Each year the WSU Center for Real Estate and the Kansas Chapter of Certified Commercial Investment Members (CCIM) present their annual Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors local professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the commercial real estate profession and is a great honor and a tribute to individuals who represent the finest examples of Wichita’s rich history of entrepreneurship in the real estate industry.
For more than half a century, Johnny Stevens has specialized in developing vacant land and acquiring vacant or underutilized industrial properties to restore, update, subdivide, lease and operate. Over his career, he has developed or redeveloped about 7 million square feet of warehouse and industrial space throughout the U.S. and currently owns and operates in more than 3 million square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space.
In addition to numerous projects spanning from Ohio to Texas, Stevens has left an indelible mark on the Wichita community through his creative redevelopment of unusual properties. Notable among these:
- Willowbend Golf Club – Johnny Stevens participated in developing this golf club and residential community Northeast Wichita. Willowbend is an 18-hole Tom Weiskoff design golf course with 600 home sites.
- Air Capital Flight Line – Johnny Stevens along with Dave Murfin purchased the old Boeing Facility adjoining McConnell Airforce Base in Wichita, Kansas containing 1.1 million square feet of buildings/hangers. At the time of purchase the property was 80% vacant. Within two years, they renovated several buildings, built four new buildings and the entire property was 100% leased. Currently there is over 1.6 million sf of buildings/hangers.
- Kansas Coliseum- Johnny Stevens along with Dave Murfin purchased 450,000 sf of buildings and 150 acres from Sedgwick County Kansas. At the time of purchase the Coliseum was shut down and had fallen into disrepair. The Pavilion operation was losing the county $750,000 per year. Johnny and his partner converted the Coliseum into an aircraft testing and research center for Wichita State University and the Pavilions are now a viable operation and no longer losing money.
- The Waterfront Wichita – 160-acre mixed use development with 400,000 sf of class A office space and 150,000 sf of retail and restaurants and a 52-lot patio home development called Parkway at the Waterfront. Major tenants include Whole Foods, PF Changs and New Balance.
