Community members who feared that an empty city building at 2220 E. 21st St. would become a permanent homeless shelter can rest easy. The city has sold the building to Wichita Habitat for Humanity. Habitat plans to utilize it for program offices and warehouse space to store construction materials.
Habitat offered $682,500 for the property and the city accepted that bid during the regular council meeting on April 9. Proceeds will be set aside to fund costs associated with the development of the future Multi-Agency Center projects.
After many years of discussion, in August 2023 the Council approved the development of the project as an intended “one-stop-shop” for people experiencing anything from homelessness to domestic violence and human trafficking. The goal is to have multiple agencies in one location to make the process of getting back on their feet faster.
In recommending the approval of the bid, city staff noted that the sale of the property to a private party will place additional value into the tax base and will save the city the cost of maintaining the property.
The building was constructed in 1996 as part of a development agreement with Cessna and was utilized as a life skill training facility and day care for several years until the programs were moved to the main Cessna campus in April 2015.
From 2015 to September of 2023, it was leased to another tenant. When it became vacant last fall, the building was pressed into service as an emergency winter shelter for the homeless. As promised by the City when it first opened, the shelter closed on April 1, 2024.
About 60% of the space in the 19,798 square-foot building is built out as office space. The remainder is open space.
The building faces Opportunity Drive, and is a neighbor to the TOP Early Childhood Learning Center, the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas and the United Methodist Open Door Food Pantry.
