Smaller developers to tell success stories

Small and medium size developers can succeed along the State Avenue Corridor.

That will be the message at the annual meeting of the State Avenue Corridor Planning and Marketing Committee at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the multi-purpose room at the Community College’s Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave. The committee is part of the Business West organization.

Four developers will tell of their successful efforts along the corridor. They will be Clifford Dale Jr., Dr. Mohammad Ghassemi, Steve Tran and Greg Wilcox. Greg Kindle, President of the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, will moderate the roundtable discussion.

Dale and his family corporation have purchased the former Sports Page Lounge at 941 N. 74th Dr. that will become a family restaurant. The Dales also are planning to develop the area at 57th Street and State Avenue into a retail complex; the Unified Commission recently approved this property as a Tax Increment Financing District.

Dr. Ghassemi has purchased various properties along the corridor including vacant restaurant properties and parcels at 86th Street and State Avenue. He is moving his medical offices from the Turner community to renovated quarters at 59th Street and State Avenue.

Tran and his parents came here as Vietnamese refugees in the 1970s. He is the owner of a printing and web development company. More recently, he has developed laundromats. He has purchased the former Perkins restaurant that will become a “Bubble Room” laundromat and coffee shop.

Wilcox is the owner of Midway Auto Parts in the East Bottoms of Kansas City, Mo. He also owns Gold Properties that developed the Boyd Center at 79th Street and State Avenue; the center replaced an ugly house and unattractive landscaping.

Dr. Jane Winkler Philbrook, the President of Business West and the Unified Commissioner from the Eighth District, will welcome those attending. Dr. Philbrook is a property owner and has an optometric practice in the corridor.

Alicia R. Hooks will tell of the Entrepreneurship program at the college.

Refreshments will be served. The cost for the meeting will be $20 per person. For reservations or more information, telephone 913-766-4300 or 913-406-6266 (cell) or email [email protected].  (See attachment)

New system helps surgical procedures

Providence Medical Center recently added the daVinci Robotic Surgical System that improves recovery time for patients. The state-of-the-art surgical system enhances the skills and expertise of trained members of the medical staff according to an article in Providence’s fall newsletter. It allows surgeons to make small, precise movements inside the body. Surgeons are assisted as the system can magnify images up to ten times.  Providence physicians use this robotic surgery with procedures such as inguinal and abdominal hernia repairs, gallbladder removals and hysterectomies. Many daVinci procedures can be done on an outpatient basis; however, a hysterectomy requires an overnight stay.

Kansas City BPU offers home energy audit

The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities is offering an energy audit that potentially could save single-family homeowners considerable money. Persons receiving the service must have at least 12 months of BPU electric service at the address to be audited. The homeowner would pay $50 at the time of the audit. If the homeowner completes a few retrofits recommended by the audit within 90 days and another audit indicates the necessary completions, the homeowner will receive a $50 refund. All customers who participate in this audit will receive 12  compact fluorescent lamp light bulbs. For more information, telephone 913-573-9922 or email [email protected].  (See attachment.)

Bond issue approved for Dairy Farmers’ headquarters

The Unified Commission approved an increase in industrial revenue bonds from $30 million to $46 million for the headquarters office building for the Dairy Farmers of America. The $30 million building, which will have about 100,000 square feet of floor space, will be built on a 12-acre site at 98th Street and France Family Drive next to the Schilitterbahn water park. DFA will move from Kansas City, Mo., and will have 325 employees.

Members always welcome

All Business West members are always welcome to attend monthly Board Meetings at 12:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month at The Dotte Place Bar and Grill, 8123 Parallel Pkwy.

For questions or comments, telephone 913-766-4300 or 913-406-6266 (cell) or email [email protected].