Phase One of the Wichita Biomedical Campus, being built in the heart of downtown Wichita, now has its official look.

Renderings created by Helix Architecture + Design and CO Architects show the 8-story, 350,000-square-foot building that features a 3-story pavilion, classrooms, labs, student success center, lounges and study spaces, offices and meeting spaces.

This marks the first phase of the joint health sciences project between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas. Once built, the Wichita Biomedical Campus will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions and Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program and Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy into one location.

“This biomedical center is going to revolutionize the way we educate health care professionals,” said WSU President Rick Muma. “With advanced technologies, like AI simulations and state-of-the-art labs, students from Wichita State, WSU Tech and the University of Kansas will learn, research and grow into their professions in a way that makes them more adept caregivers and innovators in the ever-evolving field of health care.” 

There will be shared spaces for advanced laboratories, technology and simulation rooms for hands-on training. The main entry point is a 2-story lobby. Natural light is used throughout the building to enhance the learning and working environment. Outdoor terraces and social stairs are prominent features for people to use as gathering spaces.

Wichita State and WSU Tech will share the first four stories of the 8-story tower. The fifth story is a shared simulation floor. KU will use the top three stories for its classrooms, work spaces and offices.

The 3-story section along William Street will hold three 80-person classrooms that convert into an event space on the first floor with main entry on Topeka. The Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic is on the third floor with a separate street entrance.

This initial phase of the project will be where a parking lot is located at the southeast corner of Broadway and William. Future phases will be located at 214 S. Topeka (where the Wichita Transit Center, set to move to Delano, is currently located). 

Construction is set to begin in spring 2024 and expected to be complete by the end of 2026.

Initially, about 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff will be housed at the center, with opportunities for growth in existing and new programs.

The pooling of these collective health science and biomedical resources and experiences will result in remarkable opportunities for collaboration, innovation and research.

The Wichita Biomedical Campus proposes the creation of a corridor where health care services, education, research and technology can be established near existing private hospitals and health care providers. That proximity will strengthen collaboration, and support interprofessional health care learning, while forwarding opportunities for partnerships in new and emerging research fields.

"This marks the most significant financial investment in the history of Wichita's downtown. With this substantial commitment, we aim to create a lasting impact on our community by enhancing health outcomes and pioneering groundbreaking research,” Muma said. 

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university that serves as a center for learning, scholarship and creative endeavor. KU is the only state university in Kansas to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, a select group of 71 public and private research universities that represent excellence in graduate and professional education and the highest achievements in research internationally. KU has more than 28,000 students across five campuses and 14 schools, including schools of medicine and pharmacy. The university has 48 graduate programs ranked in the Top 50 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Through its KU Medical Center, the university provides outreach to all 105 counties in Kansas. Each year, the university conducts more than $280 million in externally sponsored research.