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City council approves $5 million donor‑backed wellness center for first responders
Summary
Wichita City Council approved an operating agreement May 5 for 'Pinnacle,' a donor‑funded first‑responder wellness center to be renovated at 3rd and Broadway and run by a joint board of city, county and the Wichita Metro Crime Commission. The commission and private donors committed capital; the city and county will share operating costs.
The Wichita City Council on May 5 approved an operating agreement to create Pinnacle, a centralized wellness and training facility for first responders that the Wichita Metro Crime Commission will help acquire and fund. The council vote authorized city staff to finalize the agreement and execute necessary signatures.
The project centers on renovating an existing three‑story church gym at 3rd and Broadway that the commission plans to buy and repurpose. Alan Banton, chair of the Wichita Metro Crime Commission, said the group has raised significant private support for the $5 million renovation and pledged a cornerstone gift that helped move the project forward. He described plans for a 27,000‑square‑foot facility with a 24/7 card‑secured fitness area, gender‑separated locker rooms, training rooms capable of holding up to 100 people, confidential mental‑health clinic space and a grab‑and‑go kitchen.
Assistant City Manager Dante Martin told council the facility is intended for all first‑responders and to improve access to integrated services that support recruitment and retention. Martin said staff’s recommended action reflected a final draft that clarifies the commission may convey the facility to the county at the end of five years. The council was told the facility would be governed by a seven‑member board with seats for city and county appointees, the crime commission and public safety leadership.
Financially, the commission is underwriting the capital renovation while annual operating costs were estimated at $188,000. Staff told council the city’s share would be $94,000 per year, matched by the county, with $47,000 to be added in the revised 2026 budget and $94,000 included in the 2027 operating budget thereafter. Banton said the commission was also building a $500,000 capital reserve to backstop future major repairs.
Supporters included civic and law‑enforcement leaders and health partners. Ed Pavey, president of the Wichita Metro Crime Commission, and other public safety leaders described Pinnacle as a way to centralize therapy, training and fitness to address the cumulative trauma of first responders.
Council members asked about governance representation and whether seven board seats would be sufficient to represent police, fire and allied agencies; commission leaders said the structure was intended to balance operational efficiency with stakeholder voice and said the group would be responsive to council direction.
The council approved the operating agreement and authorized signatures by voice vote.
