Mayor Holland to continue Listening Tour

Mayor Mark Holland, after holding his Listening Tour in all eight Commission Districts last year, will continue this effort focusing on an audience of business leaders. Business West and the Fairfax Industrial Association, along with other Wyandotte County business groups, will host two meetings for business owners and managers. Mayor Holland is seeking comments on how to spend the $12 million of revenue that will be available annually once sales tax bonds are paid off for the Village West area. The Fairfax Association will host the first meeting at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 10 at the General Motors Assembly Plant, 3201 Fairfax Tfwy. The cost for this luncheon meeting will be $15. For more information, telephone? Melissa Clark at 913-915-2327. Business West will host the second meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 at the West Wyandotte Library. There will be no cost for the meeting; however, reservations will be encouraged. For more information, telephone Murrel Bland at 913-766-4300. Other cooperating organizations will include the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City, Kansas, Womens Chamber of Commerce, the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Chamber of Commerce, the Leavenworth Road Association, the Argentine Betterment Corporation, the Central Avenue Betterment Association, the Rosedale Development Association, the Argentine Neighborhood Development Association, the Armourdale Renewal Association, the Historic Northeast Mid-town Association, the Wyandotte Economic Development Council and Downtown Shareholders.

Amphitheater has new name

What was first known as Sandstone Amphitheater in 1984 is now the Providence Medical Center Amphitheater. The new name for the entertainment venue in Wyandotte County Park, Bonner Springs, was announced earlier this year. Other names of the amphitheater were Verizon Wireless and Cricket Wireless. In addition, the location will undergo a multi-million dollar renovation that is expected to be completed when the amphitheater opens its 2016 season this May. Improvements will include new reserved seating, upgrades to the stage, remodeling of backstage and catering areas and new walkways and landscaping. Chris Fritz, the President of New West Presentations, is the operator of the amphitheater. Shows announced and dates include Ellie Goulding, May 17; Buzz Under the Stars with Florence+ the Machine, May 24; David Matthews Band, June 29; Brand New /Modest Mouse, July 1; and Warped Tour, July 28. For more information, see the website www.providenceamp.com.

Shopping centers change ownerships

The Legends Outlets and the Wyandotte Plaza Shopping Center have new owners. Both centers are moving ahead with new tenants. Walton Street Capital LLC of Chicago, Ill., is the new majority owner of the Legends, which has 1.2 million square feet of floor space. KKR, a New York, N.Y., firm, bought the Legends in 2013 for $131.5 million as the prior owners of the center defaulted on a $179.4 million loan. Dan Lowe of Legacy Development, formerly with RED Development, developed the Legends that opened in 2006. The center has more than 100 stores and reportedly has a 98-percent occupancy rate. A resident inn will open soon at the Legends and there are plans for 250-unit apartment project. A new building will house three tenants including a noodle restaurant. The new owner of Wyandotte Plaza is Phillips Edison, a real estate investment trust of Cincinnati, Ohio, who purchased the center from Legacy Development. A new tenant soon to open in Wyandotte Plaza is Five Below, a store that sell toys and games aiming at the teenage and pre-teen market. A new building is planned on space that a convenience store used to occupy; other tenants will be announced later.

Law firm to sponsor Hispanic celebration

The McAnany, Van Cleave and Phillips Law Firm will sponsor a Business After Hours from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Thursday, May 5 at its offices in Suite 300, 10 E. Cambridge Circle Dr., in the Cambridge Business Park. Co-sponsors of the event will be the Chambers of Commerce of Kansas City, Kansas, Northeast Johnson County and Greater Kansas City.

Members always welcome

All members of Business West are always welcome to attend the organizations monthly board of directors meeting held at 12:30 p.m. the third Wednesday at the Dotte Spot Bar and Grill, 8123 Parallel Pkwy., in the Arrowhead Center.

Business West seeks proposal to host, update website

Business West is seeking someone to host and update the businesswest.org website. The responsibilities would include weekly updates of text items and photos. For more information, telephone 913-766-4300 or 913-406-6266 (cell) or email [email protected].