WICHITA | Riverwalk Hotel | FT | 40+ FLOORS | ON HOLD

[Defiant6]

Yes, you read the title right. Wichita, KS just announced a 40+ story hotel tower in downtown Wichita as part of a much larger development which a private development group has said they would completely finance themselves.

This was just proposed or released yesterday and sounds exciting to a lot of people, but what really caught everyone's attention is the 40 story hotel tower they want to build which would become the tallest building in not only Wichita, but also in the state of Kansas. Currently, the tallest one is in downtown Wichita and sadly it's just 325ft at 22 stories. There is currently a high rise under construction in downtown Wichita, but will only be 12 stories when completed.

Here's a link to the story:

http://www.kake.com/story/41770923/c...rst-skyscraper

[Boisebro]

that's great news for Wichita!

according to the article, this could easily be a 600-footer:

Just for some perspective, the Epic Center is currently the tallest building in Kansas, standing 320 feet and 22 stories tall. The proposed hotel would nearly double that.

[Shakespeare2016]

Originally Posted by Boisebro

that's great news for Wichita!

according to the article, this could easily be a 600-footer:

I hope it does end up close or around a 600 footer.

[Shakespeare2016]

Originally Posted by Boisebro

that's great news for Wichita!

according to the article, this could easily be a 600-footer:

I hope this does end up being around a 600 footer.

[Wattleigh]

Originally Posted by Defiant6

Yes, you read the title right. Wichita, KS just announced a 40+ story hotel tower in downtown Wichita as part of a much larger development which a private development group has said they would completely finance themselves.

This was just proposed or released yesterday and sounds exciting to a lot of people, but what really caught everyone's attention is the 40 story hotel tower they want to build which would become the tallest building in not only Wichita, but also in the state of Kansas. Currently, the tallest one is in downtown Wichita and sadly it's just 325ft at 22 stories. There is currently a high rise under construction in downtown Wichita, but will only be 12 stories when completed.

Here's a link to the story:

http://www.kake.com/story/41770923/c...rst-skyscraper

Technically the Epic Center is a skyscraper - the 325 foot figure comes from the top completely built out floor, which is at the bottom of the building's distinctive sloped roof. There is a 23rd level of sorts where a fair amount of cell communication & dispatch radio equipment is located, including the system for Sedgwick County dispatch. Beyond that small area the structure is hollow and home to a highly inclined set of metal stairs that gets you to the roof. That point is about '385 up.

I once worked with an engineer that used the site for a low power television station in town, and the 15-foot antenna they used was just at the tip of the structure and the signal tests that were conducted put it at '400 above street level. This is where the '385 total height figure comes from.

For what it's worth, also, Fidelity's 10-story building isn't under construction yet. Their parking garage is though. I think the office building is a year or two off.

Regarding this project... I'm interested in seeing what the people from the Riverfront Legacy plan have to say. It almost completely upends the plans to retain a performing arts hall downtown, but I'm sure there's more to come.

[Spocket]

Wait...there's nothing on the Kansas side of Kansas City that isn't taller than 325 feet? That is a surprise.

[Shakespeare2016]

Originally Posted by Spocket

Wait...there's nothing on the Kansas side of Kansas City that isn't taller than 325 feet? That is a surprise.

Also the Epic Center is nearly 400 feet tall to the tip. This new 40+ story hotel could be as much as 200 feet taller than the Epic Center.

[C.]

It's a big development, but I think something like this can happen once the economy rebounds.

A 500 room hotel would attract conferences in that region of the country along with the visitors to the other attractions in that part of the country.

[Shakespeare2016]

Originally Posted by C.

It's a big development, but I think something like this can happen once the economy rebounds.

A 500 room hotel would attract conferences in that region of the country along with the visitors to the other attractions in that part of the country.

It is in the making. I asked the person who presented this project to the city if all of these things would be up in the next 5 years and he said for sure. I have been waiting for the past 10 years wanting Wichita to do something like this.

[Shakespeare2016]

The company that is going to be building this 40+ story hotel is doing renders with their architect. I contacted them and tnis is what they told me. They also told me there should be more info in October. The observation ferris wheel is going to rival all others in North America and will likely be at least as tall as the observation ferris wheel in Vegas which is 550 feet tall. I think the building will be just as tall as the observation ferris wheel. Here is some info on the project. https://www.penumbrariverwalk.com/ I hope this project will be happening very soon for Wichita does need it.

