SEDGWICK COUNTY —The City of Wichita announced Thursday that it is considering the re-use of the former Park Elementary School facility at 1025 N. Main in Wichita as the future Multi-Agency Center (MAC), a one-stop, wraparound homeless services coordinator, as well as space for congregate, non-congregate and emergency housing, according to a media release from the city.
Earlier this year, Wichita Public Schools (WPS) announced it would close six schools before the 2024-2025 school year to reallocate resources. The City approached WPS after the announcement to inquire about the potential availability of Park Elementary as it is ideally located near other homeless service providers and would offer a centralized location for the MAC.
As such, it is the intent of the City, pending due diligence on the property, to acquire the building from WPS for a nominal fee.If the transaction occurs on schedule, the City intends to use the facility for the 2024-2025 winter emergency shelter and could open the full-service MAC in 2026.
The property will include a no-barrier, short term shelter open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round and feature comprehensive services to connect unhoused individuals to services and resources to transition them from shelter services into affordable housing.The City will host a community open house this Saturday, June 8, 2024 from 2 pm to 4 pm at the Advanced Learning Library in downtown Wichita to answer questions and address community concerns.