On Tuesday, Botanica plans to ask city leaders to help it nearly double its footprint in Wichita. The nonprofit is asking the Wichita City Council to sign off on a 30-year lease of a portion of Sim Park.
The rental price for about a third of the park land between the gardens, Arthur B. Sim Golf Course and the Arkansas River is set at $1 a year.
In principle, it’s similar to a pitch Botanica made a year ago to the council.
In September 2025, Botanica asked for the city’s support in submitting a $7.3 million grant proposal to the state’s Water Projects Grant Fund. The nonprofit hoped the state would approve its plan to create what it called “The Water Journey Project.”…