Wichita City Council members have approved a preliminary agreement with the University of Kansas and Wichita State University for a project to construct a biomedical campus.

Assistant City Manager Troy Anderson said KU and WSU identified two sites for the campus, at 200 South Broadway and at 214 South Topeka.   The city will commit to transfer ownership of the properties to the universities, or enter a long-term lease.  The city will also commit to constructing parking for the campus, as part of a downtown parking strategy.

Anderson said the city will continue to work with KU and WSU officials over the next few months to determine the size, scope and cost of the project, and that will lead to more formal development agreements.    Wichita State University issued a statement Tuesday saying that with $205 million of the necessary $300 million raised for the project, construction on the Wichita Biomedical Campus is expected to start in early 2024 and be completed some time in 2026.

Jeff Fluhr, president of the Greater Wichita Partnership, said the new biomedical campus will provide teaching, research, innovation and new enterprise, and he said it will transform the downtown and the entire Wichita region.   He said the campus could generate over $100 million in new investment in downtown over the next seven to ten years, with projects for commercial, residential, retail, hospitality and other new development.

The City Council voted 6-0, with Council member Becky Tuttle abstaining, to approve a memorandum of understanding for the project.