Downtown Wichita losing affordable housing option to parking
6 October 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — It has been five months since the Wichita Public Library closed and moved the Westlink Branch for remodeling. So far, construction hasn’t started, and a viewer reached out to KSN News to find out why.
“Having closed this location and downsized significantly into a temporary location with no visible work being done is causing a lot of concern,” the viewer wrote in an email.
The viewer pointed out that the remodel was originally supposed to be a 12 to 14-month project, and five months have already passed with no visible sign of progress.
KSN News reached out to Sean Jones, Wichita Public Library communications specialist. He said construction has not started yet, “but we’re close.”
“There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into renovating and creating a new library space, and your Wichita Public Library team wants to make sure everything is done right,” he wrote.
As of Wednesday, library staff reviewed the final electrical plan, prepared the furniture, fixtures and equipment package for bidding, and worked on getting the final architectural plans ready for bidding.
“Once bids are reviewed and contractors and vendors are selected, we will break ground,” Jones said. “We understand this process has taken longer than expected. Good things take time.”
We asked him what this means for the reopening date. He said they would have a better idea of that once construction begins.
Before it closed, Westlink was the library’s busiest branch. Jones thanked library visitors for understanding and pointed them to the branch’s temporary space at 7011 W. Central. The location is much smaller and offers limited services. Jones also invited library users to visit some of the Wichita Public Library’s other branches.
On Friday morning, Jones posted some sneak peeks of the planned renovation at Westlink.
New lights will be added to the exterior entrance wall at Westlink Branch Library for a fresh, updated look. The parking lot will also be reconfigured for better ease of traffic and more parking. (Courtesy Wichita Public Library)
The final design doubles the space of the current Westlink Branch. A large community room, more study rooms, a tech lounge, children’s room and access to outdoor playground, and reconfigured staff areas are all part of the plan. (Courtesy Wichita Public Library)
The library says the carpeting in the remodeled Westlink Branch may look wild but that it will look good. (Courtesy Wichita Public Library)
The library says some walls will feature pops of color while another wall will feature native Kansas animals. (Courtesy Wichita Public Library)