Wichita Mayor Lily Wu has announced that the city has closed on the purchase of the former Park Elementary School.   The city plans to turn the building into a Multi-Agency Center to provide services and programs for the homeless.

The Wichita school district closed Park Elementary last May and declared the building at 1025 North Main as surplus property.   The city is buying the building for one dollar.  City and school district officials said taxpayer money was used to construct the building, and the one dollar price avoids having taxpayers pay twice for the same property.

During her weekly news conference on Thursday, Mayor Wu said the city will begin asking for bids on Friday for the operation of an emergency winter homeless shelter, and the bids will be presented to the City Council next month.   The emergency shelter is expected to open in November.