News
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) – Right now the parking lot at the corner of William and Broadway in downtown Wichita is just that, a place to park your car. However in a few years it could be the home to a project city leaders say will be transformative.
“By turning that parking lot into something that’s looking like it’s going to give us like a seven to one or a six to one economic return, it’s a good use of that area,” said Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple.
The City Council will vote on Tuesday to approve an agreement with Wichita State University and the KU School of Medicine to lease two pieces of land, that parking lot and the Wichita transit center next to it, to build the school’s new joint biomedical campus.
The campus would be right next to the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine that opened in 2022.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for Wichita,” said Whipple. “We are creating a medical training and research facility that complements the current medical school. They’re and we’re gonna see more synergy.”
The $300 million project will bring at least 3000 students and faculty to work and potentially live in downtown, according to projections.
Adding that amount of people will be a major shot in the arm for local business around the site, including Tor brewing.
Owner Aaron Hill said it’s, “exciting! For all small businesses down here, it’s you know, Wichita downtown has really grown in the last five, six years and to see it grow even more is great.”
Hill specifically opened up his brewery in downtown after working in other breweries in the area. He says this new campus location would validate that choice.
“Hopefully it just benefits all of us,” he said.
On the council agenda, WSU and KU give a timeline of construction with the project starting in 2024 and being completed by summer of 2026.
