Save Century II petition has nearly 17,000 signatures; could force vote on demolition

Organizers of a petition initiative to block the city from destroying Century II and the former downtown library will hand deliver nearly 17,000 signatures to City Hall on Friday, a move that could ultimately preserve Wichita’s skyline and wrest control of a key riverfront site from downtown booster organizations looking to redevelop the area.

The ordinance proposed in the petition by a group called Save Century II would prevent the city government from demolishing any historically significant city-owned buildings without a public vote, specifically naming the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center and the former Wichita Central Library building.

State law requires 12,554 signatures by registered voters in Wichita, the equivalent of 25% of voters who cast a ballot in the last city election.

The signatures have to be counted and verified by the Sedgwick County Election Office. Save Century II gathered more signatures than required just to be safe, said Celeste Racette, one of the group’s organizers.

If the petition clears the verification hurdle, what happens next is up to Wichita’s City Council. The council has two options: adopt the ordinance within 20 days or put it on a ballot for voters to decide.

The city can put the question on the November ballot or hold a special election.

Racette said the ordinance, if adopted, would serve as a safeguard for public assets against a small group of developers that have received substantial city incentives to build downtown and along the Arkansas River.

“There’s not much riverfront property left that hasn’t been sold or developed. All of the things we have done for the private, golden boy developers makes me sick. I don’t trust City Hall.”

Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said he’s been inspired by the work of the Save Century II group.

“Without picking a side, I’m incredibly impressed with the democratic process that has played out here,” Whipple said. “This community organization went out and just seemed to have persevered through different setbacks that they’ve seen through this. At first, they thought they needed fewer signatures. When they found out they needed more, they went out and they got more, and they did so during COVID.

“It’s just been impressive to watch the community come out and take a part in governing.”

Supporters of Century II and the former downtown public library building began the petition drive in January in direct opposition to the Riverfront Legacy Master Plan, a public-private study that proposed razing both buildings and replacing them with more than $1 billion in new facilities on the east bank of the Arkansas River south of Douglas.

The master plan, which would have used city incentives and potentially an added citywide sales tax to complete, has been shelved for the time being during the COVID-19 economic crisis as the city faces a $50 million shortfall over the next three years.

Historians and architects have said Century II and the library building are historically and architecturally significant works that can’t be replicated and are worth saving.

Riverfront Legacy coalition members argue that the building is insufficient for future performing arts needs and convention space.

Separate but related to the petition drive, the Save Century II group has also spearheaded applying for the 51-year-old Century II building to be listed on the state and national historic registry. Racette plans to present her submission Monday to the Wichita Historic Preservation Board and ask for the board’s nomination to the Register of Historic Kansas Places and the National Register of Historic Places.

Racette said beyond her push for the petition and the historic designation, she’s going to continue pressing the city to take care of its most iconic buildings.

“If it gets past this nomination and gets on the national registry, I’m going to be recommending a citizen advisory board be formed by the mayor to oversee historic tax credits to renovate Century II,” she said. “We need a citizens group that actually cares about the building to oversee the upkeep of the building because it has not been taken care of by the city.”

This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 5:01 AM.