FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Spring 2002
BRADLEY FAIR TO RECEIVE KEEPER OF THE PLAINS AWARD
Upscale lifestyle shopping center Bradley Fair will be presented with the 20th
annual Keeper of the Plains award at Honors Night April 25. With
basic criteria for the award being aesthetic quality, degree of
improvement, visibility and maintenance, Bradley Fair has gone
above and beyond to meet and surpass each requirement.
Long before Wichita shopped Bradley Fair at Wilson
Estates, the area was home to third generation oilman Ed Bradley
and his wife Louise. In the midst of a depression and the drought
of dustbowl days, they purchased 320 acres of land east of town
in the 1920’s and called their home Bradley Farm. The farm boasted
a tennis court, in-ground swimming pool and a scenic polo field
that soon became home to the Fairfield Polo Club. A spacious and
spectacular setting, it was the sight of many leisurely Sunday
afternoon polo matches and society gatherings throughout the 1940’s
and ‘50’s.
After a devastating fire in 1953, the Bradleys
rebuilt their home and continued to host many gatherings for Wichita's
elite. Ed Bradley died in 1969 and Louise continued to live on
the estate until her death in 1977. In 1978, Ed Bradley's nephew,
Bob Wilson Sr. and his wife, Janice, moved to Bradley Farm, renaming
the property Wilson Estates. An avid equestrian, Bob added a stable
of horses to the Wilson Estates landscape and it became the site
of a nationally rated equestrian combined training course.
In 1986, the Wilsons met George Laham, a young
realtor and developer with vision for bringing Wichita’s quality
retailers to one destination. Two years later, Laham and a partner
purchased three acres of the Wilson's property and began the development
of Bradley Fair. In 1990, the small neighborhood center opened
offering a variety of local retailers including Shoelaces, Randy
Cooper’s Fine Jewelry and Trio’s. These three original tenants
have expanded and are still thriving at Bradley Fair today. In
1991, Laham attracted the center’s first national specialty retailer,
Talbot’s.
Five more acres were purchased by Laham in 1994
making way for Wichita’s first Gap store. On opening day, Bradley
Fair’s Gap recorded the highest sales for the then 1,200-store
Gap system. Bradley Fair had captured the attention of the nation’s
hottest specialty retailers and soon to follow were Eddie Bauer
and Banana Republic. In 1995, the Wilsons were so pleased with
the direction of Bradley Fair, they signed an agreement that would
allow Laham to plan and develop the remaining 312 acres. The additional
land would allow for a complete master planned development that
would include more retail, a residential community, a suburban
office park and condominiums.
Featuring 255,000-sq. ft. of Mediterranean architecture
and green space, today’s Bradley Fair has become a vibrant destination,
offering guests a mix of 48 local, regional and national stores
and restaurants. Unique to the center is a scenic open air plaza
with a year-round fountain overlooking a lake and island waterfall.
The plaza hosts a variety of charitable and community events including
a summer concert series and fireworks displays. Spring through
fall, Bradley Fair blooms with colorful flowers and trees accenting
spacious walkways throughout the center. In 2001, Bradley Fair
began a festive new holiday tradition including carolers, Santa,
elves, miles of crystal white lights and complimentary horse drawn
carriage rides.
Project architect for Bradley Fair is Spangenberg
Phillips and Farha Construction is the general contractor. Land
planning and engineering services are provided by Professional
Engineering Consultants. Financing is provided by Fidelity Bank
and exclusive leasing agent is J.P. Weigand & Sons. All are Wichita companies. |
