Here are details about work Wichita plans next for Century II

The city of Wichita is investing $2 million for aesthetic improvements to Century II’s promenade conference area.

The promenade holds several meeting rooms for conferences at the cultural arts facility and is attached to the nearby Hyatt Regency.

“We identified a need to make repairs and improve the aesthetics of the promenade area to make sure it’s an attractive venue for conventions and conferences,” the city’s Arts Director Lindsay Benacka said.

The improvements include new carpets, wall coverings and fixtures. It’s part of continued investments by the city to update Century II since rejecting a plan that it be torn down.

The 1969 structure is owned by the city and managed by ASM Global, a venue and event management company based in Los Angeles.

The city is responsible for making updates to the meeting rooms and other capital improvements, according to Benacka.

The $2 million comes from the city’s transient guest tax, which is used to help fund the city’s cultural facilities.

At the city council meeting Tuesday, Benacka said other improvements for the meeting rooms are coming, with an additional $1.5 million going to update meeting room technology.

“We want to ensure that our city-owned facilities and assets are a source of community pride and accessible to all,” Benacka said.

The city has been making improvements to the facility since the Riverfront Master Legacy Plan, which recommended the building be torn down, was scrapped after public outcry.

Most recently, the city spent $5 million replacing its iconic blue roof.

This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 12:14 PM.