The City of Wichita Public Building Commission (PBC) has issued a request for developer qualifications and initial development proposals for the former Finney State Office Building in downtown.
The building, located at 230 E. William St. and 130 S. Market St., sits in the heart of downtown on the west side of Broadway Ave. and one-half block south of Douglas Ave., a primary thoroughfare in the core area.
The building, owned by the PBC, was occupied by the State of Kansas from 1992 until 2015 when state officials vacated it. The building is part of the core area revitalization effort known as Project Downtown: The Masterplan for Wichita, across the street from the nearly complete Block 1 Project.
“The Property represents an outstanding opportunity for a mutually-beneficial development partnership to help achieve the vision for downtown,” said Scot Rigby, the City’s Assistant City Manager and Director of the Office of Urban Development.
Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) have been mailed to local developers, regional developers and listed on the Urban Land Institute marketplace. Redevelopment of the nearly 200,000-square-foot building represents an opportunity for creative uses, Rigby said, adding the national exposure is expected to bring new ideas to downtown Wichita.
