After buying a downtown block last year, Chase Koch is now ready to transform it

Last year, when Chase Koch confirmed he’d been collecting downtown buildings, he explained that he and his Movement Musick nonprofit planned a significant investment in Wichita, in part to “leverage music to do good.”

It was clear that the hub of his plans centered around his Somewhere Works music studio and Somewhere Works Music School at 235 N. Emporia.

Still, people wondered: What’s he going to do with all those other buildings?

Now, there’s an answer, at least for a block’s worth of them.

Movement Musick is transforming the entire city block around the studio and school in three significant ways, including renovating the dilapidated Shirkmere Apartments at the southeast corner of Second and Topeka; building a new 3,000-person concert hall and event venue at the other end of the block along First Street between Topeka and Emporia; and creating an open community space in the areas in between.

“Music is important, but it doesn’t end there,” said Raffaele Fazio, a former Koch Inc. lawyer who is now leading Movement Music.

“We’re trying to create this vibrant community.”

The apartments

The nine-story, once-grand Shirkmere opened to much fanfare in 1924.

The building’s 105 apartments boasted a Murphy bed in each room, and a dinner dance that was to be held in its ballroom and solarium “promises to be one of the season’s gayest events,” The Eagle reported.

In the 100 years since, the brick building named for owner and builder O.S. Shirk fell into disrepair and became a magnet for homeless encampments on the sidewalks around it.

Currently, there are no occupants, and the first floor’s windows are boarded.

The new plan is for a mix of about 100 market-rate and affordable apartment units.

The thought behind affordable apartments is to include people such as artists, hospitality workers and graduate students who otherwise might not get to live in the building.

Fazio said this meets market demand and “contributes to a vibrant and diverse downtown.”

About 40 of the units will be on the affordable end, but they won’t be separate from the other units or look different in any way.

“They will be mixed in,” Fazio said. “That’s the idea.”

Apartment sizes will range from studio apartments up to two bedrooms, and there will be two or three penthouses atop the building.

Along with other amenities, which are still in the works, Fazio said, “We hope to have a cafe on the ground floor.”

The apartments should open in the second half of 2027.

There are still a lot of decisions to be made, including whether to give it a new name or not.

The goal is to offer modern living with some historic touches, Fazio said, such as keeping the mosaic tile in the lobby.

“We’re going to try to preserve as much as possible. It has a wonderful history.”

The venue

Though it may seem like Wichita has its fair share of venues these days, Fazio said there is a gap in the city and region for a mid-tier venue, and this new 3,000-capacity concert hall and event space will fill it.

The indoor venue, which may have a few patios around it, is not a performing arts center, Fazio said.

Acoustically, he said it’s more of a concert hall, and it will have a flat floor instead of raised seating so it can transform for a lot of uses.

The space will be able to be configured to hold as a few as 500 people as well.

“We’re trying to make it as versatile as possible for the community,” Fazio said.

In addition to national and local music and other kinds of performances, there can be events such as weddings and corporate functions, too.

The plan is to “program this as much as possible,” Fazio said.

He said the idea is to appeal not only to people attending shows and events at the venue but also to make it “a place where artists want to come back.”

That means adding features such as showers and laundry facilities for artists and crews to use.

Fazio said a lot of musicians travel with their families.

“This has to account for those things.”

Construction likely will start next year, and the venue should open in 2029.

Fazio said it will stretch from Topeka to Emporia.

“It will take up a large portion . . . of that block.”

A community asset

The final piece of this block is going to be an outdoor community gathering space.

There will be a variety of programming at it, such as food trucks, yoga and places to simply sit and enjoy nature.

Before finishing designs on it, Fazio said the plan is to seek public input through a series of meetings that Movement Musick will announce.

“Our hope is to make that an asset of the community.”

Also, there’s a chance there may be a small office space next to the venue for businesses or entrepreneurs looking to be part of what’s happening downtown.

This isn’t all that Koch and Movement Musick are planning downtown, as they own other buildings and may be looking at acquiring more.

Though as Fazio said, for now, “This will keep us busy.”

In an e-mailed statement, Koch said he believes “in the power of music and community spaces to bring people together,” and he thinks the city is ready for a new kind of downtown.

“Through shared experiences, we can build more inclusive and united communities that empower people to contribute to their community and make positive social change.”