New $7-Million Storytime Village Complex to Break Ground Monday

Key Points:

• Groundbreaking on Monday for new Storytime Village complex with various programs and services
• Restoration of historical Holyoke Cottage and Fairmount President’s Cottage, along with new construction
• $7-million project funded by $5-million grant, aims to benefit Fairmount community and University students

Groundbreaking will be held Monday for construction of Storytime Village, a new complex that will stretch along 16th Street from Holyoke to Fairmount.  The project will include a variety of community programs and services and house the early childhood literacy programming offered by the non-profit Storytime Village since 2009.

The project, located just south of Wichita State University, will involve two, large historical restoration projects as well as new construction, said Dr. Prisca Barnes, founder and CEO of Storytime Village.

Holyoke Cottage, at 1704 N. Holyoke, was built in 1888 and was the first women’s dormitory for Fairmount College, now Wichita State University. The Fairmount President’s Cottage at 1717 North  Fairmount was built the same year. Both are 3-story Queen Anne style homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Both will be completely restored.

New buildings will be constructed on the vacant lots between the two existing buildings. The project is estimated to cost $7 million to complete.  

What had been a dream for Barnes was jump started in February when Storytime Village was awarded a $5-million grant from the Kansas Capital Projects Fund.

Although there has been a lot of development in that area thanks to its designation as an Opportunity Zone, a Federal program to encourage development in low income communities as a way to spur economic growth and job creation, most of the development in the area had been designed to support Wichita State University.  

Barnes, who had been watching this development, wanted to build a project in the area that would take advantage of the Opportunity Zone designation that also benefited residents of the Fairmount community.  

“It sort of opened up a new thought process and I realized that Storytime Village had to own this land so we can benefit from things like historic restoration tax credits and leasing space to partners who would offer services important to University students and the greater Fairmount community,” said Barnes.  

Plans for the complex include a community center that includes a literacy-based child care center with space for 50 children, a playground and an event venue with a full kitchen. She hopes to make the child care center a hub to serve the home-based day care providers who provide the bulk of care in the neighborhood.

She envisions a restored Fairmount President’s Cottage that can be a residency for researchers and authors who can stay there and be accessible to offer “fireside chats” in the living room to share their discoveries with WSU students or interested community members.

She plans to partner with the Workforce Alliance to offer job search help, a branch library where people can check out books and a book sharing center where educational materials can be stored, sorted and distributed.

The ceremonial groundbreaking is 11 a.m. on Monday, April 29. Hutton Construction, who has been selected as contractor for the project, will release artist renderings of the project following groundbreaking.

Barnes said she will work with the community to determine ways the center can be used to provide solutions for the community.    

“We will take time for listening, gathering feedback and establishing partnerships with as many people as we can,” said Barnes.  “We can have workshops and talk about the problems. But we also have to be the solution. This is our opportunity. If we fail, I know we at least tried.”

She said sometimes doubts set in and she thinks ‘who am I to be doing this?’

“Instead of questioning, I remind myself I’ve been called to do this work. Storytime Village will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year. I know the groundwork for the next chapter has been laid.”