Paul SuellentropFrom the center of campus to downtown Wichita, Wichita State University’s footprint continues to grow and offer new opportunities for students and our community. As the spring semester rolls on, you will notice ongoing and new construction across our 330 acres and beyond.
Renderings released for Wichita Biomedical Campus
Phase One of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, being built in the heart of downtown Wichita, now has its official look.
Renderings created by Helix Architecture + Design and CO Architects show the 8-story, 350,000-square-foot building that features a 3-story pavilion, classrooms, labs, student success center, lounges and study spaces, offices and meeting spaces.
This marks the first phase of the joint health sciences project between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas. Once built, the Wichita Biomedical Campus will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions and Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program and Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy into one location.
This initial phase of the project will be where a parking lot is located at the southeast corner of Broadway and William. Future phases will be located at 214 S. Topeka (where the Wichita Transit Center, set to move to Delano, is currently located).
Construction is set to begin in spring 2024 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.
Campus projects under way
Shocker Success Center
Construction on the Shocker Success Center, formerly Clinton Hall, continues with an expected construction completion of summer 2024.
The Shocker Success Center will transform Clinton Hall into a holistic resource for student services, centralizing access to these services to help students stay on course to graduate.
The center will house student services, such as CARE Team, OneStop Student Services, Office of Student Accommodations and Testing and others, that are currently scattered across campus in different buildings.
Ablah Library
Construction is under way on the west side of Ablah Library to create a new stairway and repair a portion of the concrete retaining wall. The new set of stairs will strengthen the connection between the new northeast entry of the Shocker Success Center and Ablah Library.
As part of the construction, a temporary fence will be installed to contain the construction site. Construction is expected to be completed in June.
Helix+CO ArchitectsWichita State Connect
Minor renovations are under way at the Wichita State Connect building north of NIAR. It is scheduled to open in March.
Wichita State Connect will provide a gathering space and launchpad for WSU academic colleges and programs to engage with schools, industry and community partners. Wichita State Connect will serve the campus as a hub for preK-12 student field trips to campus, mixers and events, professional development for educators, and an interdisciplinary array of programs and services designed to activate the potential of campus-based experiences at WSU.
Parking Services
Parking Services will move into the former Credit Union building this spring.
Millie Marcus Annex
Construction on the Marcus Welcome Center addition and interior renovation project is well under way. The eastern-most part of Lot 19E, next to Mike Oatman Drive at Eck Stadium, will close until the summer of 2024. Expect construction traffic on Mike Oatman Drive.
In February, the main entrance into the building will be relocated into the new addition on the south side to renovate the lobby. The project will be complete and main building access restored by the beginning of summer 2024.
The Millie Marcus Annex will be an expansion of the Marcus Welcome Center and house the Shocker Career Accelerator offices. The project will also remodel the lobby and meeting spaces in the building.
Intensive English Center + Annex
Demolition is wrapping up on the Intensive English Language Center and Annex buildings at the southwest corner of Hillside and 17th Street. The programs were relocated last year into Lindquist Hall.
Innovation Campus changes
NIAR Hub for Advanced Manufacturing Research (HAMR)
Design for the NIAR HAMR building is complete and will break ground in spring 2024.
The 186,000-square-foot building is partly funded by an EDA grant and will house advanced manufacturing research labs and associated offices. The building will be located on Innovation Boulevard between the P1 building and The Suites. The first floor is primarily labs with offices on the second floor.
Renovations for athletic facilities
University Stadium (formerly Cessna Stadium)
The east side of the stadium was taken down during summer 2023 and in mid-December 2023, Wichita State accepted bids for Phase 1A and 1B and received one bid for the project.
To facilitate a more competitively bid project, Wichita State will re-advertise for a construction manager at risk and work to obtain more competitive bids within the project packages, prior to a summer 2024 project start, inclusive of the scope.
Timing of all demolition and renovations will be scheduled to avoid interruption of the KSHSAA Track and Field Championship in future years.
Phase 1A and 1B will begin after the 2024 Kansas State High School Track and Field Championship (May 24-25) and includes improvements on the east side of the existing track (underground utility work, seating area for approximately 3,600 with a combination of bleacher seats and terraces designed for tents, free-standing field lights, fencing, ticket pavilion, restroom/storage buildings, and plaza). Bleacher seating on the north and south sides of the stadium is included.
Widening the field and a 9-lane track will likely need to occur in summer 2025.
Wilkins Stadium
A four-phase renovation of Wilkins Stadium, home of Shocker softball, is under way. Over the summer, artificial turf replaced the grass field.
Following a $3 million investment from the WSU Board of Trustees, work on the indoor practice facility is scheduled to begin by fall 2024. It will feature a 14,400-square-foot practice facility containing a full indoor infield, batting cages and storage areas.
John and Gail Wadsworth's lead gift of $1.5 million is earmarked for the Softball Team Operations Facility.
The indoor practice facility is part of a $9.65 million Phase 1 of renovations for Wilkins Stadium. That phase includes a 12,000-square-foot team complex, housing a team locker room, coaches’ locker room, classroom, team room, athletic training room, staff offices, break room, work room, umpire locker rooms and laundry.
