Old Riverside hospital being considered for new $80M multi-agency center

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita’s $80 million multi-agency center (MAC) will be in or near downtown. The center focuses multiple resources in one location to give people without a home a chance to get on their feet. The choice comes down to two final options; the old Riverside Hospital or Humankind’s campus downtown.

City and County leaders said Thursday that the old Riverside location has a good foundation already in place.

“There’s already good infrastructure there, good bones, as far as what we might need for a congregate shelter born a non-congregate shelter,” said Wichita City Council member Mike Hoheisel.

Hoheisel said the old hospital in west Wichita could be the ideal spot for the MAC campus. A facility that will feature a navigation center to point unhoused people to the right resources, shelter space, and affordable housing to transition hundreds to permanent housing.

But it’s not a done deal yet. The Humankind Ministries Campus downtown is also an option.

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“So we’re looking at what works for each site, which site might be the best, or is there a good combination of both potentially coming down the line,” said Hoheisel.

After applying for $20 million of low-income tax credit, he said, the city will need a final push from the state.

“The key piece of this is about $20 million that the state will also contribute. They’re sitting on about a $2 billion surplus. They’re currently talking about how they can spend it,” said Hoheisel.

Sedgwick County Commissioner David Dennis visited several successful campuses in other states. He said the county would support the Riverside location.

“Wichita has to have a multi-agency center someplace downtown in order to help with the homeless situation that we’ve got,” said Dennis.

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Hoheisel said that once the MAC is in place, they will still need additional help.

“We will need private donors because this will be for the infrastructure. We’re also going to have to run this eventually, so that’s going to require constant funding coming in from the private sector as well,” said Hoheisel.

He said they will be putting out a request for proposals to find the most qualified agency to run the facility once it opens. He added the county has been instrumental in attempting to secure the needed state funding.

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