City names site for new WSU-KU Wichita Biomedical Center: ‘This is going to be big’

On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council will consider a last-minute agenda item that’s a memorandum of understanding between the city, the University of Kansas Medical Center and Wichita State University for the new Wichita Biomedical Center in downtown.

“This is going to be big,” said Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson. “This project is going to transform not only downtown but our entire region as it relates to healthcare (and) medical.”

The city has two sites — the southeast corner of Broadway and William where a parking lot is and the southeast corner of Topeka and William where the Wichita Transit center is currently — that it is offering to sell or lease to the institutions.

The Biomedical Center will be built on an L-shaped parcel at Broadway and William, and future development related to the new campus will come to the other corner after the transit center leaves.

The city’s new transit site in Delano should be ready to open by late 2025.

Anderson said there are no ballpark prices to share yet on what either would cost.

The memorandum, which also calls for the city to provide parking for the deal either through a new structure or parking lots, is a major step forward for KU and WSU, which have been discussing the center’s possibility for years.

“It then allows us to continue to enter into negotiations for a more formalized development agreement,” Anderson said.

There are a lot of projects that have happened in downtown in the last couple of decades that city leaders have said would have a major impact on the city, but Anderson said this one is especially significant because of “the potential for what this project could mean for a vibrant, active downtown, for being a catalyst for other development and redevelopment projects as well as just what this project means for healthcare — and education around healthcare — not only for Wichita but the south-central region of Kansas.”

The two properties combine for a total 3.6 acres and are adjacent to WSU Tech’s culinary school, NICHE, and the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“We’re going to see a lot of synergy around, again, education . . . as it relates specifically to healthcare,” Anderson said.

Previously, project estimates were $300 million for the new campus, but it’s not clear if that’s changed.

Anderson said there are a lot of facts and figures that are still being worked out. He said that also goes for the parking the city will provide, which will be based on need once the development is further along.

What is clear is it will be a relatively quick timeline.

Construction likely will start in July 2024 and be substantially complete by summer 2026. Anderson said the dates are still flexible.

However, the institutions are using federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars through the state, and there are performance deadlines that come with the money.

Part of why Anderson thinks the development is significant is how it will help diversify Wichita’s portfolio, attract and retain talent and attract other organizations, institutions and retailers.

And, yes, that could include a much-hoped-for grocery store thanks to all the new students and faculty in the area.

“All of that traffic generates and warrants the need for things like grocers,” Anderson said.

“That’s going to create (a) daily, nightly vibrant, active downtown.”

This story was originally published July 27, 2023 at 3:44 PM.