Wichita City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a rezoning for a property to allow for the development of a regional psychiatric hospital.
The rezoning will allow Sedgwick County and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to move ahead with plans for a 104-bed state hospital that would provide acute inpatient services, court-ordered treatment, and competency evaluations for people awaiting trial. The South Central Regional Psychiatric Hospital is planned for a site near MacArthur and Meridian, and $100 million has been dedicated to the project.
Some residents in the area have voiced concerns about having the facility close to their neighborhoods. The City Council removed provisions for a day reporting center and a work release section to help ease those concerns.
Sedgwick County Commissioners are expected to take action next month to finalize the deal for the property. Construction is to begin early next year and the facility is to open in January, 2027.
[ image: KDADS ]
