The process to develop our city center is on going.  There are a number of intiatives that are greatly contributing to the development of our city so it may become the next great American River City.  Such initiatives include:  (1) creation of the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation, (2) Visioneering, (3) previous downtown plans and (4) certainly the current work to develop a new comprehensive downtown strategic plan.

Earlier this year Mayor Brewer and the City Council commissioned a case study, The Case for Downtown Revitalization.  This case study showed there was a need for a downtown master plan.  This case study was then given to a Downtown Steering Committee, formed by Mayor Brewer.  This committee has three primary purposes:  (1) advance a downtown master plan, (2) provide recommendations for the plan and (3) oversee the preparation of the plan.

The Downtown Steering Committee is the sounding board for the consultant team that will be selected.  By representing the broad interests of the community, the Steering Committee will help to facilitate the formal review and adoption process of the plan.

In April of 2009 a public/private partnership was formed to fund the new Downtown Master Plan.  The partnership comprising the City of Wichita, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation and the additional private sector businesses/companies have raised the funds needed to develop the plan.

In September of 2009, the firm of Goody Clancy was selected to develop the Master Plan for downtown Wichita.  The design team started work in October 2009 with completion of the plan in the fall of 2010.