Major development to bring restaurants, other businesses to riverfront near stadium

For decades — maybe even longer — Wichitans have complained about the lack of restaurants, bars and other businesses along the Arkansas River.

That’s going to change with Riverfront Village, a 7-acre mixed-use development that Riverfront Partners plans along the river just south of Douglas and north of where the new baseball stadium will be built.

“We want to bring something to downtown, to the river, that truly takes downtown development and river development to a new level,” says developer George Laham.

He’s partners in the project with Old Town developer Dave Burk of Marketplace Properties, Key Construction president Dave Wells and Jerry Jones of Jones Commercial Development.

The developers are working with Metropolitan Baptist Church, which currently is at the property and will retain a small presence with the redevelopment.

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