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Sedgwick County Commissioners adopt Downtown Wichita Action Plan 2035
Summary
The board voted unanimously to adopt the Downtown Wichita Action Plan 2035 into the Wichita–Sedgwick County comprehensive plan, making the plan eligible for public funding consideration while clarifying the city's edit to remove the word 'new' in references to a performing arts center.
The Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners voted 5–0 on Aug. 19 to adopt the Downtown Wichita Action Plan 2035 as an element of the Wichita–Sedgwick County comprehensive plan.
Planning staff and Downtown Wichita representatives told commissioners the plan updates the 2010 downtown master plan after yearlong community engagement. Heather Schroeder, who led the downtown effort, said the process involved more than 1,000 distinct Wichitans and produced four goals, 17 strategies and more than 100 actions aimed at guiding growth, activating the riverfront and increasing housing. "We anticipate that we could grow by 3,000 units over the next 5 years if our development community keeps up," Schroeder said.
The plan expands the planning area to include nearby neighborhoods west to Delano and north toward Murdoch, and highlights concepts such as redesigning Douglas Avenue to improve pedestrian and bike space, converting surface parking into development parcels and creating a 4‑mile cultural history loop funded initially by a two‑year $150,000 private grant. Schroeder emphasized the adoption would not itself attach funding: adoption only makes plan actions eligible to enter the county’s CIP process for future appropriations.
Commissioners asked about homelessness references, parking and whether the SMID boundaries would expand; Schroeder said the plan does not seek to expand the SMID, that homelessness emerged less frequently in community input than other issues, and that parking garages are one example of public funding that can unlock private investment. Several commissioners expressed support for the plan but stressed the city of Wichita retains primary responsibility for implementation in the downtown core.
The motion to adopt the plan included a technical modification to reflect the City of Wichita's removal of the word "new" when referring to a performing arts center; the board adopted the modification and authorized staff to finalize the resolution for publication.
The plan was recommended by MAPC on July 23 and was adopted by the Wichita City Council with minor edits the day before the county vote.
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