The Kansas African American Museum is targeting June 2028 to open its new downtown home, with a newly approved sales tax exemption expected to keep approximately $360,000 in the project.
Wichita City Council members voted unanimously Oct. 13 to approve the museum’s request to use the city’s industrial revenue bond process as a mechanism for receiving the exemption on eligible remaining renovation and equipment purchases.
The action also brought an update on the long-planned move to First and Main — and why the new location offers more than additional square footage.
Moving Into View
TKAAM’s current home, the historic Calvary Baptist Church at 601 N. Water, is surrounded on two sides by the Sedgwick County Jail, with a county parking garage on the third side. That setting presents challenges beyond limited space.
“In our current location, we’re kind of just hiding out back there,” Executive Director Shane Carter told the council.
Carter said digital maps can make the museum appear to sit inside the jail. That perception, combined with parking and accessibility challenges, can discourage visitors and complicate accommodating school groups.
The new location, in the former Sunflower Bank building at 201 N. Main, will provide approximately 22,000 square feet, more than doubling the museum’s space while placing it prominently at First and Main.
Mayor Lily Wu highlighted the opportunity to bring more activity along First Street, linking TKAAM with the Orpheum and beyond. Carter described a cultural corridor extending west toward Exploration Place, with opportunities for attractions to work together and encourage longer downtown visits.
A Move Decades in the Making
The museum’s search for a larger home predates the current project by more than two decades.
In 2005, Wichita approved an agreement making riverfront land available for a new African American cultural and educational facility. A $1-a-year lease approved in 2007 ran through 2015, but the site was never developed, and the city and museum mutually ended the agreement in 2014.
TKAAM acquired the former Sunflower Bank building in 2021 and publicly announced its new home and capital campaign in August 2022, with a projected opening in March 2025. . Five years after the acquisition, renovations remain underway, with a June 2028 opening target extending the timeline further.
Carter acknowledged the wait during the council meeting, saying donors and supporters have reminded him that the project has been discussed for years. Council Member Joseph Shepard also recognized earlier campaigns that did not reach completion, while expressing confidence in the current effort.
“We are closer than I think we have ever been, particularly for this project,” Shepard said.
Building on Sherman’s Work
Carter, who became executive director in May 2025, credited predecessor Denise Sherman for helping secure the private contributions and public funding that advanced the project.
The Voice reported in March 2025 that the museum had reached its original $6 million campaign goal, although rising costs required additional fundraising.
That February, Bank of America announced a $250,000 grant and sponsorship of the planned Dockum Drug Store Sit-in Immersive Experience. Sherman, who had departed after six years as executive director, was recognized for her leadership in bringing the expansion to that milestone.
At the council meeting, Carter clarified that approximately $6 million had been raised before his arrival, but a foundation challenge grant that did not materialize brought the amount closer to $5.8 million.
Work Already Completed
City documents describe an initial project phase costing approximately $6.4 million, supported partly by a $1 million State Park Revitalization and Investment in Notable Tourism, or SPRINT, grant funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
The grant required its funding to be used by the end of 2025, prompting the museum to begin construction ahead of the tax-exemption request.
Initial demolition and structural work are complete, including roof replacement, waterproofing and major structural upgrades.
The remaining work will transform the former bank into galleries, interactive exhibits, educational facilities and community gathering spaces.
More Room for History and Art
Plans call for the first floor to include an interactive exhibit recognizing TKAAM’s Trailblazers, people whose contributions helped shape the Kansas African American experience.
The second floor will combine displays from the museum’s own collection with traveling art exhibitions. Offices and educational spaces are planned for the third floor.
Beyond its exhibits, Carter described the new museum as a year-round cultural and educational destination serving Wichita and Kansas through school programs, lectures, performances and community conversations. Interactive exhibits will explore African American migration, civil rights, entrepreneurship, arts and community leadership.
“Our goal is to build a museum that welcomes people from every background and every generation,” Carter said.
Improved environmental controls will support displaying and protecting more of the museum’s collection and help accommodate loans from other museums. Carter estimates the current building allows only 5% to 10% of its collection to be displayed at a time.
Making Contributions Go Further
Carter told council members the tax savings would remain available for the building, exhibits, technology and visitor experience.
Mayor Wu closed by praising him for exploring the city’s available economic development tools and finding another way for the city to partner in the community’s investment.
For a project supported through years of fundraising, the exemption offers another way to stretch those contributions toward completion.
