The first signs of construction will start appearing at Towne East Square next month as the mall is about to undergo its first major update since 2008.

The Law Co., a Wichita-based general contractor, recently pulled a nearly $2.8 million building permit to begin work at Towne East, public records show.

Simon Property Group, the mall’s owner, announced the makeover in December.

In total, the planned improvements include:

• Re-imagined mall entrances, including wood and glass detailing plus update signage
• Addition of outdoor seating areas and pedestrian-friendly zones
• Landscaping improvements at entrances and in parking lots
• Updated exterior entrance monuments and store-finding signage
• Updated second-level flooring
• New paving in parking lots

Stephanie Courington, the mall’s general manager, said the entrances will be renovated first, followed by carpet replacement and then the exterior portion of the property, including landscaping, paving and signage. The $2.8 million building permit is not for the entirety of the project, Courington said.

Shoppers should expect to see activity on site starting in March. All entrances will remain open during the renovation, as there will be tunnels built for customer access.

“Towne East Square has proudly served the Wichita community for over 45 years and strives to continuously evolve as a best-in-class shopping, dining and experiential destination,” Courington said in December when the makeover was announced. “We feel certain this redevelopment will enhance the center from the outside in, all to better serve our loyal customers and existing retailers.”

Wichita’s LK Architecture is the architect for the mall renovation.

The timeline for the work coincides with the planned 2023 opening of Scheels, a sporting goods and entertainment store that is renovating the two-floor, 220,000-square-foot Sears space as the mall’s west-central anchor.

Original Article

Wichita Business Journal
Shelby Kellerman