WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita City Council voted 7-0 to finalize the real estate purchase plans for Park Elementary , which will house the city’s Multi-Agency Center (MAC), at Tuesday’s meeting. The MAC will serve as the city’s emergency homeless shelter.
USD 259 agreed to sell the property to the city for $1 and specifies that use of the property shall be limited to and only used for humanitarian purposes. The deal includes closing costs, which will be funded by ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds.
Following the purchase vote, the council also voted 7-0 to approve just over $2.2 million in ARPA funds to renovate the property for the shelter. The funds will cover the installation of a fire impression system covering sleeping areas, renovation of 20,000 square feet of the north building to accommodate sleeping, building a privacy wall and a fence on the north and west sides of the property, closing the access from Water Street and building an access road to the rear of the building.