Wichita’s old Union Station took one step closer to having new tenants. The building, which was dedicated in 1914, has been vacant since 2007. KMUW’s Sean Sandefur has the story…
Wichita City Council members approved a Tax Increment Financing District for a property along Douglas St. that contains Union Station and other historic buildings.
Occidental Management, the property’s developer, will receive over $17 million in future property tax abatement once the project is finished. According to Chad Stafford, the company is eligible for the tax relief because along with renovating the main buildings, they will also be improving municipal property.
“Areas that the public has access to, like the roads, the sidewalk, the parking garage, those areas,” he says.
The TIF District is still subject to the approval of Sedgwick County and Wichita Public Schools.
In total, the project is estimated to cost $54 million; Occidental Management hopes to transform the main Union Station terminal and its adjacent structures into restaurants, living spaces and retail shops. They plan to break ground on the first phase of the project in December.