More than 100 people gathered at the intersection of Topeka and William on Wednesday morning to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Wichita Biomedical Campus, a collaborative initiative that aims to expand and redefine health care in Kansas.
The largest capital investment in downtown Wichita’s history, the $300 million Biomedical Campus is a joint venture between Wichita State University and the University of Kansas. It will offer shared spaces for state-of-the-art laboratories, simulation rooms and other tools for hands-on training. Once the 355,000-square-foot facility is completed in 2027, it will serve as one of the only collaborative university health sciences centers in the country.
“We’re here today to break ground in something truly remarkable for the city of Wichita and the state of Kansas,” Wichita State President Richard Muma said during the ceremony. “This groundbreaking represents more than just the construction of a building; it symbolizes a commitment to innovation, collaboration and the future of health care in our community.”
Muma, who holds a bachelor’s degree in physician assistant studies and a master’s of public health in community health, emphasized how important the biomedical campus will be in tackling “the most pressing health challenges of our times in our community” and changing the future of medicine in Kansas.
“With this facility, we are laying the foundation for a brighter, healthier future for generations to come,” Muma said.
Muma was joined by more than a dozen other university administrators and elected officials, many of whom spoke on the “unheard of” collaborative nature of the project.
“What you’ve seen demonstrated here doesn’t happen everywhere,” Jeff Fluhr, the president of the Greater Wichita Partnership, said. “The collaboration between these two major universities … the alignment of the political will of the city and the county … that’s incredible. That’s a huge demonstration for our state of what we can go and conquer.”
Once completed, the campus will host Wichita State’s College of Health Professions, WSU Tech’s health care program and the Wichita campuses of the KU schools of medicine and pharmacy. It will also house roughly 3,000 students and 200 faculty and staff with opportunities for expansion already being explored.
Gov. Laura Kelly, Wichita Mayor Lily Wu and President of the Kansas Senate Ty Masterson also spoke at the ceremony, sharing how the project will cement Kansas “as a leader in scientific innovation and economic growth.” It aims to do so by establishing a “health care corridor” that increases the proximity of health care services and education to existing hospitals and health centers.
“The Wichita Biomedical Campus represents a considerable step forward in developing a robust health corridor, revitalizing the downtown area and the continued investment in the Kansas education system,” Kelly said. “This campus will revolutionize health care education and put Wichita on the map as a hub for health care and groundbreaking scientific research.”
