New Groves Retail Liquor store starts another transformation at Kellogg and Webb Road

Much like Costco transformed the northeast corner of Kellogg and Webb Road, a number of things are about to happen that will transform the southeast corner.

“We’ll have several things to announce, including a major tenant in the former Builders Squarebuilding,” says Stephen Clark II of Clark Investment Group.

Clark Investment and Johnny Stevens own 14 acres at the corner, which includes property just to the east of the corner.

Last week, Have You Heard? announced that Greenville, S.C.-based Centennial American Properties is building one of three 105,000-square-foot storage units in Wichita just east of Groves Retail Liquor, which is at the southeast corner of the intersection.

Before construction starts on that building, Ron Groves says he’s starting construction on a new liquor store along East Kellogg in front of where the storage will be built.

“This was kind of a temporary stop for me anyway,” Groves says of his current space in part of the former Builders Square building.

When highway construction forced his store to move, Groves says, Clark Investment and Stevens came through with his temporary lease.

“They’ve been very, very good to me,” he says.

“This space was good, but it lacked some things . . . that are good for retail.”

Groves is in 13,000 square feet of the former Builders Square building. The store’s move into a new approximately 15,000-square-foot building will free the entire 90,000 square feet of former Builders space for a national company that will be new to Wichita.

Just west of the new Groves store will be two pad sites for more development. A third pad site will be just west of the storage property.

“There’s a lot that’s going to happen over there over the next couple of years,” Clark says.

“Unfortunately, we’ve just been kind of hamstrung because of the highway project. It’s hurt pretty bad,” he says.

“There’s finally light at the end of the tunnel on that project.”

Clark says he’ll keep us posted on deals as they happen. He says he expects to announce the Builders Square tenant in the first half of the year.

Landmark Commercial Real Estate is helping on the sales and leasing at the property.

Groves expects his new building to be ready in May.

The architect is 3ten Architecture, and the contractor is Ink Construction.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Groves says of the move.

“We’ll be able to display and merchandise a lot more,” he says. “It’ll be a lot better for the consumer.”

Groves says there was part of him that thought when Clark Investment and Stevens needed the Builders Square space, he might just retire and close shop.

“Retail’s demanding,” he says.

Then again, he says, “I have a lot of good friends that come here. A lot of it is fun.”

In fact, he had to call back after stopping to sell a doctor some bottles of $100 wine.

“There’s parts of the business I do enjoy.”