The City Council on Tuesday approved separate core area redevelopment projects - a plan to develop the Delano Catalyst Site located downtown on the west side of the Arkansas River and a proposal to redevelop a blighted area in College Hill near Douglas and Hillside.

EPC Real Estate Group was selected to develop the Delano site, which is part of downtown revitalization efforts and located in an increasingly active river corridor. There are two substantial adjacent projects - the City’s $33 million Advanced Learning Center and the $38 million River Vista Apartment project. The EPC project will include a hotel, multi-family housing, commercial space, a parking garage, public trails and gathering spaces. In October, EPC was one of the firms selected by an evaluation committee comprised of business and community members to participate in a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process. EPC’s proposal acquires two City-owned parcels for $750,000.

Also, the Council approved a project east of downtown near Douglas and Hillside, for which the City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in March. The developer is Uptown Landing, LLC. The project is a mixed-use development with 188 high-end apartment units, 18,000 feet of commercial space, an enclosed garage, rooftop amenities and an “urban feel” consistent with the adjacent College Hill neighborhood. The development sits in a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district. TIFs work by pledging future property tax gains to pay for projects in areas that are considered blighted. The City’s TIF improvements were part of an earlier project. The Uphill Landing project will contribute to the TIF revenue necessary to repay the TIF bonds.

To ensure a fair and an open process when disposing of City-owned property, the Council established a standard process in 2014 which includes the creation of review committees. Review committees are comprised of area business owners, community members, City staff and other stakeholders who evaluate development proposals. The City received local, regional and national interest in both sites. Four proposals were received for each project. Learn more at www.wichita.gov.