as an important gateway to Downtown's traditional core for vehicular and pedestrian traffic from the East, North and South. The plan expressed a need for parking and also prescribed the need for an urban park at the south east corner of 2nd and St. Francis.  

 

The transformation of St. Francis began with the development and improvements made by Sedgwick County, the Rotary Club of Wichita and the Coleman Company in 2011 on the Centennial Plaza and Rotary Time Tower and Coleman Parking Lot. This $2.3 million project was developed to accommodate parking for the INTRUST Bank Arena as well as celebrate the Downtown Rotary Club's centennial year by providing a new urban park. Coleman also contributed funds for a monument to commemorate Coleman's first manufacturing site. 

 

After the announcement of this redevelopment, the Wichita City Council made the St. Francis streetscaping project a priority.

Coleman
Centennial Plaza and Rotary Time Tower
Coleman
The original arched entry ways from the original Coleman Factory Building were reconstructed as a pedestrian entrance into the new parking lot
St. Francis Streetscaping Begins
Creating the Connection 

 

Work began on the St. Francis streetscaping in the third quarter of 2011. Below are construction photos of the process.
St. Francis Streetscape Construction
Construction included wider sidewalks along St. Francis
St. Francis Streetscape Construction
Construction on St. Francis extended from Douglas Avenue to 2nd Street
Completing the Project
St. Francis: A Streetscape Transformed
  

The improvements were completed in June 2012 with a cost of $2.3 million dollars. This streetscape transformation converted the existing one-way configuration to two-way and also provides angled parking. In addition to improved infrastructure, the streetscape improvements added amenities such as street trees, new lighting, benches and decorative pavers. The revitalized streetscape provides an important pedestrian connection between the INTRUST Bank Arena and Old Town, a critical linkage recognized by Project Downtown: A Master Plan for Wichita.

St. Francis
St. Francis looking South towards INTRUST Bank Arena
St. Francis Streetscape
St. Francis looking North
New Business
Businesses Triggered By Improvements
  

The City's investment in St. Francis has triggered new businesses and private development along the corridor. Some of the additions include: Mr. Diggs Dwelling & Co., Cassadra Bryan Design and Bite Me BBQ - all of which will be open on the 29th. Be sure to also check out the Pixius development site that will be completed in 2012. More information on these new businesses are on the right side bar. Please join us on June 29th at 4:30 p.m. for a chance to explore these new businesses as well as your existing favorites: Contract Furnishings, Grace Wu Kung Fu School, Tracy's Automotive, IPortrait Studio, Old Town Architectural Salvage and Coleman Factory Outlet.

Cassandra Bryan Design staff
Cassandra Bryan Design
Inside Bite Me BBQ
Bite Me BBQ
Mr. Diggs
Mr. Diggs Dwelling & Co.
Pixius
Pixius
ST. FRANCIS CELEBRATION ON CITY 7
NewsNow St. Francis Transformation Celebration

Jason Gregory, Executive Vice President of WDDC, speaking about the St. Francis Street Celebration on June 29. Be on the lookout for a post celebration tv spot also from City 7.

 

City 7   Like us on Facebook

PROJECT DOWNTOWN: THE MASTER PLAN FOR WICHITA

A milestone we've worked together as a community to achieve. Project Downtown: The Master Plan for Wichita. The plan focuses on key areas of our downtown, illustrating the potential we have as a community to grow. The plan has overwhelming support from the private and public sectors. A blueprint for our future, it benefits the public and private sector when making decisions, being strategic with public sector investment so we, as a community, maximize private sector investment.

BITE ME BBQ
Bite Me BBQ 

132 N. St. Francis

 

A family owned and operated restaurant, Bite Me BBQ is a new business with a live-work setting along St. Francis. Coleman and Becky Lockett purchased the building on St. Francis where they first made the second story their home. After becoming aware of the scheduled changes on St. Francis and other opportunities that Downtown could offer, they decided to relocate their existing restaurant, Bite Me BBQ, from West Wichita to Downtown.

 

By being an on-site owner, they are able to better control product quality and provide guests with the best every time. Bite Me BBQ has dine in, carry out and does catering for events. Their traditional bbq flavors make for delicious ribs, brisket, pork, turkey, ham and hotlinks. Bite Me BBQ also has weekday lunch specials and Friday and Saturday night specials.

 

Website

MR. DIGGS DWELLING & CO.
Mr. Diggs outside

600 E. 1st Street N.

 

"When you visit a person's home for the first time and see a piece or two of their furnishings that stand out, you may sense an energy in that home's environment. Those are the type of furnishings we'll be hunting down and offering at Mr. Diggs Dwelling & Co.," said owner Annette Shankle. "Nothing 'Plain Jane' or standard. This will be a place to find those unique pieces that make lasting impressions."

 

Mr. Diggs offers original and reproduction classic furnishings and is open once a month for a three-day period (Thursday - Saturday) from 9:00am - 9:00pm on the third week of each month. Because of the limited amount of time open, the three-day period is called an event. Every event will have a broad range of new, fresh inventory that will be artfully showcased. The limited amount of time open allows for the team to search for new items and perform any restoration work on antique pieces that may need it as well as stage the store.

 

Mr. Diggs Dwelling & Co has agreed to be open on June 29 to help  celebrate the completion of St. Francis. Stop by and see what unique treasures you can find!

 

Website

CASSANDRA BRYAN DESIGN
Cassandra Bryan Design outside

110 N. St. Francis

 

Cassandra Bryan Design is a full-service graphic design and website development firm. Cassandra Bryan Design, now also known as cb{d}, has quickly expanded to provide the mid-west and the world with beautiful print graphics, fantastic web design and even conceptual or finished illustration. They are now a branding and web programming hub serving clients nationwide, with an emphasis on affordable but experienced service.

 

Cassandra Bryan, the founder and lead designer, has extensive experience in creating dramatic and professional corporate brand identities through inspired website design, superlative backend development, and impactful advertising materials.

 

Cassandra Bryan Design will be open for the public to view the artsy, modern studio on June 29. Make sure to check out the full wall mural they are currently working on and meet their cat, Vegas.

 

Website

PIXIUS
Pixius

301 N. St. Francis

 

Pixius was established in 2000 by a group of experienced entrepreneurs who saw a need for high-speed Internet service in underserved areas in Kansas. Using wireless technology, Pixius has the ability to provide, at a competitive price, high-speed Internet service to areas beyond the reach of cable, DSL or 3G/4G cellular. Pixius provides a wide range of data communication solutions to business and residential markets. 

 

As Pixius grew, they saw the need for more office space. When Pixius employees were polled and asked where they would like their new corporate headquarters moved to, the answer was Downtown. They have purchased 301 N. St. Francis and the project is scheduled for completion in 2012.

 

Website



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