Former downtown Wichita library may transform into event venue
Part of the city of Wichita’s former downtown library, located at 223 S. Main, could become an event venue, according to City Manager Bob Layton.
Layton discussed the new proposal at the city’s final budget meeting Tuesday, where the council approved designating $2 million in transient guest taxes in its Capital Improvement Program budget for renovations to the building.
The draft proposal was created by ASM Global, the Los Angeles-based company that manages Century II for the city.
“By transforming it into a sought-after event venue, Wichita can preserve a civic treasure while meeting a clear market need,” the draft reads.
The former library has been vacant for years, aside from when it was used as a COVID-19 vaccination center, and when Wichita Mayor Lily Wu used it for her State of the City address earlier this year.
At that address, Wu proposed using the building for the city’s police headquarters. That idea received insufficient support, leading the city to look for other alternatives for it.
Wu supported the city’s latest proposal for the building.
ASM’s proposal would convert only the first floor of the former library as an event venue space for weddings, corporate meetings and banquets.
“There’s a targeted market for this amount of space,” Layton told council members at Tuesday’s meeting.
The proposal identified about $2 million in renovations, including $1.5 million to renovate the restrooms, make window and wall repairs, and replace the carpet.
The proposal said the renovation would include two large, separate flex rooms and a lobby area.
The renovations would not include a full kitchen to prepare food for events; however, Layton said there would be space for caterers.
It also includes about $300,000 to renovate the library’s outdoor patio on the same floor.
In its first year, ASM Global’s proposal said it would host at least one event a week, which would likely expand to four to five events a week in the following years. The draft proposal said use of the space could cost $3,500-$6,000 per event, not including add-ons such as catering and rentals.
Layton told The Eagle in an email that the next steps will include amending the city’s contract with ASM Global to help manage the space and prepare a construction plan.
Exact uses for the building’s remaining floors are unknown at this time, but the proposal said it’s possible to expand into the upper floors for local nonprofit arts organizations.
The city has tried for years to activate the former library building, including issuing multiple requests for proposals for cultural institutions to use the space – including the Wichita Art Museum.
The former library’s renovation comes as the city is also making upgrades to Century II and the promenade, which is attached to the nearby Hyatt Regency.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 3:46 PM.