Sensing that downtown Wichita, Kansas is on the verge of something big, one local small-business owner is jockeying for position.
Wichita technology firm Cornerstone Design and Development is one of two new tenants that have announced a move into the 125 N. Market building downtown, a change that the owner said was driven by young employees’ expectations for working conditions.
“We need to compete for talented individuals who are still in college or have just graduated,” said Joy Eakins, Cornerstone’s owner. “Millennials are attracted to the urban core where they can live downtown and enjoy easy access to work and amenities.”
Eakins said the activity happening in downtown Wichita now reminds her of an urban renewal in Denver that she witnessed while living in Colorado in the 1990s into the turn of the century.
“Downtown Denver changed almost overnight,” Eakins said. “We sense that something similar is happening here in Wichita, and I wanted to make sure my business is positioned for that.”