The City of Wichita is restarting the bidding process for a project to rehabilitate the former Central Library building at 223 South Main.
The city opened bids from public and private companies last spring for re-use of the building, but after several months of feedback, the city made some changes and they’re putting the project back out for bidding.
One of the changes in the new bidding process will involve allowing bidders to ask for financial assistance from the city. Bids will have to be submitted by 10 a.m. on February 2nd. A screening and selection committee of city staff members will evaluate the bids and make a recommendation to the City Council.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it has had interest from different types of businesses involving retail, hospitality, entertainment and education. The city heard a report from an architectural firm last year for the concept of a ballroom and events center for Century II and the former library building, and the renovations would cost a total of $400 million. The city decided to get more input before making any decisions.
The Central Library opened in 1967 and closed in 2018 when the city opened the new Advanced Learning Library. It was used as a vaccination site during the COVID-19 pandemic.