[Shakespeare2016]

The company should be unveiling their renderings in October or November. Why I don't know exactly what that means but does that make it closer to being proposed to the city and groundbreaking?

[Shakespeare2016]

https://www.penumbrariverwalk.com/

[chris08876]

Moved your post Shakespeare. You accidently placed it in an NY thread lol.

On a side note, great news for Wichita.

[Shakespeare2016]

Originally Posted by chris08876

Moved your post Shakespeare. You accidently placed it in an NY thread lol.

On a side note, great news for Wichita.

Well Thank You I hope this ends up for the best.

[Shakespeare2016]

https://www.google.com/search?q=penu...Mr4_c9HkZju7EM

The picture of the building is gold colored and has a triangular roof.

[Shakespeare2016]

Here are some interesting facts on states and cities with taller buildings surrounding Wichita. Also population is given.

1. Oklahoma City, OK. Population 649K, tallest building is 50 stories and 844 feet tall.
2. Tulsa, OK. Population 401K, tallest building is 52 stories and 667 feet tall.
3. Des Moines, IA. Population 217K, tallest building is 45 stories and 630 feet tall.
4. Omaha, NE. Population 461K, tallest building is 45 stories and 633 feet tall.
5. Kansas City, MO. Population 491K, tallest building is 42 stories and 624 feet to the roof and 654 feet to tip
6. Denver, CO. Pop 692K, tallest building is 56 stories and 714 feet tall.

Here is Wichita. Population is 389K, tallest building is 22-24 stories and 385 feet tall. If you include the antenna it is probably closer to 400 feet.

This was sent to the company building this project and are discussing this with their architect.

[Shakespeare2016]

This project is on hold. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.

[Shakespeare2016]

Well this project is back! It may not be as big as I would like it to be but there is going to be a rooftop restaurant and a huge ferris wheel probably around 400 feet tall.. The spire on the spider will very like exceed 500 feet. https://www.penumbrariverwalk.com/

[Wattleigh]

Originally Posted by Shakespeare2016

Well this project is back! It may not be as big as I would like it to be but there is going to be a rooftop restaurant and a huge ferris wheel probably around 400 feet tall.. The spire on the spider will very like exceed 500 feet. https://www.penumbrariverwalk.com/

The website is dead. So is the project. From January of last year...

https://www.ksn.com/news/local/is-ti...ntury-ii-deal/

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – It’s been more than a year since a private group announced big plans for a $1.5 billion investment in the Century II area.

That deal never happened, and now some Wichita City Council members say it’s time to move forward.

That could mean a new convention space to go next to Century II.

For what it's worth, I don't think anyone locally ever took either proposal from Penumbra terribly seriously throughout any point in it's life.

Even the developers made the pivot to something else a couple of years back. Whether or not it's more realistic, YMMV, but I think that was slightly more dead in the water - given that their venue of choice for the air and space museum, Century II, just received roof improvements and is in no danger of being changed from a performing-arts venue into anything else.

The new "hotel" also makes no sense. The existing riverfront hotel, the Hyatt Regency, was slated to get a new wing to be added on pre-pandemic, but that's been shelved for fairly understandable reasons.

This blurb from a February 2022 Wichita Eagle article sums it up.

Penumbra’s current plan for a Century II district includes an air and space museum, an aquarium, a new convention center, a performing arts center, a Legoland and a 700-room hotel, as well as a rollercoaster and open-air gondola rides over the Arkansas River.

The group’s interest in the east bank of the Arkansas River first surfaced publicly at a February 2020 news conference.

Penumbra didn’t attract much serious attention at the time due to the vagueness of its plans, unanswered questions about the funding, and project drawings that were more perplexing than illuminating.

“The Penumbra plan was never taken seriously from the beginning, both because it seemed amateurish and unappealing to most people, and because it posed a challenge to the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan, which was backed by some of the city’s most powerful players,” said Chase Billingham, a Wichita State University professor of sociology who closely follows development in the city.

The plan arrived during a heated battle between the Riverfront Legacy supporters, who represent many of the city’s major business interest groups, and members of Save Century II, a grassroots group that had started a petition drive seeking to tie City Hall’s hands when it came to tearing down Century II and the former Central Library.

[BnaBreaker]

Originally Posted by Wattleigh

The website is dead. So is the project. From January of last year...

https://www.ksn.com/news/local/is-ti...ntury-ii-deal/

But they can still make a street level observation deck, right?