Ground broken for hotel at Greenwich Place development

A groundbreaking for the hotel took place Wednesday at the site of the 106-acre development at K-96 and Greenwich in east Wichita.

“This is probably the most exciting retail development in Wichita,” said Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, which helped broker the deal. “With the K-96 visibility and access, this is the fastest-growing part of the city right now.”

The hotel, which is expected to have 118 rooms, will sit to the south of the new Wichita Sports Forum. Retail stores Bed Bath & Beyond, World Market and BuyBuy Baby all recently opened within the development, with more stores to come.

The hotel will be a Del Sol model, which is an upscale version of the La Quinta brand, said Nick Esterline of TGC Development Group. Plans are for a four-story structure that is targeted to be completed in April 2017.

“There has been an explosion of growth in this area, which is really exciting,” Esterline said. “I think the last time the city saw this type of growth was when the Rock Road corridor went in 20-plus years ago.”

The hotel will feature an indoor saltwater pool, Esterline said, and an omelet bar. Designer Shoe Warehouse is among the stores slated to also come to the development.

SBA Construction will contract on the project, while Rose Hill Bank is involved on the lending side.