Part of Old Town building to be demolished for Evergy substation

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to demolish a portion of a historic building in Old Town for an Evergy substation.

The main portion of the “Keep Klean” building near 3rd Street and Mead will be kept, along with part of the facade, but additions to the building will be torn down.

With this substation, Evergy says it can remove transmission lines along Emporia Ave. in Historic Midtown and avoid installing large metal power poles.

“I know that this is a historical facility, but I, to my word, would rather see some demolition of a building rather than these large poles in folk’s front yards,” Councilman Brandon Johnson said on Tuesday.

The old Phillips gas station near Central and Rock Island will not be affected. Construction begins in 2025 and should be completed by 2027.