Wichita City Council members, in a split vote Tuesday, began the process of creating an historic designation for the Crown Uptown Theater at 3207 East Douglas.
The theater was built in 1928 and has been considered as an “undesignated historic resource” by the city. The owner of the theater, Tulsa businessman Mike Brown, had filed for a demolition permit after the city denied an application to expand the capacity of the theater. The City Council voted in March to extend the interim control period to begin the process of nominating the theater for the Wichita Register of Historic Places. Planning Director Scott Wadle said this will start the process of nomination, and it will have to go through public hearings before the Wichita Historic Preservation Board and the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission before a final hearing is held by the City Council.
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said she has great concerns about taking property rights away from the property owner, and she said the owner had not agreed to seek the historic designation. Council member Dalton Glasscock raised the same concern, and he said he’s working with staff on a process to seek an historic designation with the consent of the owner.
The vote to move ahead with the nominating process was 4-3. Council members Brandon Johnson, Maggie Ballard, Becky Tuttle and Mike Hoheisel voted yes, while Mayor Wu, Vice Mayor J.V. Johnston and Council member Glasscock voting no.
