Wichita needs a bigger skyline (Republic: rent, condo, hotel)

[Defiant6]

Don't get me wrong, I do like Wichita but for a city its size it really needs a little bit of a taller skyline. While Wichita isn't the smallest city on the I-35 corridor (Only Des Moines is smaller), it defintely has the smallest skyline. I spent some time in Oklahoma this weekend and stopped briefly in Tulsa and OKC and both of their skylines are pretty neat to look at especially with that HUGE new tower going up in downtown OKC. I think it's called the Devon Energy Tower and it's supposed to be close to 60 stories and I think nearly 900 feet when it's done. Tulsa's skyline is a product of the oil companies of the past before they left and went to places like Houston and Dallas. Tulsa has some really cool art deco skyscrapers and one of them is basically a smaller version of the former world trade center of NYC which from what I understand was designed by the same architect.

While I realize Wichita doesn't have some of the bigger named companies headquartered there like those cities, I would've at least thought that with Wichita formerly being home to some of the companies that started here like Pizza Hut, or Rent A Center or some of the aircraft companies before they were sold to larger entities would've built some larger towers downtown. I wish Koch Industries could be convinced to move downtown and build a large gleaming office tower. I know Wichita is getting things going downtown and had the Intrust Arena opened for a year now, but I just want to see some more larger towers go up as well.

[MOKAN]

I used to see you on SkyscraperPage. Glad to see you're still around representing Wichita.

Wichita's skyline suffers from quality as much as quantity. I think a few strategically placed buildings could really change it. As it is now, it's too spread out. Des Moines' skyline is nice, but I think it's as much the placement of buildings as it is quantity.

[geekychick]

I never quite understood why build up when we can build outward on the land? We have plenty of land to go around! Why does a taller building represent a better business culture?

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Defiant6

. I wish Koch Industries could be convinced to move downtown and build a large gleaming office tower. .

You sound like you have blind allegiance to all things corporate.

Read the facts:

Smithsonian Dragged into Climate Denial Controversy

[Broadrippleguy]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

You sound like you have blind allegiance to all things corporate.

Read the facts:

Smithsonian Dragged into Climate Denial Controversy

Granite we can both agree so does Indianapolis but not going to happen Economy is to rough right now.

[Defiant6]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

You sound like you have blind allegiance to all things corporate.

Read the facts:

Smithsonian Dragged into Climate Denial Controversy

What does that have to do with anything I mentioned? I'm just stating that Koch Inudstries is basically Wichita's largest (private) company and second largest in the US, I just would like to see them build a skyscraper or if not Koch Industries then someone else downtown. No where did I say I just blindly follow them or have allegiance to them and no company has a perfect track record on things. Traditionally speaking, a large company headquartered in a city is the one most likely to build a skyscraper if they decide to move downtown which is why, as an example, I mentioned Oklahoma City and the large high rise going up in its downtown thanks to Devon Energy wanting to move their entire corporate headquarters into a large office tower. If other proposals came in from other places, I could care less about Koch Industries building anything. I just want to see Wichita's skyline get bigger whether that be a condo tower, mixed use high rise, or a straight up office tower.

Hey Mokan, glad to see you still remember me. I tend to agree with you that what Wichita has right now isn't that great either, but at least it's still a skyline. I know the last major mid-rise to high rise built was that Hyatt hotel. I know the city today approved incentives for a new boutique hotel to be built downtown but I think that's just an older building being converted into a hotel. As more things get going downtown, I can only hope that it will eventually lead to something bigger or proposals for newer, taller buildings.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Defiant6

What does that have to do with anything I mentioned? I'm just stating that Koch Inudstries is basically Wichita's largest (private) company and second largest in the US, I just would like to see them build a skyscraper or if not Koch Industries then someone else downtown. No where did I say I just blindly follow them or have allegiance to them and no company has a perfect track record on things. Traditionally speaking, a large company headquartered in a city is the one most likely to build a skyscraper if they decide to move downtown which is why, as an example, I mentioned Oklahoma City and the large high rise going up in its downtown thanks to Devon Energy wanting to move their entire corporate headquarters into a large office tower. If other proposals came in from other places, I could care less about Koch Industries building anything. I just want to see Wichita's skyline get bigger whether that be a condo tower, mixed use high rise, or a straight up office tower.

Hey Mokan, glad to see you still remember me. I tend to agree with you that what Wichita has right now isn't that great either, but at least it's still a skyline. I know the last major mid-rise to high rise built was that Hyatt hotel. I know the city today approved incentives for a new boutique hotel to be built downtown but I think that's just an older building being converted into a hotel. As more things get going downtown, I can only hope that it will eventually lead to something bigger or proposals for newer, taller buildings.

It shows that Koch Industries has a very poor track record at all when it comes to the environment or conservation. The fact that it spends the most lobbying dollars to deny any human involvement for warming the climate speaks volumes to me. Most large corporations are nothing like Koch Industries. If you say Koch is the largest employer I would watch where the political $$$ are flowing to the Kansas Republican reps. The way the Kansan corporate & political atmosphere is structured is very much like Texas...

Also, if you want to know why Wichita has lagged behind it is due to the fact that the state of Kansas spends massive amounts of corporate welfare to attract more jobs from KC, MO to Johnson County, KS while not really caring about large areas of the rest of the state. A few exceptions do exist but not many.

[athfo]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

It shows that Koch Industries has a very poor track record at all when it comes to the environment or conservation. The fact that it spends the most lobbying dollars to deny any human involvement for warming the climate speeks volumes to me. Most large corporations are nothing like Koch Industries. If you say Koch is the largest employer I would watch where the political $$$ are flowing to the Kansas Republican reps. The way the Kansan corporate & political atmosphere is structured is very much like Texas...

Also, if you want to know why Wichita has lagged behind it is due to the fact that the state of Kansas spends massive amounts of corporate welfare to attract more jobs from KC, MO to Johnson County, KS while not really caring about large areas of the rest of the state. A few exceptions do exist but not many.

Let's get back on topic, please. Try not to derail threads.

I agree Defiant - new, taller buildings would do wonders for Wichita's skyline.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by athfo

Let's get back on topic, please. Try not to derail threads.

I agree Defiant - new, taller buildings would do wonders for Wichita's skyline.

Agreed

[tijlover]

As for Koch Industries, if the CEO lived in a high rise condo downtown, the headquarters may very well be walking distance to him, or linked by skyway.

As it is now, he may be walking distance to a golf club, and why should he care if his employees live downtown and commute to a suburban headquarters building?

Look at the long list of Fortune 500 companies still located in bankrupt California. Why should the CEO care if his employees have to suffer!

Why isn't at least one relocating to Wichita, or somewhere else, where there's a better business climate?